Can I pull my child out of an 18-22 transition program before age 22?

If your child is in an 18-22 transition program provided by the school district, they do not need to remain in the program until age 22. You can withdraw your child and seek alternative options, such as community college classes for adults with disabilities.

However, if your child is a Regional Center client, note that the Regional Center will not provide anything until age 22 because the school district is supposed to be providing services until age 22. If your child attends college, they can't get personal care, aide, etc. from Regional Center until age 22.

If the school district's transition program isn't working for your child, rather than withdrawing them, you may want to call an IEP meeting to adjust what support your child receives in the program. What about the transition program isn't working? What is it that your child hopes to get out of it? If your child doesn't like the transition program, the school district has to find one that they do like and is a good fit. If your district only offers one program, you could ask for several recommendations in the area to tour. If attending community college classes is appropriate, then the district should support that (although we've heard from some families that they had to go to due process in order for the district to fund community college classes).

The 18-22 program is supposed to be individualized because a single program may not be appropriate for all young adults with IEPs; it still needs to be individualized and provide FAPE. For example, a moderate to severe class may not be suitable for a student who wants to focus on academics. To explore alternatives, you need to show that the current program is not appropriate for your child's needs. Person-centered planning can help guide this process.