Making the Leap: The Transition to High School
The transitions from preschool to kindergarten, elementary to middle school, and middle to high school are rites of passage, and while they can be equal parts thrilling and terrifying, these transitions often come with extra challenges for kids with disabilities and their families.
This three-part series looks at ways to make these leaps as painless as possible. Our first installment focused on the big move from elementary to middle school, and our second took a step back to consider the move from preschool to kindergarten. Here, we tackle another huge milestone: the move from middle to high school.
What to Ask When Touring High Schools
Extracurriculars
Before the Transition Meeting
Transition IEP meetings tend to be lengthy (around two hours), so it helps to go in knowing your priorities. If you don’t cover all your concerns before the meeting ends, you can always request to reconvene as often as needed, so don’t feel rushed. Here are some things to think about before the meeting:
Your teen should participate in some way: “When kids are at the meeting, adults have to focus on the whole being — not just services and supports,” Rosenberg says. Your teen’s presence helps ensure that IEP goals are designed with their interests and ambitions in mind. Think about how to play to your teen’s strengths when considering how they can best contribute to the meeting. Perhaps they only join during the welcome portion of the meeting, or they can record themselves discussing their interests, what they enjoyed about middle school, and what they look forward to in high school, and you can play the video for the IEP team at the meeting.
Prepare creative data: “Data doesn’t have to be tally marks and pie graphs,” Enriquez says. “Pictures of your teen with friends and in the community, pictures of their middle school experiences, emails from past teachers about their accomplishments — bring any kind of documentation that helps develop a greater picture of who your kid is.”
At the Transition Meeting
While all transition meetings are complex, preparing for high school requires some especially crucial decisions and discussions to help prepare your teen for a healthy, independent, and fulfilling future.
Certificate vs. Diploma Tracks: One of the main questions you’ll want to ask in a high school transition meeting is how each school will support your teen in earning a diploma. If the school doesn’t offer that option for students on an alternative curriculum, ask what other options are available. For example, is Algebra I available as a four-year option? Does the school offer WorkAbility or a similar training program? What does that specific program look like? Are students placed in businesses off-campus?
Rosenberg stresses that you should not assume that your teen can’t earn a diploma. “Parents should not accept functional skills, modified curriculum, or a certificate of completion,” he says. “Stay strong for a real diploma.” Certificate tracks can be concerning because of how they might harm your teen’s economic future, Rosenberg adds. Since most job applications require a high school diploma, students without one may not have access to certain workplaces and could struggle economically as a result.
But, of course, there is a systemic complication to consider. “If some students earn a diploma, they may not be eligible for the community-based transition programs for eighteen to twenty-two year olds,” Rosenberg says. (These are also known as Adult Transition Programs, or ATP.) These services are funded through special education in California until the participant ages out at twenty-two — or when they receive a diploma. “It’s a huge question mark that families have to grapple with,” Rosenberg says, and it’s something you should bring up at the meeting.
Class schedule: Review your teen’s course selection one class at a time and ask for details about how that subject will be taught to them. How would they be placed, and what electives (such as art, theater, and music classes) are available to them?
Support details: Ask how and where your teen’s existing therapy services will be delivered, and which classes they will miss while they are receiving these services. Is it possible to receive some services after school hours so they won’t miss out on academics they need?
High school jobs: If you think a part-time job would benefit your teen’s development, bring it up, Rosenberg says. You don’t have to worry about their SSI access being impacted, either: “Students are entitled to a waiver so none of their benefits will be touched if they get a job during school.”
Soft skills: Prioritizing soft skills and life skills is crucial for teenagers, Rosenberg says. That means asking the team how to help your teen meet goals involving time management, responsibility, asking for help, understanding personal space and nonverbal communication, and so on.
Individualized Transition Plans (ITPs): In California, once a student turns fifteen, ITPs are part of their IEP. These plans talk about career goals, ongoing education plans, community, and independent living skills. Through assessments and interest inventories, the IEP team helps your child figure out what they enjoy and what they want to pursue after high school so it can be incorporated into the ITP. Read more about the ITP process here.
High School Routines
Are you preparing for a transition meeting for your soon-to-be high-schooler? What are your biggest questions or concerns about high school?