Transition
Toolkit:
Lessons Learned on
Supporting Youth
with Disabilities
Rachel Stewart,
Youth Program Manager
Overview
 Project
Background
 Youth
Transition Toolkit website design and features
 Contents
 Topics covered
 Lesson
Plans and Activities
 Overview of the format and materials
 Pilot
Site Overview
 Demonstration
of website
 Funded
by a Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG) from the
federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) –
administered by San Diego State University’s Interwork
Institute.
 Overall
goal: increase employment of youth and adults with
disabilities
 Numerous
projects geared towards youth with disabilities
 Goal of empowering youth, developing self-advocacy skills,
and providing access to information and resources
 Partner with a variety of state departments and non-profit
organizations
Youth Transition Toolkit Website
www.TKNLyouth.info
 Website
Development and Refinement
 Youth with disabilities
 Subject matter experts:
Communities of Practice, CA Dept. of Ed, School District
Personnel, Transition Alliance
 Dept. of Rehabilitation
 CA Foundation for Independent Living Centers and State
Independent Living Council

 Content
 Target
audience is YOUTH!
 Tips for Parents
 Information relevant to teachers, transition
specialists, and service providers
Youth Transition Toolkit Website
 Chapters
include:
 Education
 Independent Living
 Employment
 Finances
 Healthcare
 Social/Recreation
 HTML
website pages and downloadable PDFs of
each “chapter” and worksheet
Education Chapter
Empowering
youth while in high school
 Person-centered
transition planning, leading their
own IEP/ITP, etc.
Information
to assist in the transition to Postsecondary education: community college, 4year university, or vocational school
 Understanding
and college
the differences between high school
Independent Living Chapter
Background
on disability history,
independent living movement
Information
on accessible/affordable
housing, transportation, and personal
assistance services
Worksheets
assisting with goal setting
and checklists to ensure preparation for
independence
Employment Chapter
 Career
planning - Choosing a career and job search
resources
 The
impact of employment on benefits
 Job
accommodations and disability disclosure
 Resume
writing and successful interviewing
techniques and preparation
 Building
work experience, including volunteerism and
internship programs
 Personal
assistant services at work
Finances Chapter
 Tips
on money management, including basic
budgeting, how to balance a checkbook, pay bills,
etc.
 Credit
cards and how to avoid getting into debt
 Worksheets
 Tips
on financial planning and budgeting
for parents on teaching their child to start
managing their own finances
Healthcare Chapter
 Worksheets
on handling one’s own healthcare
needs
 Keeping
track of medications, making doctors
appointments and communicating with the doctor
 Insurance
information, including Medi-Cal,
healthcare through employment and continuance
of coverage under the family’s plan
 Tips
for parents on helping their child transition
into independently handling their own healthcare
needs
Social/Recreation Chapter
 Clubs/activities
specifically designed for youth
with disabilities
 Available
adaptive sports programs
 Ways
to become involved in the disability
community
 Tips
on traveling with a mobility disability
Lesson Plans
 Lesson
Plans have been developed with activities
for facilitators to lead in the classroom or in
workshops for youth participants
 Activities
on the six topics covered by the Toolkit
(Education, Employment, Independent Living, etc.)
 All
materials located in the secure section of the
Youth Transition Toolkit website – currently will
only be available to pilot sites
 Will be available to everyone by June 2012
Lesson Plans
 Main
goal of Lesson Plan goals is to lead activities
designed to:
 Empower youth
 Build self advocacy and self determination skills
 Encourage youth to start thinking about and
planning for their future
 Lead youth to www.tknlyouth.info to find additional
resources which can help successfully transition into
adult life
 Complete
flexibility in how you choose to use lesson
plans:
 Lead only certain activities or lesson plan chapters
 Modify activities
Lesson Plans
 “Lesson
Plan Overview” Document
 Comprehensive summary on the lesson plans and tips
for how to utilize them
 Tips on enhancing lesson plans/activities:
 Inviting guest speakers
 “Things are about to change” Video Vignettes
 Youth/student co-facilitator
 “Workshop
Planning Tips”
 Guide for community-based organizations on how to
organize workshops – information on:
 Participant recruitment strategies
 Tips for success: finding a youth co-facilitator, providing
food, assisting with transportation, accessible venues,
etc.
Lesson Plans
 Activity
format:
 Objective
 Suggested time frame
 Format
 Materials needed
 Vocabulary/terms
 Suggested facilitator preparatory activities
 Creating context
 Procedure
 Closure
Education Lesson Plan Activities

