Transition Resources
What is Transition
Transition is when the school and IEP team members look at what the student would like to do once they have received their diploma and make a plan to meet that goal. This process starts when the students is 14, but can start sooner. Remember IEP team members include you and your student.
Below, you will find various information that will be helpful to your student and to you. While this is not the only content on Transition, it will give you a good start or a refresher of the process that your student and you are doing.
A good place to start to look at the whole picture, is with the Planning for the Future Checklist. This give you an idea of what to think about as your student goes through school. This is based on age, not grade. Below is the link, but below that is a way to have the list on your phone or tablet.
Planning for the Future Checklist App
The #PAPlanningForTheFuture Checklist app is HERE to support young adults with disabilities! Navigate your transition into adulthood with this exciting new app that provides helpful tips and resources available in your state and county. Search keywords: PA Planning For The Future. Created in partnership with the United Way of Southwestern PA’s #21andAble initiative, the PA Department of Education and the PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Download the Planning for the Future Checklist app, available on Android and iPhone, and please feel free to share this announcement!
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sinteksolutions.paplanningforthefuturechecklist
iOS/Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/pa-planning-for-the-future/id1247711490?mt=8
Freshman Year
As the first year in the LSS program at MASH, your student will get to experience job exploration to see what type of tasks and environments they like, learning how to use public transportation, using money out in the community on CAT Bus trips and at the grocery store, and basic home skills such as cooking and cleaning at the Real Deal House.
- When you have the first IEP with the MASH LSS teachers, you are welcome to invite any outside agency that works with your student. This can include the Cumberland County MH/IDD Supports Coordinator, BSC/TSS, etc.
- This is a good time to start the process of your student applying to Cumberland County MH/IDD for a Supports Coordinator. This person is very similar to what we do in school as guiding you in the direction of services, but they work on the adult side of things. If you are interested click on the link. Cumberland County MH/IDD Adult Services
- Get them out and volunteer. Many of the students want to work and be apart of the community. Volunteering is a great way to start the process as all the students start in this type of capacity when starting their job exploration. There are a few locations like Operation Wildcat and New Hope Ministries, but if you know of a group or have family that needs help, this is a great start. Please remember that the students are starting to learn about working, how to keep up their stamina, and communicating with others, so they will need support from you to learn these on the job. Only when the student, business, and you all agree the student can do the work independently should you leave your student in a volunteer location. If interested in volunteering you can check out these two groups. Operation Wildcat Facebook Page New Hope Ministries
- It is important to have your student work on the same skills that are worked on in the classroom and in the community with you. This goes beyond just doing math problems on a worksheet or reading a book. Have them read a recipe, write down the schedule of events, write down the grocery list, measure out ingredients, do their own laundry, clean their own room, pay for an item that they want, earn some money by completing chores and keep track of their money, and much more.
- Your student will be attending OVR Early Reach sessions. These are once a month for a few months during the school year. The students will attend for once class period. These sessions help them look at jobs, what other skills are needed when getting a job or working, and other topics. The link provided gives you some information about OVR and their Early Reach sessions. Later on, your student will need to apply to OVR to receive services, so you will hear about them again. Please note that people change out of positions at OVR, so the names and numbers on the link may not be up to date at this time. OVR Early Reach
Sophomore Year
In the second year of the Life Skills program, the students continue to work on the same skills as their Freshman year. By the end of the school year, the student and job coaches has started to narrow down areas in which the student would like to work. This component help with their programming in their Junior year. While the students are still working in the same environments such as CAT Bus trips, grocery store, and Real Deal House, the expectations of what they are to do goes up. The end goal is that each student is able to do as many of the activities as independent as possible.
- If your student has not applied for a Supports Coordinator from Cumberland County MH/IDD, it is suggested to start this process. Cumberland County MH/IDD Adult
- Continue to get your student out in the community volunteering and working on their independent living skills. Some students may be interested in getting a job. When looking at a job, you need to make sure they have support where needed. If the student is still working with a job coach and needs supports, you will need to work with the business and provide the job coaching support to your student. You will be able to know how your student is doing by reviewing the Job Evaluations that come home after each time your student attends a job exploration. These help provide you information on how your student did and what they liked and did not like about the job.
- Students will continue to go to the OVR Early Reach sessions.
- Start looking at activities your student can start getting involved in that they can continue as an adult. Many times students and parents are concern about when school ends they will have no one to socialize with like they do in school. Start thinking about this now. Some great places to start looking at is joining a gym, joining a church group, going to UCP events, participating in Special Olympic activities, creating a peer lunch bunch group that goes out once a month, and many more. As the LSS teachers get information on activities like this, we email them out, so look out for them. Here are some links to activities.
