Essay on "Transistion Programs and Services Transition"

Essay 5 pages (1548 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Transistion Programs and Services

Transition Programs and Services

Transition program is a strategy to assist students in making transition from primary school to secondary schools. Developing effective transition is very critical to improve students experience as they move from the familiar surroundings of primary schools to less familiar secondary schools environments. Successful and smooth transition requires careful planning and analysis. Typically, transition of young people to adult world could present a challenge for many young students. Thus, the process could be more difficult for many young disabilities students. The strategy is to ensure that each student achieves maximum opportunities to participate in the community of adult. Transition assessment is an ongoing coordinated process that begins when students are at the middle Ages and continues until students' graduates from school. Typically, transition assessment assists the students and their family to identify and plan for the adult role and post secondary education.

Transition assessment allows students to:

Identify individual needs, preference and strengths

Achieve post school goals.

Identify educational environment

Identify resources, program, support for post school

To assist students to achieve long-term outcome from transition program, there are services to support the young adult in transition plan.

The objective of this study is to discuss transition program and service to support an assessment plan.

Transition Program and Service to Support an Assessment Plan

Transition service is the set of coordinated activities designed with an outcome-oriented process to promote movement from school to post-school activities. On the other hand, Individuals with Disabilities Education (IDEA) defines transition as,

"a coordinated set of activities for a student with a disability that includes instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, and, when appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills, functional and vocational evaluation." (McPartland, 2007 P. vi)

Additionally, IDEA mandates every student to include transition goals when the students have reached the age of 16. For many young people, transitioning to adulthood is a special challenge and a youth with special needs and the family need to make important decision about the future. Typically, future goal may specially include education, finance, employment, community, and future living arrangement. Typically, these processes are often complex to plan. To enhance effectiveness of a transition program, there is a need to involve the individual, the family, governmental staff, school personnel and local service providers to support the youth transitioning to adulthood. The purpose of transition planning is to identify the opportunities and experiences that will assist the youth in pursuing post-secondary education, securing better employment as well as preparing them for meaningful community life. (Ministry of Children and Family Development 2001). Transition program prepares youth for a new and exciting future challenge. Post-school activities include post-secondary education, integrated competitive environment, and vocational training adult services, continuing adult education, which are designed for individual students needs. (Blessing, 2001).

Additionally, the transition planning process includes:

Post-secondary education

Employment

Community participation

Living arrangement

Financial independence

Friendship and Relationships

Recreation and Leisure

To enhance effectiveness of transition program, various tools are used to support the transition plan:

Personnel: Planning team is very critical for the success of a transition program. The planning team identifies problems and create solutions. To achieve these objectives, effective planning team member is required. The youth and the family are required to choose the member of transition team. Typically, team member may include peers, friends, or extended family ready to provide informal support. Youth involvement is very critical in the planning process. When young people are being involved in the planning process, the outcomes of the planning process are enhanced.

"It is critical that the youth 'drives' the transition planning process to ensure the Transition Plan reflects who they are, and what they want to achieve. A transition planning team encourages, facilitates and supports the active participation of the youth, and their family and friends in the planning process." (Ministry of Children and Family Development 2001, P 7)

Essentially, one person among the team should be identified as the coordinator who will assist the youth in moving transition planning forward. Planning team could be between two members and eight members. Typically, large group provides less effective result than smaller group. Significant people who may be included in the transition planning team include:

parent or guardian the young person social workers school personnel current service providers community members service agencies for adults members of the youth

Many students may lack ability to develop informed consent with reference to their educational program. It is the responsibility of adults to protect the interests of the children. Under the IDEA 97, the transfer of the rights of the youth to appropriate adult is very critical in the transition program. Parents are the appropriate individual who could serve the interests of the youth. However, if the parents are not available to represent student educational interests, guardian or school teacher may serve interest of the youth.

Information Gathering: Information gathering is critical in facilitating the transition program. Information gathering is to get to know the young person. The input from youth and the family is very critical in understanding the youth aspiration, dream and needs. The Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope (PATH) and Making Action Plans (MAPS) tools help to identify the experience, preferences and skills to support the young person with reference to his or her goals. MAPS tool assists the youth to define his or her dream while PATH identifies the steps to make the dream of the youth come true.

Effective Communication and Collaboration: "Successful transition planning requires effective communication and collaboration between youth, parents, educators, service providers and other team member." (Ministry of Children and Family Development 2001, P 13). Communication between preschool and school staff is essential tool to develop smooth transition. The sharing of information and collaboration for the children transition could be facilitated through inter-staff communication before and after transition. Typically, transfer of children school record and information which includes children level of physical, social and intellectual development is critical to support program continuity. Information sharing and communication between preschool and staff facilitates transition program.

Parent involvement in the transition process is very critical for the transition process. Parent involvement includes orientation visit to parents as well as providing verbal and written communication to parents about the school. By collaborating and communicate effectively with parents, the parents will be more familiar with the staff. In addition, information sharing and communication will make parents to be familiar with the school program as well as inducing parents to make suggestion about the school activities. (Margetts, 1999).

Develop the Transition Plan: Developing the Transition Plan is a dynamic, interactive, creative, and dynamic process. The team will consider the youth's goals and provide supports in the following areas:

Training and post-secondary education

Daily living (shopping, and meal preparation)

health (healthy lifestyles and medical needs)

housing and living arrangements friendship and socialization transportation

recreation money management and finance cultural associations employment legal and advocacy needs community involvement (volunteerism and spirituality)

Training: Undergoing vocation training is very critical in the transition program. The vocational training will allow the children to learn practical job skills. Electronics, carpentry, plumbing, computer science, mechanics, sewing and phone repair are among the skills that a youth could undergo to supplement formal education. With current increase in unemployment, there is a need for a youth to develop additional skills. Additionally, educators could provide additional training opportunities to prepare the youth for the future roles.

Implement the Transition Plan: Putting transition into action includes detailed responsibilities and timeline. The implementation plan reveals the person to carry out the specific responsibilities, when and how the transition will be implemented and how it should be decided by the team member. Effective communication and accountability must be put in place to ensure that actions and tasks are… READ MORE

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