Transition to Adulthood

I have been hearing about "Transition" in the realm of life with a child having special needs for many years now.  In the back of my mind I have been telling myself these past few years that I need to buckle down and learn more about it.  I have even done a few activities with my son that aim toward preparing him for adult life (see my last post, from almost 2 years ago!)Well, in spite of that realization it hit me in Sam's IEP meeting this past October, the IEP meeting around his 16th birthday, that it's really action time for transition!  I realized that his IEP was in great need of better transition-related goals.  I set late winter and early spring as the time to return to meeting with his IEP team to delve into this.  I thought I would share some resources that I am using as I prepare.

I started with my state's Department of Education website for transition information.  They happen to have a resource booklet for transition that is specific for autism.  

Through an e-newsletter I receive from Virginia Commonwealth University's Rehabilitation Research and Training Center I found out about this online class,(click on the link to see the flyer) "Into Adulthood: Transition to Work forIndividuals withAutism."  I'm fortunate to have the resources needed to take the class, so I registered and am completing it now, about to start week 5 of 6.  I am learning so much and would highly recommend that anyone who is driven to assist those with autism in the process of transition out of secondary school look into this course.  The information and resources I am learning about will be valuable as we develop my son's transition information in his IEP.

One of the course materials we are using in the class is this book:

 

Another resource I will be referring  to is what has been developed in another school district in Virginia.  Click here to view.

This is just a start, I'll do my best to post more info about this going forward.  Please share any helpful transition resources you have come across.  I'd like to carry on some discussion of this here!