Asperger Syndrome Education - Transition Planning

Chapter 688 in Massachusetts mandates a transition from services delivered under the aegis of the Department of Education (DOE), through graduation or age 22, to services delivered by another state agency, such as the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission. Many high schools are unfamiliar with transition planning, however—especially for college bound students. The more you know as a parent, the more you may be able to ensure that a solid transition plan is written and carried out.

The transition plan should address the skills a teen needs to acquire while in high school, in order to be prepared for the kind of independent life s/he wants to lead after graduation.

What kind of living situation, employment, and transportation fit your teen’s picture of his/her future at age 18 or 25?

Once the goals are set, where can the teen learn the necessary skills? Consider academic courses, electives, extracurricular activities, and additional services within and outside the high school (e.g. community college, adaptive driving school).

Social skills are more essential to employment success than high IQ or a record of academic achievement, as indicated in the very title of Daniel Goleman’s 1995 best-seller Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Make sure the IEP and Transition Plan provide for social skill learning/social pragmatic language. A good overarching goal is: “Bobby will learn the social skills appropriate to a 9th grader..10th grader… to the workplace.” (Goal created by Deb Connerty; see acknowledgements at foot of article.)

You want input and ownership from the teen as far as is possible, but parents can and should have input. You may need to have team meetings when the teen is absent, so you can speak frankly about your concerns, without fear that the teen may feel you lack respect for or faith in her/him.

Involve your state Rehabilitation Commission in the planning process, since they may be the sole or key provider of post-h.s. services for most adults with AS.

At the Federation for Children with Special Needs, Terri McLaughlin offers workshops on Transition Planning. See www.fcsn.org, or call her at 617 236-7210 x336. Terri will offer a basic and an advanced workshop for AANE on 10/11 and 11/9/06 respectively (box on p. 15.)

Consider delaying graduation in order to ensure that transition services are actually provided under DOE. It may be hard to convince an academically gifted, college bound student to accept this route. However, it may be very helpful for students who will need a lot of help with independent living skills and employment issues. Services need not be delivered within high school walls. Community college courses and adaptive driving lessons and employment internships are just a few examples of alternatives to consider. If you have not yet made a will and set up a special needs trust, do it now. Ask the lawyer about powers of attorney or other documents you may need once your teen is no longer a minor. Few parents assume guardianship of a young adult 18 or older, but it may be necessary and appropriate in some situations.

Steps toward Independence

Look for opportunities—e.g. in the summer—for a sheltered, successful overnight stay away from home with no parent. Examples: long weekend visits to relatives, a week or two of sleep away camp, taking a course on a college campus. AANE has a summer and recreation resource list.

Teach laundry and other self-care/home care skills by small steps over time. Try to get the teen to take an elective such as cooking or personal finance at the high school.

Look for volunteer activities or part time jobs at the high school or in the community. Be persistent in asking the school to provide help in the areas of career assessment, job readiness skills, and internships or volunteer opportunities. They probably have such services for intellectually challenged teens—but may not realize our kids need that help, too. They may also not know how to adapt existing programs to meet our kids rather different needs.

An activity the teen can walk to is great—for my son it was Tae Kwon Do lessons; he could decide how many lessons to attend each week, and get himself there and back. Learning to use public transportation is also great. Consider buying a T pass, or rolls of quarters.