Planning


A Family Toolkit: Pediatric- to- Adult Health Care Transition

A toolkit for families to understand what to expect and how to help youth prepare for the transition to adult healthcare.

Visit the Got Transition website

Youthood Website

Youthood is a virtual classroom-based transition tool for youth with disabilities that includes activities.

Visit the Youthood website

Iowa Transition Planning Specialists for Foster Care

This map outlines the service areas of Transition Planning Specialists who support youth in Foster Care. This service is provided by the Iowa Department of Human Services.

Visit the Iowa Department of Human Services website

Sample Self-Advocacy Plan

Youth can use this worksheet to help be prepared to participate in their IEP meeting.

Visit the PACER Center website

Individual Transition Planning Guide

This planning tool from the Minnesota Developmental Disabilities Council helps students and their families think about and plan for the student's transition needs. This is an electronic form that may be printed out or saved by the user.

Visit the Minnestoa Council on Developmental Disabilities website

Guidance on 4+ Services

The Iowa Department of Education defines and outlines the duties of school districts to provide Special Education services to students beyond the fourth year of high school.

Visit the Iowa Department of Education website

It's My Choice

This free workbook helps youth build self-advocacy skills. It also helps with transition planning for students with significant disabilities. Easy to download and print.

Visit the Minnestoa Council on Developmental Disabilities website

Secondary Transition

This website provides information and guidance on the transition planning process. Topics include Age of Majority, Transition Planning Components in the IEP, Services provided beyond the 4th year of high school (4+), and Post-Secondary Summary Information. From Iowa's Area Education Agencies (AEA.)

Visit the Iowa IDEA Information (i3) website

Junior/ Senior Checklist: Postsecondary Education

A list of things to do for Junior and Senior high school students who are planning to attend college after high school. The tips on this check list are suggested to provide a successful transition to college.

Visit the AEA 8 website

School counselors: Facilitating transitions for students with disabilities from high school to post-school settings

This on-line training provides an overview of the Transition Planning process. It includes ideas on how School Counselors can contribute to the process.

Visit the IRIS Center website

Your IEP Meeting: A Great Place to Practice Self Advocacy Skills

This document explains the benefits of youth working on their self-advocacy skills in their IEP meeting.

Visit the PACER Center website

Senior Year Plus

Information about Senior Year Plus programming which includes any classes that have the potential to generate college credit. Includes Advanced Placement (AP), Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO), and Dual Enrollment, etc.

Visit the Iowa Department of Education website

IEP Transition Plan

This section of the Understood site focuses on transition planning; what transition planning involves and who may be involved in the process. Links to resources and planning tools are provided. Understood is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the National Learning Disabilities Association.

Visit the Understood website

Documents to Keep for Youth Transitioning to Adult Life

The National Parent Center on Transition and Employment provides a list of documents that will support a successful transition including health history, job portfolio, personal documents and school records.

Visit the National Parent Center on Transition and Employment website

Transition Planning Guide- (MFP)

A transition planning guide with important questions and topics to consider for adulthood for any individual with a disability. Topics covered include physical and mental health, housing, transportation, education, employment, money management, social, leisure, community, family support and public safety.

Visit the Iowa Department of Human Services website

Graduation Guidance for Parents video

This brief video describes the changes to the graduation requirements (4,3,3,3) in Iowa.

Visit the Iowa Department of Education website

Graduation Guidance for IEP Teams

Changes to the graduation requirements (4,3,3,3) are described for IEP Teams by the Iowa Department of Education.

Visit the Iowa Department of Education website

High School Graduation Requirements for Students Receiving Special Education Services

This webinar from the Iowa Department of Education describes the changes to the graduation requirements (4,3,3,3) and provides guidance for schools.

Visit the Iowa Department of Education website

Whose Future Is it Anyway?

A curriculum that helps prepare students for their IEP meetings and gain self-determination skills. Includes lessons on making decisions, communicating, identifying goals and being a good team member.

Visit the Zarrow Center website

Senior Checklist- World of Work

A checklist for Senior high school students who are getting ready to work after high school. Includes tips for completing a good job application and getting ready for an interview.

