Work is good! Employment is both an intervention and a desired outcome for youth in transition. That is, one of the chief indicators of whether youth have succeeded in the transition from school to adult life is whether or not they are employed after they exit school. Post-school employment is more likely to happen when work is included along with other important transition components. With stories and the latest professional consensus on what constitutes optimum transition service, Dr. Luecking will share why we should presume all youth can be employed and why employers will consider hiring them.
The culmination of special education services for all youth should be employment and a career path. This presentation will discuss a model of seamless transition service delivery that features several key components: self-determination and discovery of talents and interests; student-driven Individual Education Plans; work experiences throughout secondary school; early linkages to Vocational Rehabilitation and post-school support services; at least one paid employment experience prior to school exit; and supports at the point of transition so that there is no disruption in the maintenance or pursuit of a job and career.
Participants will understand the keys to developing successful evidence-based transition programming from elementary through postsecondary school. Lewisville ISD's collaborative approach in partnering with local businesses, community partners, and regional agencies supports a postsecondary vocational training program and a successful Project SEARCH site in conjunction with the Medical Center of Lewisville. Participants will be actively engaged during the presentation through use of program videos, program planning activities, and question and answer panel.
This session will explore the Texas Transition and Employment Guide, it purpose and uses in Texas schools. Participants will be guided through the sections of the guide and have an opportunity to use case studies to analyze the content. Practical application for student employment, education and training, and community living success will be shared during this interactive session. Participants will also have an opportunity to provide feedback that will be considered in future development of the guide.
...This presentation provides an overview of the key SSA benefit programs and how they may be used not only to protect key benefits but also to maximize overall income and economic self-sufficiency. Discussion will include examples of specific work incentives with particular emphasis on Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS). Throughout the country, PASS funds have been used to secure and create jobs, launch businesses, support education, and even buy cars. Stop by to learn how it is possible not just to survive on SSA benefits but actually to use them as a vehicle to achieve economic self-sufficiency.
Research showed in 2011 that 34.2% of students with disabilities pursuing a four-year degree successfully graduate within eight years compared to 51.2% of general population students (Newman et al., 2011). The number of students with disabilities attending college is steadily increasing; now it is imperative that the focus shift to assisting students successfully obtain postsecondary degrees or certificates. Providing students and families with information on navigating the academic system along with resources available for students to access during college will help students make a successful transition from high school to college to a degree.
Integrated employment is an expectation, NOT a choice, for individuals with disabilities of working age. Employment First efforts are underway in the vast majority of states, and over half the states have some of the Employment First policy. But is all of this focus on Employment First getting us any closer to making a serious dent in the lack of labor force participation by individuals with disabilities? Are too many of these efforts nothing more than smoke and mirrors? This session will provide participants with an overview of the challenges being faced by service systems based primarily on a medical model as opposed to a person-centered approach, and it will challenge participants to consider their own views of employment for individuals with disabilities. As said by Socrates, “The secret to change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old but building on the new.” Educators, policymakers, service providers, state agencies, families, and self-advocates cannot be in the position of waiting for the world to change. Each has a role to play in creating the desired change. Join this session to learn how you might become part of the systems change in Texas in support of integrated employment for individuals with disabilities.
President Obama signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which replaces the outdated Workforce Investment Act of 1998, and includes a commitment to workforce development, especially connections between education and career preparation. VR’s increased role in transition, 15% set aside, pre-employment skills, postsecondary programs, and extended supported employment are just a few topics that will be discussed in this interactive session. Partnerships, service coordination, and “out of the box” thinking will be critical for successful implementation of this act. Success of the partnerships will be dependent on the expertise of educators, VR counselors, DD agencies, families, and other providers.
Education transition and health care transition are often planned separately despite overlapping goals and practices. Participants will learn about how best practices in health care transition can improve outcomes in education transition and how to include health care transition planning in the education transition process. A parent perspective on health care transition will also be provided.
