Unit V: Putting it All Together

Putting it all together involves...

Collaboration - Planning - Meetings - Final Steps

Collaboration

An outcome-oriented Transition process requires ongoing collaboration between:

• student,
• the family or guardian
• professionals (educators, adult service providers)

Barriers often occur that jeopardizes successful student-family-professional collaborations.

Barriers to Successful Collaboration:.

Collaboration must be two-way. Breakdowns often occur because:

• Students not included in the process
• Parents not viewed as equal partners
• Limitations placed on parental involvement
• Negative attitudes
• Limitations of parent's education
• Language or cultural differences
• Parents feeling guilt and powerless in the decision making process
• Parents are suspicious of agencies
• Assumptions made about parents
• Closed communication between home and school

Myths each group fosters about each other

Professional myths:

• Families are naive laypersons not teachers
• Families are too emotionally involved to evaluate their child
• Families should be seen and not heard (Cutler, 1993)

  Family myths:

• Educators are super experts in their field
• Educators are totally objective
• Educators are free agents (Cutler, 1993)

Overcoming barriers

Overcoming barriers to family involvement is critical to the achievement of children. Unfortunately, many parents feel powerless when working with professionals providing services to their child. What, then, can schools do so that families feel less frustrated and part of the decision making process. The National Parent Teacher Association offers suggestions for successful partnerships.

Activity: Overcoming Barriers As a parent, what suggestions do you have to promote successful collaborations with professionals?

Planning

Planning for a child's Transition to adulthood involves many factors that need to be considered. For example, IDEIA 2004 requires schools to notify the family and child of the "transfer of rights" when a child with disabilities reaches the legal Age of Majority. This can become a critical issue when working with families from diverse backgrounds. The "Age of Majority" refers to that time period when an individual is no longer considered a child. In California, the "Age of Majority" is 18 years old. This transfer of rights refers to all educational decisions shifting from the parent to the child in addition to other legally binding transactions. This shift of rights occurs only if the child has not been legally conserved. Conservatorship is a legal process where the family or an agency becomes legally responsible for the child.

To help prepare students with disabilities for adulthood, Transition planning should include:

• teaching self-determination skills early in the educational process
• providing opportunities for students to excise their rights by taking on greater responsibility for their Transition planning.

What can educators do to facilitate the Transition process for the student?

• Create a positive working relationship with the family by involving them early in the process
• Consider the role siblings, extended family, and friends play in the student's life choices
• Encourage the family to look at the "big picture" when discussing life plans with their child.

What can families do to facilitate the Transition process?

• Research says involved parents can change their child's school outcomes as demonstrated by:
  • achieving more
  • developing more positive attitudes and behaviors about school
  • making better decision
• Listen to your child. You and your child should become collaborative partners with the school team.
• If not sure about what is being discussed, don't hesitate to ask for clarification. Demonstrating such behavior helps your child learn how to question when in doubt.

Meetings

The IEP meeting can be stressful to many families. Some families feel that they really do not have any power and are often treated as second class citizens. To feel empowered and be a role model for your child the following suggestions are offered:

Meeting Strategies

• Be prepared to actively participate in the IEP process: support your child’s dreams by discussing goals and expectations; know what you and your child want at the meeting and give concrete useful information; write down questions prior to the meeting; take notes; listen and make sure that you and your child understand what is being said. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
  
• Participate in activities that will help define your child's career interests: know that there are many levels of participation and ask the school what is the expected level of “parent involvement". This will eliminate assumptions made by family, child and school. Facilitate your child’s career interests by sitting with your child and discussing the future; setting realistic expectations and modeling self-determination skills.
  
  
• Learn with your child about local agencies in your community. Identify natural supports in the community. Meet with teachers to identify community agencies that could be useful in the preparing your child for adulthood. Contact agencies and request information regarding services. Keep all acquired information in a central location or file.

  Activity: Step for successful meetings

Final Steps

Look at the Transition Checklist and see what areas your child still needs to work on. This enables both you and your child to identify goals and activities with school and agency staff for the next I.E.P meeting.

Activity: Transition Checklist

Taking an active role in your child's planning will facilitate movement from school to adulthood. Since the enactment of IDEA, we know youth served under these mandates are employed twice as often as their predecessors. In addition, almost half of all adults with disabilities have completed course-work at colleges. If Transition services are implemented and activities are relevant, the process of our youth becoming productive adults can be successful.

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Table of Contents- Overview- What Does Transition Mean?- What Do I Need to Know?- What Does my Child Need to Know?- Putting it All Together- Common Terms, Resources & Websites- DCN Home Page