Participants in the Transition Process
|
Students are the primary focus.
Who has a more important role than the student? To use a baseball analogy, if the school is
the team, the parents are the coaches and the student is the batter. Whether he swings,
misses or hits it out of the park the outcome is his. He has to be the center of the process
and an integral, active part of it. Without knowing his [/her] hopes and dreams, without his
[/her] effort and self-knowledge there is no transition to adulthood.3
Students must:
• Be a full participant in planning for their future.
• Become an effective self-advocate. Maintain open communication
with school staff, parents, family etc.
• Assume responsibility for actions and understand consequences
associated with them.
• Work toward academic, social and personal goals. Cultivate
self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses.
• Know his or her self. Understand their disability and needs and be
able to discuss and explain them.
Parent, Guardian, Family members should:
• Participate in school meetings and conferences related to student, for
example the IEP meeting. Serve as an advocate for the student.
• Develop the student’s skills and knowledge to insure they become as
independent as possible. Encourage and grow the ability of the
student to be a self-advocate.
• Insure student is receiving support as needed outside the school
environment.
• Plan for the financial requirements of post-secondary learning and
living. This may include education, housing, recreation, insurance
(particularly health), and more.
• Set realistic expectations.
School Specific Personnel Include:
Public Schools’ responsibilities for individuals with disabilities are clearly set forth in law. See
section in this book, Legal Rights and Responsibilities for further information.
• TEACHERS – special education, general education, special subject teachers
• TRANSITION COUNSELOR (Not all schools have transition counselors. In such cases, the
guidance counselor or case manager covers these areas.)
• SOCIAL WORKER
• RELATED SERVICE PROVIDERS
• GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
• CASE MANAGER
• NURSE’S OFFICE
3 http://www.ccdanet.org/ecp/transition/what-is-the-role-of-the-student-in-the-transition-process/, WNY Collegiate Consortium and Disability Advocates
|