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. 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 Acting Commissioner
- Student/Parent/Guardian Consent Form
- Transition Planning: from school to adult life
Also on OPWDD’s website:
- Getting a Job and Participating in Your Community
- Employment Training Program
- Employment Training Program for Students
- Right at Home Supports at Home and Help with Housing
- Eligibility For OPWDD Services Important Facts
- How Can I Get Services? The Front Door
- My Life, My Choice Self-Directed Services
- Family Support Services (FSS) Overview
- Comprehensive Assessments
More resources you can find on the Internet:
New York State Education Department (NYSED) – Office of Special Education (OSE):
- NYS Special Education- Information geared to parents/guardians.
- NYS Special Education Task Force - Forum for parents, advocates, attorneys, school personnel, service providers, and individuals with disabilities – discuss issues, policies, and proposed changes to laws and regulations affecting students with disabilities. Includes the “Special Education in Plain Language Guide.”
- Adult Career and Continuing Education Services-Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR) - The NYS Education Department's ACCES-VR provides services to help ensure that all youth with disabilities are prepared for employment, post-secondary education and community living when they leave school. ACCES-VR can provide a range of services to help eligible people reach employment goals.
United States Department of Education (DOE):
- Transition Guide - Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth with Disabilities.
- What to Know About Youth Transition Services for Students and Youth with Disabilities- Fact sheet that provides a quick glance at available resources and addresses outcome goals and policy priorities identified in “The 2020 Youth Transition Plan: A Federal Interagency Strategy.”
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.
- Federal Partners in Transition- Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs website, an organization that supports efforts to build the skills and resources of youth ages 16-24.
- 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.
- Transition Planning for Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)- This article discusses the importance of transition planning and outlines some of the steps in the process for students with IEPs.
- NYSCQC (Commission on Quality of Care) Disability and Law: Transitioning from School to Work Series- This three-part video series, Disability and the Law, explores the importance of preparing young adults with disabilities for the world of work through informative interviews with attorneys, administrators, transition coordinators, teachers, parents, students with disabilities and employers. It's aim is to educate and inform viewers about the legal rights of people with disabilities.
*The resources listed in this section are for general information purposes only. Listed organizations may not be under the control nor in any way affiliated with OPWDD.
Videos about Transition
- Federally Mandated Elements/IEP: Short video to help students and families understand their special education rights.
- NYS Commission on Quality of Care (CQC) Disability and Law: Transitioning from School to Work Series- Video exploring the importance of preparing young adults with disabilities for the world of work. Uses informative interviews with students with disabilities, employers, parents, transition coordinators, teachers, attorneys and school administrators.