Visit the AEA 8 website

Iowa Transition Model

This is an outline of what is expected in each piece of the IEP transition planning process. It was created by the Iowa Department of Education and the Area Education Agencies (AEAs).

Visit the Iowa Department of Education website

Secondary Transition 101

These on-line trainings explain the Transition Planning process in Iowa. Topics include the Iowa Model of Transition Assessment and preparations for Post-Secondary Expectations in the areas of living, learning and working. Provided by Iowa Transition Specialists.

Visit the Iowa Secondary Transition Learning Community website

Transition to Adulthood Webinar Series

The University of Iowa's Child Health Specialty Clinics offers a webinar series on Transition Planning for families of youth with special needs. Topics include: School Transition Planning, Applying for Social Security, Estate Planning, Promoting Self Determination, A Youth and Parent Panel, Guardianship and Shared Decision Making, and a screening of the Intelligent Lives Documentary with Guided Discussion.

Visit the Child Health Specialty Clinics website

T-Folio

T-Folio is a free online transition portfolio tool for high school-age youth with disabilities. The curriculum provides lesson plans and tips to help youth build self-determination and job-readiness skills through a series of interactive exercises.

Visit the T-Folio website

Graduation Information & Guidance for Families

The changes to Iowa's graduation requirements (4,3,3,3) are described for families by the Iowa Department of Education.

Visit the Iowa Department of Education website

Transition Terms

Use this 2-page document as a tool to identify important transition related vocabulary. Many of the terms include links to find additional information on the topic.

Visit the ASK Resource Center website

Individuals with Disabilities

This site includes information about how to be prepared and have a plan in place in case of a natural disaster including tips on building an emergency kit.

Visit the Ready.gov website

Secure Your Financial Future: A Toolkit for Individuals with Disabilities

This comprehensive resource includes answers to frequently asked questions and additional websites, publications, and videos on topics like preparing, starting, maintaining, and changing a job.

Visit the Department of Labor website

Living, Learning, Working Worksheet

This worksheet can help IEP teams with identifying a student's needs based on their Postsecondary Expectations (PSEs). The skills that they will need and they already have help to identify the services, supports and activities that are needed to address any skills that still need to be developed.

Get the Living, Learning, Working worksheet

Secondary Transition Decision Guide - Learning

This document is available for IEP teams to use during transition planning in the area of learning. This should guide teams around what might be provided during the traditional four years of high school and when to consider the possibility of continuing services for students beyond the traditional four years of high school.

Visit the Iowa Department of Education website

Supported Decision Making

Supported decision making is the act of supporting an individual with a disability to make their own decisions. This document describes a range of options to support individuals with disabilities in decision making and includes definitions of important terms.

Visit the Iowa Department of Education website

ASK US- Transition Fairs

This brief video from a parent of a transition age youth explains what Transition Fairs are and why families can benefit from attending.

Watch the video from ASK Resource Center on Youtube

ASK US- Identification Cards

This short video by a parent of a transition age youth explains the process of getting a state-issued ID card and why that is helpful to have.

Watch the video from ASK Resource Center on Youtube

ASK a Family- Transition to College

In this video Mike, a youth with disabilities, and his mom discuss the experience that he has had and what they have learned when he started attending college at the University of Iowa's REACH program.

View the webinar from ASK Resource Center

Secondary Transition Decision Guide - Working

This document has been created tor IEP teams to use during transition planning in the area of working. This should guide teams in the discussion around what might be provided during the traditional four years of high school and when to consider the possibility of continuing services for students beyond the traditional four years of high school.

View the document from the Iowa Department of Education

Learn about Self-Advocacy

This collection of short videos cover a range of important topics that support self-advocacy and independence for people with disabilities

Visit the Self-Advocacy Online website

ASK AN EXPERT: GUARDIANSHIP AND CONSERVATORSHIP

Jennifer Donovan - Public Guardian at Iowa Department on Aging covers Guardianship and Conservatorship and the changes effective 1/1/2020.

View the webinar

ASK AN EXPERT: ALTERNATIVES TO GUARDIANSHIP

Jennifer Donovan - Public Guardian at Iowa Department on Aging covers Alternatives to Guardianship.

View the webinar