Providing Transition Support for Students
CAC Presentation, 5/15/13
Melissa Gooden, Transition Specialist
Lela Rondeau, Transition Specialist
How can we keep our children
100% safe?
• Lock them inside the house –
no playing outside
• Make all decisions for them
• Pad all furniture and edges –
or live in a bouncy castle
• Do not allow them to move
What is Transition?
• Transition prepares students with disabilities to move
from school to work and community life.
Why is preparing for transition so important?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey,
American FactFinder, Table B23023; <http://factfinder.census.gov>;
(accessed 28 September 2010).
More Research
• Students with disabilities who have had work
experiences and vocational education in high school
have increased chances of competitive post secondary
employment and were less likely to drop out of school.
• Employers were willing to hire students with
disabilities without a diploma as long as they had the
necessary communication skills and work ethic.
Source: “Federal Actions Can Assist States in Improving Post-secondary
Outcomes for Youth,” General Accounting Office, July 2003.
Who Provides Transition Support?
• Team approach
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Teachers
Parents
Counselors
Transition Teachers
Community Agencies
Transition and the Law
 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
requires schools to prepare students for the transition
to adult life.
 Per IDEA, by age 16, a student’s IEP must include:
▫ Measurable post-secondary goals
▫ Transition services to assist students in meeting these
goals
▫ Information regarding student’s rights when he/she
reaches 18 years of age
Transition and the Law
• Transition Services are also mandated according to the
Modified Consent Decree.
• Outcome 9: “98% of all students 14 and over shall have
an Individual Transition Plan developed in accordance
with federal law.”
Time out!
Next, we’ll look at:
- how parents can prepare their children for transition to
life after high school
- transition services offered inside LAUSD
- what popular post school options are for our students
- Any questions thus far?
What can I do now to prepare my child for
transition?
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It’s not too early! It’s never too early!!
Provide choices
Promote independence
Fade supports
Scaffold challenging tasks
Example of a scaffolded task
• Child starts by putting pillow in place on the made bed
• Child brings comforter up and places pillow
• Child tucks in sheet, brings comforter up and places
pillow
Demonstrate each step, then prompt child verbally,
then use fewer verbal prompts, then use no verbal
prompts, then try to be out of the room while the child
does the task.
Elementary
▫ Assist with chores at home
 dishes
 folding laundry
 making the bed
▫ Prepare for the transition to middle school
 take a tour
 meet teachers
 find a peer buddy
▫ Integration with non disabled peers for part of the day
▫ Introduce the concept of saving money
▫ Direct instruction in social skills
 eye contact
 shaking hands
Middle School
School community awareness
Increased at-home responsibilities
Basic personal care
Independence on school campus
Talk to adults about work- what do adults around them
do?
▫ Preparation for transition to high school
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 Take a tour
 Learn how credits work (if you fail, you must retake)
High School 14-18
Classes at Occupational or Skill Centers
Work Based Learning (16+)
Volunteering
Increase self advocacy skills
Encourage your child to get involved in a club or
activity at school
• Visit possible post-school options (community
colleges, vendored programs, etc)
• Child takes the lead on public transit
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Turning 18
• Rights transfer to the student
• Pros and cons of conservatorship
• Other options
High School 18-22
• Focus shifts to post school outcomes of increasing to
highest level of independence
• Child takes the lead on public transit
• Increasing involvement with Regional Center
• Final chance to increase independence with school
support
Time Out
• Next we’ll look at options for diploma-bound students
while in LAUSD
• Then we’ll look at options for students who are on the
alternate curriculum
• Questions on what’s been covered?
Transition Services for Diploma-Bound
Students in LAUSD
• Work Based Learning Program (16+)
• Student interest assessment
• Lessons in Special Day Classes and to Resource
students (pulled out from class) on self advocacy,
getting and keeping a job, etc
• Senior Advisories
Transition Services for Students on the
Alternate Curriculum while in LAUSD
Community Based Instruction
• Learn vocational and independent living skills
• Ages 14-16 remain on the school campus
• Ages 17 and older practice in the community
School Based Enterprise
• Student-run simulated business conducted within a
school
• Provides work experience and opportunities to learn
functional academic, social and leadership skills
• Startup funding is provided by DOTS
Career and Transition Centers (CTCs)
• Miller CTC, Reseda
• Perez CTC, East LA
• Widney CTC, Central LA
• Doyle CTC, Gardena
Opening in 2013-14
Leichman CTC, Reseda
What is a CTC?