- Some students will want to get their driver's license. Student's who take Driver's Education class are only learning about driving. They do not have Behind the Wheel. If you are interested in your student taking Behind the Wheel it is offered through the Parks and Rec Department. There is a cost involved. If interested, follow the link. Mechanicsburg Park and Rec
Junior Year
In the third year of being in the LSS program, the students are looking at building more stamina working and going to a location more times to learn more skills sets in that location. Students continue to work on the same skills they did their Sophomore year working toward more independence.
- Continue to get your student out in the community volunteering and working on their independent living skills. It is a good time to look at if your student needs to open a checking account. If your student is getting a paycheck or SSI-D, this is a good way for them to start transferring skills they have learned in the classroom about keeping a checkbook, to manage money. When looking at a checking account, determine if your student will manage money through cash, check, debit, or any mix of it. You will want to look at what allows them to be independent. They will need repetition in real life settings to help them truly understand the concept of money, as it is an abstract concept.
- Students will no longer attend OVR Early Reach sessions, but if your student will be graduation next year or will be aging out next year, your student will want to start the process to get OVR services. OVR, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, is an agency that helps provide services to students to become employed. All students will need to go through this process if they are looking at working or continuing to secondary schooling when done school. The paperwork and process changes yearly, so you will be contacted by the teacher with the new process when your student reaches this point. While the teachers will help get you the information and can help set up the first meeting, you are the key person in this process. You will need to fill out the paperwork, meet with the OVR coordinator with your student, and work with OVR on what services are going to be needed. If your student has a Cumberland County MH/IDD Supports Coordinator, it is good to have them at the meeting. Here is the link to OVR
- Continue to get your student involved in activities that are outside of school that continue when they are adults. This will only strengthen their peer group that they can talk with once school is done.
- Your student may be interested in living with you right after school is done, but look long term as planning ahead will make the process easier. Some families look at their student living with them for as long as they would like, some students would like to live with supports, and others want to live independent. Start talking about what it is going to look like. In school we have been talking about what it means to live independent, how much it costs, and how they are going to support being independent. While it seems like it is far off to think of this, your student has thought of it often. There are supports out there to help with students who want to live on their own. The key her is to have a Cumberland County MH/IDD Supports Coordinator. They will be able to direct your student to agencies that can provide those supports and help find funding if available. If looking at agencies to support your student in living independent like group homes or supported housing, visit them. Your student needs to feel comfortable in the setting. The wait lists for these types of setting are long and not all placements are in the same town or county you are in. Some agencies that offer these types of settings are below.
Senior Year
- Even though students can graduate school after 4 year as long as they earn enough credits or meet their IEP goals, all students in the LSS program can stay till they are 21. Some students will walk with their class but will return the following years to continue to work on their IEP goals. Some students will walk and graduate their last year. Each student is different and is a decision that is made with that input.
- Any male student that turns 18 will need to register with Selective Services. If they do not, they will be ineligible for funding later through the government. There is an online registration to help with this process. Selected Services
- OVR needs to be involved the last year of your student being in school. They will take the information of what they have been doing in school from their IEP, information from the student and family, and will make a determination if the student will be able to get services to help with employment. These meetings require the student, family members, and any outside agencies to help the process. Currently these meetings have been happening at MASH once a month and scheduled with the family and the OVR coordinator.
- By this point, some students will not look at getting a driver's license, so they may have to look at using public transportation. Your student has been working on these skills for the past four years at MASH. Some students will be independent in riding the bus and reading the bus schedule, some will be able to ride independently but will need help reading the schedule, and some students will need full assistance and will look at Share a Ride. Some students will have the Reduced Fare card they obtained earlier in their MASH career. While this allows those who ride the fixed buses at a lower cost, it allows those who need to use the Share a Ride. In order for this process to go though, the student and parent will need to fill out for following form, which puts the student on the Share a Ride list. This form cannot be filled out by the school as it has personal information about finances that only can come from the student and family. Share a Ride Application
- As your student is looking at the end, there are some things to think of if they can do independently: make their own meals, show for the items they need, clean their room, keep track of their own money, know their medication and can order more, talk to the doctor about what is going on, talk to their employer when they have an issue, know how to call off work, know how to write 2 week notice and know when to turn it in, can follow directions that are written or verbalize, complete tasks given and ask for more if there is more time, read a clock and know when they need to return from break, able to do a leisure activity, wash, dry and fold their laundry, etc. While not all students are able to do these task independently, these are the tasks that people do in their everyday life that needs to be taught. If they are unable to do any of these task, it does not mean they cannot learn. It may mean it takes extra time to learn them. Even though they may be finishing school, continue to support and guide your student to independence.
- When your student turns 18, they can register to vote. The school can assist with them filling the form out, have help from a family member, or can fill it out on their own. A reminder will happen when you have their IEP meeting when they turn 18, but here is the link to register on line. How to Register to Vote
