In the last year of high school, teenagers must begin seriously thinking about their post-school life. Should they look towards getting a college education? What would they like to do job-wise in their immediate future? This particular period of time in a young adult’s life is known as the transition period, and for a young adult with ASD, extra thought and research must be done to ensure that the transition into adulthood is as smooth as possible. For parents of special needs children, the transition process must begin early. By law, official transition planning begins at age 16; however, it can begin as early as 14. Parents and caretakers should not hesitate to begin planning. A good transition plan should include both short-term and long-term goals, and should highlight the support and aids necessary for the young adult as well as his or her specific interests, abilities, and desires.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates that a transition plan be created for a child with the help of the child’s Individualized Education Program (I.E.P.) team. If the transition plan is developed and not completely implemented, the student is being denied FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public Education), and parents have the right to confront the school district if FAPE is being denied. IDEA defines a transition plan as a coordinated set of activities for a student with a disability that is:
· Outcome based – defines clear goals and attainable outcomes
· Student based – concentrates on the skills that a student needs, and focuses on the young adult’s interests and preferences
· Broad based – directs instruction and related services, directs community experiences, directs development of employment and life after school objectives, and directs development of daily living skills and job evaluation
· A time-developing document – sets current and future goals, mentions strategies for achieving these goals, and makes the appropriate changes over time
The trick is to start early so that you and your young adult can achieve goals and take many small steps, thus decreasing stress to the smallest amount possible. Before parents start the specific planning and paperwork with their young adult’s school and Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, they can begin by preparing an outline of the whole process. The parent should brainstorm and write down their expectations for their child in 5, 10, and 20 years. List all of the child’s strengths and weaknesses in order to prepare things that will help him or her reach these goals, and to better anticipate what may hold the child back in certain areas.
It is important for you as a parent or caretaker to have a good feel for your child’s interests, because these interests will be the key for figuring out what field of study your young adult may want to focus on in college, and for a later career. Notice what your child likes to do in his or her free time, and discuss what types of topics or activities he or she most enjoys. Combining transitional planning with a young adult’s points of interests will not only help in creating steps towards achieving the child’s goals, but will keep him or her as an active member of the planning process as well.
The support of teachers, counselors, friends, and family that has been instrumental in the young adult’s life up to this point will continue to be essential through this transition period as well. Because social interaction is a challenge for those with Autism Spectrum Disorders, finding the appropriate support for a child may be a challenge. Some children already have more social support than others, so only parents will be able to understand their young adult’s social capabilities and the amount of extra support they will need to be involved in society. Parents should look for different clubs and groups that fit their teen’s interests to help create a social structure for him or her. As discussed previously, this highlights the need for you to be familiar with your child’s interests and needs.
One key and challenging social interaction area for young adults--which must be addressed--is the understanding of the different relationships that people have (stranger, friend, acquaintance, boyfriend/girlfriend, or family member). Most importantly, a teen with ASD must learn which types of interactions are considered appropriate for each type of relationship. Much of these speech and communication teaching techniques are covered in the communication and speech section of the library, but an extra note is important here: People with ASD are often oblivious to sarcasm or bad intentions in other individuals. This is good for you to keep in mind for your children – they may put more trust in strangers than is safe for them to do so. It is important that you regularly discuss these types of issues with your teen.
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