• Students with disabilities will graduate high school with an increased possibility of success due to awareness of their disability, awareness of their rights, and awareness of the services available to them post graduation.
• Students with disabilities will graduate high school with an increased level of self-determination and pride. 
• Students with disabilities will graduate high school with a clear plan, goals, and independent living skills necessary to be an active, positive role in society. 
• Students with disabilities will graduate high school feeling comfortable and confident continuing into postsecondary education and independent living.
  

Purpose
Transition services are incredibly important to the development and growth of students with all ranges of disabilities.  Students need to have the scaffold of support towards their future goals and be given the opportunity to become successful, independent adults.  In schools with proper transition services, students with disabilities are more likely to graduate and continue education than their non-disabled classmates.  The results and evidence are proven and your students will experience valuable change and growth post-participation in the Independence Inc. Youth Transition Program.  Beyond using evidence as purpose, after 2004, transition services are required for youth receiving special services.

Based upon the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) from 2004, each state was required to develop a six-year state performance plan based on 20 indicators from which data is submitted annually, (NDPI 2010). 

Indicator 13:
“The percent of youth aged 16 and above with an IEP that includes appropriate measurable postsecondary goals that are annually updated and based upon an age appropriate transition assessment, transition services, including courses of study, that will reasonable enable the student to meet those postsecondary goals, and annual IEP goals related o the student’s transition service needs.  There must also be evidence that, if appropriate, a representative of any participating agency was invited to the IEP team meeting with the prior consent of the parent or student who has reached the age of majority. “

Below is a checklist to make the compliance of Indicator 13 clearer. 

• Are there appropriate measurable postsecondary goals that cover education or training, employment, and as needed, independent living? 
• Are the postsecondary coals updated annually?
• Is there evidence that the measurable postsecondary goals were based on age appropriate transition assessment?
• Are there transition services in the IEP that will reasonably enable the student to meet his or her postsecondary goals?
• Do the transition services include courses of study that will reasonably enable the student to meet his or her postsecondary goals? 
• Are the annual IEP goals related to the student’s transition service needs?
• IS there evidence that the student was invited to the IEP meeting where transition services were discussed?
• If appropriate, is there evidence that a representative of any participating agency was invited to the IEP meeting with the prior written consent of the parent or student who has reached the age of majority?

Process
The program begins by the student engaging themselves in the Youth Transition Program provided by Independence Inc. of Minot.  The program is very unique, valuable, and flexible.  It can be differentiated to meet the individual needs of students, but still achieve the fundamental goal of providing independent living skills and character development.  The program is organized into seventeen weeks and each week, one hour will be spent with the transition specialist.  Based on a schools needs and availability areas of the program will be modified or molded into a plan based on that particular schools student population and culture.  The times and length of the program can also be modified.

It is important that the students realize that Independence Inc. is a disability services provider that is committed to serving them as individuals.  We hope to join in the effort to prepare students for life after graduation and are willing to play many roles in the student’s development.  If the student would like more one-on-one skills practice, those options are available through our offices in Minot and can be discussed.  Transition teams can also ask for our assistance in creating successful transition plans for students, and/or working towards a more student led, strength based IEP meeting. 

As a team, the Transitional Specialist, Special Education Educators, parents, and especially the child will work together to create a complete, clear plan for the students future.  This plan will ensure that the student has their postsecondary needs met, that their goals are achievable, that services are still available upon need, and that the student has the opportunity to succeed at his or her personal goals.  Independence Inc. is an excellent resource for students, teachers, and parents during this planning process.

In order to guarantee the program is effective and manageable, initial information will be taken to gauge where the student stands academically and socially.  The student will be asked short questions that will allow the transition team to help set goals.  The goals will be created as measurable checkpoints for the student to aim towards.   Throughout the process, it is important that IEP meetings include as much of the transition team as possible and that the plan is talked about at each meeting to allow proper paths of communication to develop.  It is also important for the student to remain as independent as possible and for the team to maintain focus on strengths as often as possible during the IEP meetings.
Examples of final goals that will be set up:

• After graduating high school, the student will enroll in the community college and take coursework leading to a veterinary technician degree.
• After high school, the student will work at a veterinary clinic near home.

Goals will be set up throughout high school must be evaluated annually.  As a transition team, the progress must be discussed and changes need to be made to the student’s short-term progress goals if the progress is not evident, or if the student feels the goal should be revisited or restructured.

For more Infomation, Contact Carly Leffelman, Youth Transition Specialist
300 3rd Ave. SW, Suite F Minot, ND 58701
Phone: (701) 839-4724

Our services are free of charge!