Jessica Hart graduated from high school in 2002 and has worked for Region 10’s Education Service Center in the Division of Instruction three days a week since then. She has also volunteered at the Richardson Police Department for the past 10 years and serves as a member of the Advocate Leaders of Dallas, where she interfaces with the Dallas transportation system to make improvements. She does not allow her disability of cerebral palsy and cortical visual impairment to hold her back. Through hearing her story, participants will learn instructional strategies and be motivated to make difference for their students or family members.
Why are our young adults so unprepared for life beyond high school and what can we as parents and professionals do about it? We talk a lot about the transition planning process, but many parents and professionals still remain “stumped” as to the actual skills they should be assessing and teaching. The presenter will offer recommendations for behavior and skill prioritization to better prepare students for the realities of adulthood. Skill sets and domains will be relevant to range of functioning from early learners to “high functioning” or gifted students.
This presentation will review the statistics regarding employment of deaf individuals and how entering STEM fields can provide opportunities for employment and advancement in the workforce. The presenter will describe the DeafTEC grant funding and provide an overview of the training opportunities available for mainstream teachers across the state of Texas. There will also be a review of student events that focus on encouraging Deaf/HH students to be better prepared for STEM careers.
Tremendous advances have been made in expanding employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Self-Employment—designing businesses that match the unique characteristics of the individual—continues to be among the most exciting and promising. This presentation highlights examples of successful business owners with disabilities throughout the country. Particular emphasis is placed on Discovery as the foundation for building the business concept as well as on the funding opportunities available through government programs (VR, SSA, etc.). Join us to learn more about the how's and why's of self-employment—and when it might a good option to consider!
As an administrator, teacher, or counselor, have you ever wished you knew just enough about special education to keep you legal? That’s what this session is about. It’s all legal. Bring your iPad, iPhone, or tablet. This session will help you learn about special education from ARD meeting attendance to transition services. It’s all legal, interactive, and fast-paced. It’s guaranteed you’ll learn something you didn’t know that you can use on the job.
Transition and Employment First go together like the proverbial peas and carrots. Employment First establishes the expectation that employment in the general workforce should be the primary post-secondary outcome and the preferred option for young adults with disabilities after high school. This presentation will focus on assessment strategies and job development practices that will enhance employment opportunities for youth with disabilities. Participants will learn how they can help identify individual preferences, negotiate and educate the business community, and develop raised expectations for the independence and community integration of students and young adults with significant disabilities.
The goal of the nine-week iJobs Summer Work Experience Programs is to prepare high school youth with disabilities for employment by providing a variety of community experiences centered on transition planning and vocational preparation. iJobs provides paid work experiences matching each student’s vocational interest to obtain soft skills, concrete transferable work skills, independent living skills, and self-determination/self-advocacy skills. iJobs is implemented at a very low cost as a result of strong community partnerships, has been used as a model program to help other state VR agencies implement summer work experiences for their youth, and provides a culture change within businesses.
The Person Centered Transition Assessment was developed and piloted in Texas for two years and has been implemented in rural, suburban, and urban school districts. It meets all requirements of Indicator 13 and ensures that the student’s voice is heard and acted upon. Learn about the process and through panel discussion, discover how it has been implemented and how you can use it to support student success in your district.
In a hands-on format, presenters from the Brazos Valley Center for Independent Living will demonstrate various types of assistive technology and how these technologies can be used at home, in the community, at school, and at work. Attendees will also learn how to gain access to assistive technology after high school graduation.
This session will be offered through the unique perspective of a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and Educational Administrator diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. The presenter will discuss a variety of strategies and resources that counselors and educators can use to prepare individuals with ASDs for post-secondary education, employment, and independent living. In addition, The presenter will discuss his life experiences and the impact they have had on his decision to become a disability services professional. Additionally, participants will be provided - information about community-based programs that focus on education and employment throughout the U.S.
