Special Education Law Blog

Comprehensive Transition Toolkit from NASET

Transition planning is the hot topic these days under IDEA 2004. For the obvious reason that the emphasis under IDEA 2004 is meaningful life outcomes in the real world.  In Illinois, the State Performance Plan [each state is mandated to have a SPP] ("SPP"), which is the state's targeted goals for collecting data and monitoring progress over time required under IDEA 2004 [I think of it as the State's IEP for itself] has a goal in the area of transition which incorporates a comprehensive report from NASET. This report covers numerous aspects of transition planning and is downloadable for free. It details the need for research-based means of reaching transition goals, defines key categories of goals, emphasizes the need for positive behavioral interventions to stem the flood of special education students who are dropping out (roughly 1/3), the need for collaboration with parents and students in the process.

The table of contents of the report include the following topics:

• Standards and Indicators

• Supporting Evidence and Research

• Self-Assessment Tool

• Priority Setting Tool

• Action Planning Tool

Health Literacy A Serious Educational Issue

A recent article in the Washington Post reveals that the level of reading and math literacy is having a significant effect on the ability of patients to participate and understand medical decisions, and to carry out doctor's directions. A significant number of patients could not understand the difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon.

There are efforts to simplify the jargon that only makes this literacy deficit worse. In addition, the drug company Pfizer has sponsored a program called Ask Me 3 which:

" Designed by the Partnership for Clear Health Communication, a coalition of national health and literacy groups, the program encourages patients to ask three simple questions and to be sure they understand the answers: What is my main problem? What do I need to do? Why is that important?"

For many students with special needs this article should be brought to your next IEP meeting. Issues relating to understanding the body, expressing pain and symptoms, and other necessary skills (e.g. tablespoon vs. teaspoon) can and should be made goals both in the IEP and definitely in transition plans.  The Ask Me 3 reads like benchmarks under a health-related goal.  Moreover, the key fact here is that being behind in reading and math literacy is more than an educational issue, it can be a matter of life and death.

Serious Games, Have Serious Possibilities

Social impact/serious gaming apparently is a new movement in the area of "gaming" that should have some very interesting and useful applications for students with special needs. The purpose of the game is to convey some socially important message in the context of a game. One of the "games" that was particularly interesting is called "Job Training Entertech" which is described as follows:

" An online, simulated high-tech company, where students learn job skills as part of a training course. Students move through the virtual Entertech company, encountering virtual co-workers and supervisors, and making decisions involving workplace ethics, teaming and company policies.”

I have many students who I represent that would benefit from such a program and it certainly could be incorporated into the achievement of job-related transition goals; certainly more palatable than flipping through books on vocational training. Moreover, the interactive features at least on a simulated level allows for mistakes to be made and problems solved without real life consequences.

Your IEP is a Transition Plan

IDEA 2004 emphasizes the need for planning for real life outcomes after public school. While transition planning has for many years been a part of the law, this new emphasis is welcome and long overdue.  The transition parts of the law are not just in the narrow section of the law which talks about THE transition plan. From the purposes section and throughout the new law the emphasis is on functional goals and concrete steps to achieve post high school outcomes.  This new emphasis in the law has caused me to rethink my view of the IEP itself.

Transition and Technology Webcast

Under IDEA 2004 transition planning begins at 16 instead of 14 [much too late for many but that is another posting].  The good news is that under the new IDEA transition plans need to have measurable goals and outcomes that lead to post-secondary school and employment. For too many former special education students unemployment is the norm.  One of the key elements to changing these dismal outcomes is through good planning and the provision of technology.  The webcast described below will hopefully further the discussion of good effective transition planning with an emphasis on the need for technology as part of that process.