Listed below are steps that a family can take to assist in the transitional process:
- Explore your community for useful community resources.
- Discuss transition options with other families who have been through this process.
- Seek out information about occupational, educational, and living options.
- Work along with the school finding ways to increase your child’s academic, career, and personal independence skills.
- Set achievable goals for your child.
- Help your child develop the ability to communicate his/her needs, preferences, and interests to school staff, and other professionals.
- Observe the kinds of things your child can do independently and the areas in which he/she may need assistance.
- Participate actively in meetings with the school and other professionals.
- Make sure you plan and prepare well in advance for your child’s future financial, medical, and housing resource needs, as appropriate by:
- (a) assisting with application for Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits
- (b) developing a will
- (c) determining guardianship
- (d) applying for financial aid for post-secondary education or training. (All of these issues are discussed in detail in further chapters)
- Help your child obtain key identification documents, as a social security card, driver’s license or non-driver identification card.
- Help your child develop independent decision-making and communication skills.
- Help your child explore options and set realistic goals for the future.
- Enhance your child’s positive self-esteem and assist him/her to develop independence, including self-reliance, self-advocacy, and self-management skills.
- Use actual home-life opportunities to teach your child daily living skills: e.g., banking, shopping, cooking, cleaning, and laundry.
- Promote good money management, budgeting, and savings.
- Encourage your child to become aware of the world of work.
- Helping your child to locate and obtain a part-time job.
- Reinforce work-related behaviors at home (grooming, etiquette, following directions, completing chores, etc.).
- Provide opportunities for leisure time activities i.e. sports, daily exercise, or hobbies.
- Encourage your child to participate in social activities with peers.
- Teach your child how to utilize community-based resources (library, recreation, transportation, stores, etc.)
- Work actively with your CSE to make sure the plan is successful.
- Stay in close contact with your child’s teachers.
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