Page 6 - FamilyGuidetoTransitionServices-English

Introduction What Is Transition?

ew Jersey students with disabilities who receive special education
N services are entitled under federal and state laws to receive
appropriate transition services to support their movement beyond
school, beginning no later than age 14, or earlier if appropriate. New
Jersey has a long tradition of providing transition planning for students
to access appropriate adult services as needed under Chapter 6A:14 of
the Special Education Administrative Code. The Family Guide to
Transition Services in New Jersey is intended to help parents, students,
and the professionals who serve them better understand these
requirements and improve their access to appropriate transition services.

Transition is the time when a student with disabilities and/or special
healthcare needs moves on from high school to adult life. This passage
takes place when the student exits high school because they have either
graduated from high school with a diploma or have completed the year
of schooling during which they have turned 21, the age when a school
district is no longer required to provide special education services.

What Are Transition Services?

ransition services” are a coordinated set of activities designed as
“ T part of a results- or outcome-oriented process; this process
focuses on improving the academic and functional achievement of the
child with a disability to facilitate the child’s movement from school to
“post-school activities.” These include postsecondary education,
vocational education, integrated employment (including supported
employment), continuing and adult education, adult services (including
adult healthcare), independent living, and community participation.
Results- or outcomes-oriented processes start with the desired end (result
or outcome) in mind, and then identify the knowledge, skills, services,
and supports needed to achieve those desired results or outcomes.
Services must be based on the child’s needs, taking into account their
strengths, preferences, and interests. Transition services include
instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of
employment and other post-school adult living objectives and, if
appropriate, the acquisition of daily living skills and a functional
vocational evaluation.
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