But rather than have you do the red-tape runaround at your child's high school guidance department, your local library, or even a couple of hundred different Google searches (how many different ways can you say "secondary transition for students with disabilities"?), I have another option for you: Stay seated and breathe. Then click here. That's a link to "Now What? Resources for Life After High School." It's a 5"x8" two-sided card, chalk full of links to websites as well as Indiana and national organizations that specialize in employment, college preparation, and community living for people with disabilities."Now What?" is a publication of the Center on Community Living and Careers (CCLC) at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community. True confessions: I work at CCLC--ironic isn't it, given that I have two children in the midst of transition?--but I'm not a transition expert (although I obviously have some experience living on the transition front lines for the past several years). I work in communications. But I have a number of colleagues who excel at this sort of stuff. We put together "Now What?" for high school transition fairs around the state. It's not an exhaustive list, but it includes a lot of the essentials.
Among the links on the "Now What?" card you should really check out: Is College Right for You? Setting Goals and Taking Action, JobTIPS, and the Job Accommodation Network. There are more; those are just the highlights.
I would also highly recommend the Transition Toolkit from Autism Speaks. Toolkits are free, contain information customized for your state, and are full of information about things your child needs to know as they make the transition leap. Autism Speaks will send you a Toolkit--one per family of a child (between ages 14 and 22) with autism--or you can download selections or the whole Toolkit from the Autism Speaks website.
As you and your child work on goal setting, by the way, you don't necessarily pick one goal, or one dream, or one path. Who does that?? Most of us participate in our communities, vote, volunteer, attend church, exercise, meet friends for dinner, and much more. Some of us take training classes, get a college degree, and/or explore continuing education. Many of us also work in full- or part-time jobs--and many of us have had not only different jobs, but have taken some pretty meandering turns in life, exploring more than one career.
We're not automatons, wound up in the back with a key, and then set down to amble down one path only--postsecondary education, employment, or community life. Neither are our children with disabilities. They shouldn't be made to choose just one avenue for their transition IEP. I like the combo approach. Not to sound all Martha Stewart-ish, but more than one goal, more than one pathway to explore is a good thing!
If you know of a transition resource treasure trove or even a particular website that's been helpful to you or your family, don't be shy: Please share with your comments below!
wow, talk about good timing! Thanks. Max is going to start his last year of school August 1, and though i've been researching all sorts of options, including IRCA, this is one i've missed.
ReplyDeleteValerie wondersandmarvels-wonderfull.blogspot.com
Great, Valerie! I really like JobTIPS, which has tons of info geared for kids with autism. So far, though, I can't get FF interested in exploring the sites on his own. I think I'll try setting up a desktop folder with links to some of the best transition sites that HE can click on, rather than have me SHOWING him each time. Also, I'll check with the wonderful folks at IRCA to see if they will add a link to the 'Now What?' card.
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