• Provides employment-based training for students
with disabilities 18-22
• Students are taught entry level employment skills,
including:
-staying on task
-working with minimal supervision
-collaborating and sharing materials with
co-workers
What is taught at the CTCs?
• P.A.E.S. Lab
• Independent Living Skills
• Other Vocational Strands
P.A.E.S. Lab
•Practical Assessment
Exploration System
•Students are timed and
assessed in vocational
tasks
•Comprehensive report
given regarding
employability
Independent Living Skills
• Life skills in real world
environments
Vocational Strands
Horticulture
• Gardening and
landscaping
Business/Office
• Office skills such as
answering phones,
organizing mailings,
and shredding
Culinary Arts
• Kitchen skills –
cooking, catering,
and cleaning
Auto Detailing
• Detail cars and
learn customer
service skills
Career and Transition Services (CATS)
Program
CATS is run by DOTS at the following community college
campuses:
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East Los Angeles College
Mission College
Los Angeles Trade Tech College
Harbor College
Pierce College
West Los Angeles College
CATS Program
• Students 18-22 are dually
enrolled in LAUSD and the
college
•Take college classes and work
•Must travel independently to
and from the campus
•Two year commitment
Time Out
Next we’ll discuss:
• Possible post-school options for students with
disabilities
• Agency linkages
• Questions thus far?
What happens when my child leaves high
school?
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Community College
Occupational/Skill Centers
Training Program
Competitive Employment
Regional Center Vendored Programs
Four year or Community college
• College advisor and the DOTS teacher help fill out
applications and financial aid forms
• Field trips may be offered to local colleges by the
DOTS teacher and/or the college advisor
• DOTS teacher discusses the benefits of using Disabled
Student Services during college
Occupational Centers/ Skill Centers
• Offer training in various trades, such as carpentry,
cosmetology or culinary arts
• Transition teachers provide assistance in finding local
centers and determining the requirements
• Often free for students with disabilities
Training Programs
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Job Corps
AmeriCorps
California Conservation Corps
Military
Apprenticeships
Competitive Employment
• Some students who participate in work based learning
programs become competitively employed
• Other students are connected to prospective
employers through various agencies
Final preparation for leaving
• Regional Center invited to final IEP
• Certificate of Completion or Diploma (CAHSEE
exemption)
• Make sure you get copies of both the Summary of
Performance and Final IEP
Agency linkages
• Department of Rehabilitation
• Regional Center
Department of Rehabilitation
PURPOSE:
• Helps people with disabilities fulfill their employment goals
and achieve independence.
WHO SHOULD APPLY?:
• High school leavers 18 and older who want to work but may
have trouble getting or keeping a job because of their
disability
• Some 16 year old students are selected by the DOTS teacher
to participate in the Transition Partnership Program (TPP)
Department of Rehabilitation
SERVICES PROVIDED:
Assessments/Evaluations
Supported employment
Employment training
Clothing to wear on an
interview and on the job
• Transportation vouchers
• Work related equipment
• Tuition and books
(if deemed appropriate)
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Regional Center
PURPOSE
• Provides case management services to people with
developmental disabilities that occurred before their 18th
birthday
• Services are provided from birth to death
WHO SHOULD APPLY?:
• Anyone with a developmental disability that was identified
prior to age 18
• Includes intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, epilepsy,
autism, and other disabling conditions requiring treatment
similar to that for intellectual disabilities.
Regional Center
SERVICES / SUPPORT PROVIDED:
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Diagnosis/Evaluation
Early intervention
Parent Training
Respite Care
Referrals to adult day activities,
supported employment, group
homes and other community resources
In Conclusion: Don’t be like these parents!
“I’d be an irresponsible parent to
let them out.”
“I don’t want him experiencing
anything until I’ve totally
checked it out.”
Information / Resources
District Office of Transition Services
333 S. Beaudry Ave., 17th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 241-8050
Website: dots.lausd.net