Transition planning is a formal process for helping students with IEPs figure out what they want to do after high school and how to get there.  It is required by IDEA.

The purpose of the transition planning is to help the student be an independent young adult.  The law requires the IEP team to invite the student to the transition meetings, it is important because we are preparing to transfer IEP rights to the student. 

Some transitions services can only be provided by outside organizations-not the school.  During the transition planning, the circle of people involved in the student’s IEP meetings may expand to include people from the community like counselors, and job specialists. 

We are going to apply what we are reading this week to the film, Graduating Peter.  You watched the first half of this film at the beginning of the semester, Peter was in an inclusive elementary school special education program.  Peter has Down Syndrome, he is intellectually disabled.   (Please look over the Power point in this module about ID).  Graduating Peter focuses on middle and HS and is a perfect look at transition planning.