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Youth in Transition Toolkit:

Youth in Transition Toolkit

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Activate families

Using a lifespan approach

You can help families infuse the concept of planning for adulthood into each stage of a child's life.

Education and disability professionals often hear familiar refrains from families with younger kids. For example, "We're just trying to get through the day. We don't have time to think about what adulthood will look like." Or, "They're in elementary school. It's too early to think about that."

Families have been conditioned to view transition as a thing that happens at a certain age, and are often left disappointed by the planning process. You can combat this rigid thinking by infusing the concept of planning for adulthood into each stage of a child's life.

Lightbulb LEARN

LEARN: Develop your knowledge

Learn how life stages impact a person's life trajectory.

Life stages are the ages and stages we go through as we learn and grow, from infancy, early childhood and school age to adulthood. Charting the LifeCourse offers detailed information to help you explore the life stages.

Resources DO

DO: Work with families

Help families take a lifespan approach to transition planning.

Helping families prepare for transition in each stage of a child's life requires coordination with various partners. Consider these key messages for specific life stages.

  • Setting high expectations remains critical. Having a disability doesn't define what a child can achieve. 
  • Start talking about employment. You might ask, "What type of job do you think looks interesting?"
  • Get in the habit of teaching life skills, such as understanding money and using technology. For other ideas, see building responsibility and skills.
  • Encourage the child's participation in IEP meetings.
  • Begin preparing for employment by making the connection between interests, skills and education needed to work in a specific job field.
  • Understand available pre-employment services and encourage families to get on wait lists early. Formal services aren't always needed, but it doesn't hurt to be on the list.
  • Encourage the child to participate in or lead IEP meetings.
  • Help the child begin envisioning a best life, including where they want to live, how they want to spend their time (and with who), and what they want to do for work. Communicate this vision to the child's teachers and service providers.
  • As you begin preparing for employment, advocate for as many community-based work experiences as possible. This allows the child to practice jobs of interest.
  • Make connections with other families who've completed the transition years. They'll be a wealth of information and support.
  • Encourage the child to participate in or lead IEP meetings. This is a great time to practice letting others know what supports are needed.
  • Remember that placements or programs are flexible. Make sure youth have a voice and opportunities for growth.
  • Help youth do more of the things they want to do. New experiences, hobbies and relationships can contribute to a good life.
  • Encourage families to plan for what will happen if they're no longer able to support their child.

Life stages are the ages and stages we go through as we learn and grow, from infancy to adulthood. The life experiences in each stage build upon one another and prepare a person for future life stages. Use Charting the LifeCourse's life stage guides to help families think about questions to ask and options to consider as they work to shape their child's future.

Next: Setting high expectations »