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Introduction
Transition
Developing Job Skills
Supported Employment
Supported Living
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| Preparation
for Adulthood |
Printable
Version of entire Preparation for Adulthood Unit
What kind of
things do you think about as you plan for your future? Careers? Living
arrangements? Who you want to spend your time with? These are all probably
things you have thought about as you plan for your life after high school.
What about your peers with disabilities? They may very well be making
the same plans as you are, however the planning process might be quite
different from yours. First—just like you—a student with disabilities
needs to think about what types of things he/she like to do for fun,
what things make him/her the happiest, what he/she does not like to
do, and how independent he/she would like to be. The difference between
you and a person with disabilities is that after you think about these
things, you are likely making your decisions on your own. Although you
will likely discuss your thoughts with your family, for the most part
you are making independent decisions about what you want to do with
your life.
A person with disabilities on the other hand, may need more support
in identifying and achieving the things he or she wants in life. One
way to begin this process is by using a resource called the Student
Survey for Transition Planning: Plans for the Future. Some questions
on this survey are, “What are your fears?” “What are your strengths?”
“What are your needs?” “What are three things you would like to work
on during the upcoming school year to help reach your transition goals?”
Once these types of questions are answered, the individual needs to
share his or her ideas with the transition team specifically set up
for that person. The team (e.g., teachers, parents, vocational rehabilitation
counselor, job coach) will then help the person figure out how to make
things happen.
Another strategy that persons with disabilities can use is Person Centered
Planning. This process is set up to ensure that the wants and desires
of the focus person are heard and met to the maximum extent possible.
To review the process of person centered planning, visit the instructional
unit titled, Person Centered Planning and Life Outcomes. The unit in
this section called “personal futures planning” will take you step by
step through the person centered planning process.
Yet another planning process that individuals with disabilities use
to plan for adulthood is the MAPS process. Like person-centered planning,
a full description of this process is located in the Person Centered
Planning and Life Outcomes unit. Both of these strategies serve to help
organize and guide the transition from high school to adult life. The
purpose is to create a vision for the focus person and make that vision
a reality, as opposed to trying to fit a person into pre-determined
jobs, living arrangements, etc.
It’s never too early to start planning for the transition from high
school to life after high school. Based upon the dream a student with
disabilities has for his or her life after school, the school should
coordinate transition activities, and/or services to help that individual
begin moving towards his or her dream. Helping a person prepare for
life after high school should involve classroom instruction, community
based instruction, developing employment objectives, daily living skills,
possibly a functional vocational evaluation, and creating objectives
for other adult living areas that the person will experience.
Learning to function independently and productively in the real world
is an important part of anyone’s education. This is especially important
for students who have disabilities. Teaching such functional skills
as money management, making purchases, safety skills, personal care,
and using the telephone, is an essential part of a person with disabilities’
education, just as all of us need to know how to do these skills!
*ACTIVITY*
Make a list of the different things that need to be taken into
consideration when planning for life after high school. What’s
going to change? In 1-2 pages, describe how you could help your
friends or peers with disabilities plan for these changes.
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Now that we’ve covered some
of the essential things to think about before making that transition
to the “real world”, let’s take a closer look at that word “transition”.
What does it mean? What does it entail? To find out, continue on to
the next unit.
Transition
Developing Job Skills
Supported Employment
Supported Living
When you have reviewed these links and completed the activities,
ask your teacher to give you access to the quiz on this unit!
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