Transition services in special education - Coursework Example

Transition services in special education Lecturer Transition services These are the activities used in making with a disability be prepared to move from school to post-school life. These services are usually provided to those students who have disabilities, and are from sixteen (16) to twenty-one (21) years of age. In addition, these students should be eligible to receive the services under the Individuals with Disability (IDEA) Act, and IEP team will observer the performance of the student with to decide whether the student is eligible for the transition services or not, one year after the commencement of transition services.

Transition services normally coordinated and designed within an outcome-oriented process that aims at promoting movement from school towards post-school life activities. These activities are usually based on the needs, preferences and interests of the students. They include the activities needed in the following areas: related services of disabilities, instructions, experiences in the community, daily living skills acquisition when appropriate, functional vocational evaluation and the development of employment and other living objectives of adult post-school life.

PurposeThe transition services are important in offering students with disabilities hope for their future. The community resources and agencies provide students with disability with adequate knowledge, and education can be tailored to the goals and strength of the students to providing the options and plans for the future life. It is not just enough to simply be aware that students with disabilities are in need of guidance to successfully transition themselves from high school life to the next stage of young adulthood life.

Bold steps need to be taken to offer guidance and prepare the teenagers for college life and their future careers, as well as independent lives. Without such guidance in place, students with disabilities, more so learning disabilities, often fail during their high school life and beyond. Who qualifies for transition services?All special education students regardless of the disability severity between the ages of sixteen (16) to twenty-one (21) years qualifies for transition services and must have transition components in their Individualized Education Plan (Pennsylvania Department of Education, Education Law Center, 2007).

When should planning begin?Planning in most cases begins from the age of sixteen (16) years, or when appropriate, as early as fourteen years of age. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires the first Individualized Education Plan to be implemented once the student reaches sixteen (16) years of age. The annual Individualized Education Plan should include discussion about transition service needs. On the other hand, the Individualized Education Plan team may start to discuss the transition services with students with disabilities even before turning sixteen years of age only if they deem it necessary to do so (Stanberry, 2010).

The roles of the student, parents, school, and community agenciesParentsThe participation of parents in the transition planning has been found to significantly vary. Nonetheless, parents play key roles in the process of transition planning. A limited time is allocated to parents to participate in the transition component development in many school programs. In most cases, they are treated as ancillary stakeholders rather than key partners. The parent needs to know the child better compared to anyone else and can share plans and ideas with the child concerning his or her future and the overall experiences outside school (Austin, 2000).

It is important for the parents to include their children in such discussions concerning the transition services and encourages them to advocate for their wishes, rights and needs in life. In addition, it is the absolute role of the parents to select the appropriate person who they see best to help in coordinating the transition team. They stand to have great role in guiding, encouraging and empowering students with disabilities to take an active role in the program of transition. They are the essential persons in helping students with disabilities identify their lives and goals in careers and at the same time providing the opportunities to attain those goals.

StudentsThis stage forms an excellent time for students to propose dreams and set goals on how to achieve them. Students need to start thinking about what they want to engage in when they reach adulthood before going through the first transition plan. This gives the child a great opportunity to take an active role in planning for his or her education and making school important to his or her future endeavor. Students are provided with an opportunity to prove exactly what they are capable of achieving and accomplishing in their lives.

The students need to understand the entire process of planning fully so that they can be able to participate and cooperate during the process of transition.Community agencies and resourcesThe community has several agencies and resources that are aimed at providing adequate assistance to the students with disabilities to facilitate their smooth transitions. For job listings, youths with disability are encouraged to contact their local youth employment programs, and transition partners programs at their schools.

In addition, training of occupation is also offered by several local vocational centers including the community colleges’ adult educational programs among others.Community agencies have a role of recognizing the parents of students with disabilities and those they are representing a heterogeneous group of individuals. These agencies enable service providers of programs to target the needs of parents individually and provide support that is appropriate and required by each parent and family.

ReferencesAustin, J. F. (2000). The role of parents as advocates for the transition rights of their disabled youth. Retrieved from http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/265/279Pennsylvania Department of Education, Education Law Center (2007). Transition to adult life. Retrieved from Education Law Center website: www.elc-pa.org Stanberry , K. ( 2010, January). Transition planning for students with ieps. Retrieved from http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/health/873-transition-planning-for- students-with-ieps.gs?page=all