Transition planning can significantly increase the chances of post-school success for students with disabilities. Specifically, research has repeatedly underscored the importance of vocational exploration and competitive employment before leaving high school. Test et al. (2009) looked at 22 studies to identify predictors of improved post-school outcomes in education, employment, or independent living. Among the four ...View full idea »

Modified Occupational Completion Points need to be promoted and established in a way that gets public vocational and technical schools paid, and more importantly, not penalized. MOCPs are not allowed in many districts, which leads to exclusion of students with disabilities who may not be perceived as successful "completers" of vocational programs. MOCPs are left to individual districts (at least in our state) to determine ...View full idea »

Recreational Therapy (RT), although a cost-effective covered service in >IEPs, is under utilized in the school system due to ignorance of its >scope >of practice. RTs are nationally certified/licensed health professionals >who >provide services aimed at the successful integration of individuals into >the community. Because of this ignorance, RT is under prescribed within >the >school system, schools do not regularly ...View full idea »

Paper on Special Education Due Process a must read.

http://www.aasa.org/headlinecontent.aspx?id=27966

The Government Accountability Office Report 12-594, Students with Disabilities: Better Federal Coordination Could Lessen Challenges in the Transition From High School (July 2012), stated that a major challenge for students with disabilities in transitioning from school to post-school life is limited access to reliable public transportation. Another significant problem is the limited opportunity to learn how to use the ...View full idea »

Because I have 30K+ in student loans and they're coming due, I have applied for a disability discharge. The problem with this is simple - it promotes my not looking for work, even though I'd much rather work. Due to the nature of my disability (Asperger's), my getting a job is not a guarantee to my ability to pay off the loans - I may get fired because I'm not a good fit with the company. Once I reach the maximum (15k ...View full idea »

Current disability policy and laws, e.g., IDEA and ADA, fail to address the needs of young people with invisible chronic conditions, e.g., diabetes, epilepsy, Crohn’s disease. Chronic conditions are unpredictable; they wax and wane. When young people with invisible conditions feel good, they may not need accommodations, but when they are not well, their accommodations need to kick in immediately. Today’s technology ...View full idea »

Mandate Recreational Therapy in All Schools Recreational Therapy (RT), although a cost-effective covered service in IEPs, is underutilized in the school system due to ignorance of its scope of practice. RTs are nationally certified/licensed health professionals who provide services aimed at the successful integration of individuals into the community. Because of this ignorance, RT is under prescribed within the school ...View full idea »

Mandate Recreational Therapy in All Schools Recreational Therapy (RT), although a cost-effective covered service in IEPs, is under utilized in the school system due to ignorance of its scope of practice. RTs are nationally certified/licensed health professionals who provide services aimed at the successful integration of individuals into the community. Because of this ignorance, RT is under prescribed within the school ...View full idea »

There are positive laws on the books now that, if effectively and proactively enforced, would make a real difference for youth with disabilities - IDEA, ADA, and Section 504. Yet instead of rigorous enforcement of the transition requirements, the US Department of Education is stepping back from "compliance" monitoring and shifting toward "results driven accountability" that looks primarily at test results (an important ...View full idea »

So as an Family Advocate I often ask family questions that are more than just about school, or Medicaid or FSSA(Food stamp, hoosierhealthwise Medicaid, TANF, Medicaid Disability and Medicaid waivers, etc.) or even SSI or SSDI, because as I am talking or listen: I am watching and seeing where the family is really hurting. I do find that IEP are not the most important when they have lost there food stamps and food banks ...View full idea »

As a retired SPED teacher who has worked at numerous locations, I can attest to the total lack of transition training in high schools. This summer I will be working on creating Transition Apps for the I-Pad. This will include: goal setting, career search, training, job application and work practices. I will then work on a survival app that includes: budget, home search, and further work practices. All of this is missing ...View full idea »

I have read all the ideas posted to date and there are some really good ones and some not so good ones. But they all have one fatal flaw. We can ask for all the legislature, required training, and required services we want, but until there are swift and financially weighted consequences in place when there is a dispute regarding services, there will always be a systemic failure in the support provided to disabled individuals. ...View full idea »

Inclusion in education for students on IEPs has had many positive aspects. But we need to do better than putting resources and energy into the acquisition of a diploma. IDEA has a bigger purpose than a diploma, with the mandate to prepare each student for further education, employment, and living as independent as possible. Also, general ed is falling short of meeting the needs of many students without special needs by ...View full idea »

When in school, students with disabilities are afforded a team to help develop a plan helping them to achieve their academic goals. A transition plan is part of an IEP, yet after leaving school parents and students are at the mercy of their state's benefit agencies to obtain services. While an individual case manager might not be appropriate to guide all students through the eligibility process, a liaison familiar with ...View full idea »