Me, Myself and My IEP
 Presentation and discussion on the purpose and importance of an
IEP

The Future’s Wide Open...
 Filling out worksheets to prepare for leading their own IEP/transition
planning meeting

Planning For College
 Learning about university and community college supports,
preparing for the transition to college and requesting
accommodations

Expanding My (Training) Horizons
 Researching vocational training options other than a traditional
college setting, including ROP, trade schools, internships, and
volunteerism
Independent Living Lesson Plan
Activities
 The
Untold History
 Presentation on disability history (including the independent
living and disability rights movements) and discussion of
additional advocacy efforts
 Models
of Disability
 Understanding the difference between the medical and social
models of disability and how these impact how we perceive
disability
 Thinking
About Disability
 Thinking about how disability has impacted their life (both
positively and negatively) and learning about disability as a
shared experience
Independent Living Lesson Plan
Activities, Cont.
 Living
on my Own and Reaching my Goals
 Understanding and planning for what steps need to be taken
to live independently, including cost of living and finding
personal care attendants
 Setting
Goals
 Learning about different programs and services to assist with
gaining independence (regional center ILS, IHSS, Independent
Living Centers, etc.), and setting goals/next steps to transition
into living independently
Employment Lesson Plan
Activities

Work it Out
 Understanding the difference between a job and a career, and
thinking about why going to work is personally important

Connecting the Dots…


Thinking about barriers to employment, and learning about services
which can help break down some of these barriers (i.e. Department
of Rehabilitation, Regional Centers, One-Stop Career Centers)
Employment Rights!
 Presentation on employment and anti-discrimination laws; personal
planning related to disability disclosure and requesting
accommodations
Employment Lesson Plan
Activities, Cont.
 Resume
Writing
 Workshop to begin the process of writing a resume and
learning about different resume styles
 Employment
Shouldn’t Be in Jeopardy!
 Participants test their newly acquired knowledge around
employment-related topics by playing a jeopardy game
Finances Lesson Plan Activities
 “Money
Smart for Young Adults” Curriculum
 Flexible FREE curriculum designed by the FDIC to help youth
learn the basics around money management
 Disability
Benefits 101: Planning your Future
 Learning how to navigate the Disability Benefits 101 website
and going through an interactive benefits calculator
demonstration
 Work
Incentive Programs: Working it!
 Understanding basic information about Social Security cash
benefit programs and how these programs interact with paid
employment; learning about benefits planning best practices
Healthcare Lesson Plan Activities
 Learning
to Manage Your Healthcare
 Activity to help youth develop ideas on how they can begin
handling their health-related needs
 Creating
a Healthcare Journal
 Creating a personal healthcare journal as a way to track
disability-related symptoms and quickly access all healthcare
information in one place
 Communicating
with Your Doctor
 Preparing for the transition from a pediatrician to an adult
physician by practicing having a conversation with a new
doctor
Social/Recreation Lesson Plan
Activities
 Sports,
Hobbies, and Clubs - Oh my!
 Sharing current activities and brainstorming how other
activities can be modified to be made more accessible;
learning about social and recreational opportunities available
in their community
 Do
you like to move it, move it?
 Viewing a video about a guitar player born without arms, and
then trying out adaptive ways to play musical instruments
 You’re
Trippin!
 Planning a day trip by utilizing online resources and public
transportation
Pilot Sites
 30
Pilot Sites testing Toolkit website and lesson plan
materials:
 High Schools/districts

Includes Workability I, Transition Partnership Programs, and special
education/adult transition programs
 College
2 Career Program
 Independent Living Centers
 Family Empowerment Centers
 Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
 Other Community-Based Organizations providing
transition services
Website and Lesson Plans
Demonstration
www.tknlyouth.info
Contact information
For
questions or to request information on
lesson plan activities/materials contact:
John Kerr, Youth Program Specialist
 916-319-9563
 John.kerr@dhcs.ca.gov
Rachel
Stewart, Youth Program Manager
 916-319-8519
 rstewart@interwork.sdsu.edu