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Transition Parent Briefs
Post-School Outcomes Surveys: Coming Soon to a Student Near You!
In 2007, states began surveying former special education students—high school graduates, recent dropouts, and young adults reaching the state’s maximum age to receive special education services—to find out whether they have pursued further education or found competitive employment. Prepared by PACER Center in collaboration with the National Post-School Outcomes Center, the purpose of this brief is to help families learn what to expect if they are contacted and asked to participate. It provides examples of survey questions and describes how information from the survey can be used to improve secondary education and transition programs.
The Role of Parents in Dropout Prevention: Strategies that Promote Graduation and School Achievement
Students who drop out of school face a difficult future. For students with disabilities, the risks are intensified. Their dropout rate is about 40 percent - more than twice that of their peers without disabilities. However, families can play an important role in making sure their student with or without disabilities graduates. Staying involved in your teen’s life during middle school and high school is critical.
Measuring Transition Success: Focus on Youth & Family Participation
This brief was drafted by the PACER Center in collaboration with the National Post-School Outcomes Center. It describes the importance of engaging families, youth, disability advocates, and parent centers in the design of state post-school data collection systems.
What does Health Have to Do with Transition? Everything!
This brief provides information on the benefits of and strategies for including health goals in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Process.
Preparing for Employment: On the Home Front
This brief describes ways in which youth and families can help youth effectively explore work-based learning outside of school settings.
Universal Design for Learning and the Transition to a More Challenging Academic Curriculum: Making it in Middle School and Beyond
This brief describes universal design, a process for making the general education curriculum accessible to students with diverse abilities, styles, and needs. In universal design, versatility is built into the environment from the start. Further resources are also provided.
Person-Centered Planning: A Tool for Transition
This brief provides a concise description of person-centered planning and an explanation of the benefits of this process. The brief also provides action steps for implementing person-centered planning, references within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that support the process, and a list of additional resources. See Spanish Version of this Parent Brief.
Supplementary Security Income (Part 3 of 3): Your Right to Appeal
This is the third in a series of three Parent Briefs addressing Supplemental Security Income. It is written for young adults with disabilities and their parents or advocates and presents information about SSI appeals. It provides common reasons why applications are initially denied, presents case studies, and discusses four levels of the appeal process.
Supplementary Security Income (Part 2 of 3): So You Have Decided to Apply
This brief is Part 2 of a three-part series on Supplemental Security Income. The brief is tailored for parents of youth with disabilities and provides a detailed description of the process for applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The brief outlines four elements, including a) the process of making an appointment with a Social Security Administration representative, b) the specific steps in applying for benefits, c) criteria that the Social Security Administration uses to determine an applicant’s eligibility, and d) information about the evaluation conducted if the Social Security Administration cannot initially make a decision about your child’s eligibility.
Supplementary Security Income (Part 1 of 3): A Bridge to Work
This brief is Part 1 of a three-part series on Supplemental Security Income. This brief gives parents of youth with disabilities practical information about how youth can use Social Security work incentives to facilitate a gradual transition from dependence on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to partial or complete financial independence. Social Security work incentives allow a recipient of SSI to earn wages while maintaining SSI cash benefits and Medicaid. Background information, definitions, and specific financial criteria for using SSI work incentives are included.
IDEA 1997 Transition Issues: The IEP for Transition-Aged Students
This brief explains the requirements for transition under IDEA, the composition and functioning of the Individual Education Program (IEP) Transition Team, and special factors for the IEP Team to consider. It also outlines the roles of students, parents, educators, school staff, and agency staff on the IEP Transition Team. See Spanish Version of this Parent Brief.
Age of Majority: Preparing Your Child for Making Good Choices
This brief stresses the importance of involving young people in setting their own high school goals and planning for their transition to adulthood. It outlines significant considerations parents face in helping their children reach the age of majority, including development of decision-making skills, understanding transfer of rights, and issues related to guardianship.
Parenting Postsecondary Students with Disabilities: Becoming the Mentor, Advocate, and Guide for Your Young Adult
This brief focuses on the importance of involving parents in the transition from high school to the post-secondary environment, and provides concrete recommendations to help parents learn to mentor and advocate for their post-secondary youth. Includes parent resources and references. See Spanish Version of this Parent Brief.
PACER's site offers many PDF files for download, which require 
