Guidance for Families about Special Education Services
Teens and Special Education (Transition Services)

As eligible students get older, their special education program is required to focus more intentionally on preparing the student for life after they leave the school system. This is carried out by adding Transition services to a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Transition services must be included in an eligible student's IEP at the latest, the year in which the student turns 16, earlier if the IEP team determines it appropriate.

Essential Steps for Including Transition Services in a Student's Individualized Education Program (IEP)

1. Conduct Transition Assessment (formal and/or informal) to identify the student’s:
   • Strengths (talents/skills)
   • Interests (desired line of work)
   • Preferences (desire to work in some environments rather than others)
   • Needs (accommodations, modifications, and other support(s) to minimize limitations resulting from disability)

   Note: Identifying the above in the order provided will naturally assist in identifying appropriate individualized post-secondary goals—ones that maximize alignment between student interest and ability—essential to successful transition services.

2. Develop appropriate, measureable post-secondary goals based on Transition Assessment data related to:
   • Education/Training (required goal area)
   • Employment (required goal area)
   • Independent living (required if determined by the IEP team)
   
   
3. Identify Individualized Transition Services related to the following (each to support the achievement of post-secondary goals and to meet graduation requirements):
   • Instruction (What does the student need to know and be taught?—think formal and informal opportunities for learning)
   • Related Services (What services are needed for the student to access their special education program?)
   • Community Experiences (What opportunities will the student access to offer “hands on” learning experiences?)
   • Development of Adult Living Objectives (What must be put in place for the student to develop and/or improve independent living skills?)
   
   
4. Write relevant course of study (What types of classes should the student plan to take during the remainder of their time in the school system, to support identified Post-secondary goals? Think multi-year plan.)
   
   
5. Coordinate services with Adult Service agencies (What agencies might the student utilize after they are no longer eligible for education services?)
   
   
6. Write IEP goals to support post secondary goals identified for student.

NOTE: Making sure the student is on a path for meeting all graduation requirements is the IEP team's ongoing responsibility once transition services are included in a student's IEP. A student’s transition services and graduation plan should be coordinated—to prevent a situation where a student has completed all requirements for graduation, but has not received necessary transition services.

Some students may have an Expected Year of Graduation (EYG) beyond the standard four-year period based on their continued eligibility for special education services. For this reason, all IEP team members should be fully aware of the student's EYG.