Transition for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Glenwood, Inc. The Autism and Behavioral Health Center

Transition Planning for Student with ASD

The goal is independence!!!!!!!!!!

****The last day of school should look like the first day of the rest of their life

Comprehensive Programming that focuses on the Life-Span of the Individual

Definition of Transition Services

A coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability that (A) is designed to be within a results-oriented process, that is focused 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, including post-secondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation. (IDEA, Sec. 602, H.R. 1350)

Why is Transition Difficult for people with ASD

Rely on familiar routines, familiar people and familiar

environments

Have difficulties in understanding, organizing, and

using cues (e.g., physical and/or environmental)

Must be taught specifics in different environments---

difficulty generalizing/transferring

Change is difficult—new expectations create high

anxiety

Sensory issues that can interfere with work must be

addressed

Start at age 14 or younger!!!!!!!!!

Transition Planning and Assessments should focus on Outcomes

Independence Level

Where will student live? Level of support needed?

Will the student work? Level of support needed?

What kind of job?

Will the student participate in the community?

Financial Planning

Will the student remain a dependent of parents?

SSI

Medicaid waiver

Transition in 2010 Begins with Transition Planning

Transition Planning is crucial for successful outcomes. Introduces the family and the student to the adult services. Determines support required by the student to live, work, and

participate in the community as an adult. Gives information to adult service providers about individual needs. Provides information critical to determining appropriate IEP goals. If collaboration occurs between the school and adult agencies,

then the student/client has greater success.

Transitional Planning Assessments and Goals on IEP

3 Assessment options

Transition Planning Assessments

Interest Inventory

Other

Recommend at least 2 assessments

3 Transition goal areas

Postsecondary Education/Employment Goal

Community/Independent Living Goal

Other

Assessments

Select assessment instruments that help the student /client answer the following questions:

Who am I?

What do I want in life, now and in the future?

What are some of life’s demands that I can meet now?

What are the main barriers to getting what I want from school and my community?

What are my options in the school and community for preparing me for what I want, now and in the future?

Looking to the Future

.

The purpose of transitional assessments is to help the individual in reach

his/her goals. Transition assessments provide the starting point.

Assessments should capture the person and provide information about the

person’s skill levels and indicate what steps are necessary to reach his/her

goals.

Types of Assessment

Informal

Interviews and questionnaires

Direct observation

Environmental or Situational Analysis

Curriculum-based assessments (CBA)

Formal

Environmental or Situational Analysis

Interest and Work Values Inventories

Curriculum-based assessments (CBA)

Sensory Social IQ is not an employment

indicator

Choosing the Assessment

Match the person’s ability level with the appropriate assessment tools.

Consider the goals ---work or postsecondary

education? Can person read assessment questions?

Does person understand vocabulary in the

questions? Adaptive Behavior scales are very good a capturing

needed functional/daily living skills

Major Areas to Assess for People with ASD

Begin assessing the following areas:

Functional/Daily Living Skills

Communication

Behavior

Socialization

Employment Skills

Areas to be addressed while in school

Academics

Community Based Instruction

Employment

Functional Living

Crucial that Schools and Families work together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Academics

Beginning in middle school and continued throughout high school, academics should focus on the following:

Functional/Daily living skills Example: Math—money and banking Reading—Community words and newspapers Social Studies—Communities, maps, voting, and transportation Science—Cooking, weather, and health Appropriate Behavior Example: Work behavior, work ethic, and socialization Communication Example: Focus changes from teaching language to

mastering the means of communication used and communication

exchanges. NCLB—has complicated the transition process.

Community-Based Instruction

Students with Autism have difficulty generalizing skills Socialization, Behavior, and Employment Skills should be taught in the

community. Students should have real life experiences in the community. Do not wait for them to master the skills in the classroom before going

into the community. They might not ever get to the community. Students must learn how to access the community for leisure, survival

(e.g., shopping), and employment. Recommendations of going into the Community Elementary visit the community once a week for leisure Middle schools visit the community three times per week 1- work exploration, 1- community exploration, and 1- leisure High schools visit the community every day 1- community exploration, 1- leisure, the rest job based

Employment

Student must have work exploration and work experiences prior to exiting school.

At middle/jr. high, students should begin working at the school.

Examples: lunchroom, office, copier room, P.E. department, and deliveries

Once in high school, students should begin to

have work experiences in the community.

Do not wait until the student is a senior.

Functional Skills

Daily living skills (e.g., hygiene, cooking, cleaning, and being independent)

Teaching these skills should begin as soon as the students begin kindergarten

Functional Living Skills

Communication Goals for employment

What type of communication does the student have? As long as they have a means/system of communication, it does not have to be verbal.

Basic needs— asking for a break, food, drink, restroom, asking for help, accessing information, etc.

Initiates contact with co-workers and supervisors

Understands work routine and expectations (the use of visuals are ok)

Accessing information and relaying requested information

Behavioral Goals for Employment

Works without inappropriate behaviors/disruptions. For some, this will never be attainable (e.g., stemming, hygiene, cursing).

Able to accept corrective feedback/corrections with out becoming upset. Some people will always need support—supported employment.

Do not wait until student displays appropriate behavior to take student into community and/or job.

Socialization Goals for Employment

Responds appropriately with co-workers and customers

Works side-by-side with co-workers

Appropriately interacts with co-workers

Time management during breaks

Hygiene needs

Do not wait for appropriate socialization skills to take student into the community and/or job.

Getting Ready for Life after High School (i.e., Living and Employment)

When to contact Alabama Department of Rehabilitative Services (ADRS).

What is diagnosis?

Does the student need a secondary diagnosis?

Medicaid Waiver

Adult Services

Do not wait----Act ASAP!!!!!

Need to educate families!!!!!!

As an Educator, How can you help students be successful after school?

Begin to Assess the following areas to assist adult agencies in serving people with ASD:

Functional/Daily Living Skills

Communication

Behavior

Socialization

Employment Skills

Questions to Ask and

Areas to Document

What is their communication level?

With/without assistance?

What type of assistance?

What is their ability to socialize?

1. In different environments? (e.g., school,

community, home)

2. With different people? (e.g., peers,

teachers, strangers)

What environments do they have the most success?

What environments do they have the least amount

of success?

Questions to Ask and

Areas to Document

When do they have appropriate behavior?

When do they have inappropriate behavior? Where/with whom?

What do they do when they become upset?

What calms them down?

Does the individual have sensory issues? If so, what, in what environments, with whom.

Student/Family Planning Things to Consider:

Independence Level

Where will student live?

How much support will be needed?

Will the student work?

Where/What kind of job?

Financial Planning

Will the student remain a dependent of parents?

SSI/Medicaid