School Transition Toolkit

School Transition Toolkit

Listed here are some of the resources available to students who are getting ready to move from school life to adult life and their families. Reach out to your school and to the local school transition coordinators at the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) for more information.

For more information contact the OPWDD Infoline or email [email protected].

Go to https://opwdd.ny.gov/access-supports/school-transition to get: 

  • Letter to Parent/Guardian from Willow Baer, OPWDD Commissioner
  • Student/Parent/Guardian Consent Form
  • Transition Planning: from school to adult life

Also on OPWDD’s website:

More resources you can find on the Internet:

The resources listed in the sections below are for general information purposes only. Listed organizations may not be under the control nor in any way affiliated with OPWDD.

New York State Education Department (NYSED) – Office of Special Education (OSE): 

“Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Resources for NYS Schools, Families, and Students Fall 2024” is an extensive list of resources for school professionals, parents/families, youth/students, and materials for at risk populations and encouraging student involvement. Some of these resources and links are not owned by OMH or SED but are provided by external entities. By providing these links, OMH and SED are not endorsing these sites or endorsing any of the opinions expressed.

United States Department of Education (DOE):

  • United States Department of Education (DOE):
    • Transition Guide - Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth with Disabilities.
  • U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
    • Youth Transition Services - Contains information that can help youth acquire knowledge and learn skills during the transition years from ages 14 or 16 to ages 25 or 30 that they will need to maximize their independence and self-sufficiency in their communities.
    • Soft Skills to Pay the Bills - A curriculum developed by ODEP focused on teaching "soft" or workforce readiness skills to youth, including youth with disabilities.

Additional Transition Resources:

  • Autism Speaks- Tool kit that provides suggestions and options for families as they set out to find their child's own unique path to adulthood.
  • Autism Speaks Transition Guide- A short transition guide that provides general information about transitioning from school to the adult world in NYS.
  • NY Connects- NYS government resource that provides free, information about long term services and supports in New York for people of all ages or with any type of disability.
  • National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT)- NTACT's website – provides resources and tools to guide the process of transition planning for success beyond school - includes assessment and skill development tools.
  • Parent to Parent Support for Special Needs Caregivers in NY-Parent to Parent is a statewide not-for-profit organization that supports and connects families of individuals with special needs.
  • Transition Planning for Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)- Article addressing the importance for students with IEPs of planning for life after school is over.
  • Youth Power- Youth Power is a NYS network (hosted by Families Together in NYS, Inc.) run for and by youth and young adults to ensure young people have meaningful involvement in all levels of the services they receive.
  • Parent Network of Western New York- provides education and resources for families of individuals with special needs (birth through adulthood) and for professionals, including 1-on-1 support and education through resources, workshops and support groups to assist families of individuals with disabilities to understand their disability and navigate the support service system.

Videos about Transition

Transition Toolkit (Printable)