Planning Ahead: Sylvia’s Journey to the Future

High school is a time to try different things. It gives students with disabilities an opportunity to get a feel for what they like and don’t like. A good transition plan helps make goals a reality.

There are three key parts of transition planning: finding a job, learning to live independently, and getting more education or training. These are called “Postsecondary Goals” in the IEP.  

Let’s look at how Sylvia, a student with Down syndrome, and her parents helped plan for her future.

Sylvia said she wanted to be a chef. She loved cooking food with her mom. Together with her parents, she looked at jobs in their town. They visited many full-service and fast-food restaurants to see what those jobs looked like. They also visited their local grocery store and farmers markets. 

Sylvia decided she would like to work at a restaurant. She also said she would like to grow her own food and sell it. Living in her own apartment one day was also a dream. She had two goals for after high school: a career goal and an independent living goal.

Now it was time to look at high school classes that could help Sylvia meet her goals. Sylvia, her parents and the IEP team looked through the course catalog. They chose Lifetime Nutrition and Wellness. The class would help Sylvia learn about food prep and food safety.  

After completing this course, Sylvia might continue at the career center. There, she can enroll in a culinary arts program and earn her food handling certification. 

Sylvia asked about agriculture, horticultural science and floral design classes. The IEP team looked at her schedule to see where she might take these classes over her four years. Planning out four years of high school is important for all children whether they have a disability or not. 

The IEP team also discussed some of the life skills classes that would help prepare Sylvia to live in her own apartment. Her parents were more concerned that Sylvia learn the skills to get a job. Sylvia and her parents decided she could work on independent living skills at home. Together, they decided to use her high school years to focus on work skills.

Transition planning helps students like Sylvia get ready for life after high school. Our children can play a big part in creating their own road map. With planning, your child can reach their goals and be ready for what comes next. 

You can find more information on the transition to adulthood on this website.