Self-employment can provide a way to explore career options or focus on one career interest. This talk will present ideas for performing informal work in the neighborhood and for committing to a significant career path with the help of DARS, with emphasis on a collaborative approach. Tools will include brainstorming meetings, brainstorming a discovery process, creating a business plan, and using DARS supports, with examples of currently successful self-employment work.
The development of the Texas Transition and Employment Guide and the new requirement for each district, charter school, and shared services arrangement to have a Transition and Employment Services Designee highlights the need for interagency collaboration. Participants will learn methods to connect with and improve collaboration with agencies that benefit students.
Participants will hear information about the role of this initiative within HHSC, TEA and TWC as well as learn about the major influences creating systems change, including the historical/background information of how this initiative emerged and the guiding principles that create the foundation for Employment First; what it will mean for people with disabilities, family members, and employers; and expectations of provider services and support in the future.
As educators, we often become focused on paperwork and compliance. Research indicates that LD students leave school unprepared for independent living, careers, and further education. Persons attending this session will get firsthand information on what individuals need in order to have successful post-secondary outcomes. They will hear one former student describe obstacles he has faced and what he wished those involved in planning his future had known. Participants will leave with knowledge of appropriate assessment, student involvement, student-led ARDS, instructional strategies, and self-determination strategies.
How do students who are nonverbal, need extensive supports, and are characterized as having Low Incidence Disabilities actively participate in the transition process? How do they participate in ARD meetings? In this session, emerging trends, tips, and tools for facilitating student participation in these critical events will be shared and explored. Participants will leave the session with ideas, resources, and strategies that can be individualized and used with the students they serve.
President Obama signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which replaces the outdated Workforce Investment Act of 1998, and includes a commitment to workforce development, especially connections between education and career preparation. VR’s increased role in transition, 15% set aside, pre-employment skills, postsecondary programs, and extended supported employment are just a few topics that will be discussed in this interactive session. Partnerships, service coordination, and “out of the box” thinking will be critical for successful implementation of this act. Success of the partnerships will be dependent on the expertise of educators, VR counselors, DD agencies, families, and other providers.
The issue of guardianship is addressed during the ARD meeting through the transition process and when discussing the Transfer of Rights. Many educators don’t understand the ramifications of guardianship and/or alternatives, and when parents pose the question, “Is it really necessary?” the response is usually based on opinion and not assessment. Goals are often included in the IEP to teach the student to learn to advocate and become self-determined, yet this can be in direct conflict to the student losing his or her rights through guardianship. This presentation will address the actual need for guardianship based on assessments and alternatives.
House Bill 5 overhauled the graduation curriculum requirements for students entering high school. It promotes course works that allows students the flexibility to pursue their interests and learn college and career readiness skills. The shift from all students to going to college to allowing the students to take courses based on their interest aligns with the tenets of transition planning. This session will review the House Bill 5 requirements and the strong connection to meaningful transition planning.
Linda Levine is an advocate for those with significant disabilities in regards to long-term supports and services focusing on employment issues. She is also the mother of 24-year-old Nathan, who has severe autism and has been competitively employed for over seven years at the Hilton Austin Convention Center with the support of a job coach. He obtained his job without the help of any school or agency. His employment journey, barriers to employment, benefits of employment, benefits of hiring those with disabilities, and state and federal employment initiatives and advocacy efforts will be discussed. You will be inspired to expect employment for all, even those with the most significant disabilities.
Parenting is a tough job under any circumstance; parenting a person with a disability label from birth throughout all the growth stages and into adulthood is a whole different kind of tough. Developing a vision and knowing where to turn for help can alleviate concerns, but where do you start? During this session a variety of resources will be shared. You will leave with a resource list, nicely arranged by subject, including general information about state and national resources and links to helpful sites relating to individuals living with a disability label.
This interactive panel presentation will provide an overview of the strengths-based, wraparound-like process used with college students with developmental disabilities and how this process resulted in the identification and coordination of individualized support services available in the community or on the college campuses. We will describe the level and types of direct support services that our students have needed to be successful in college. The panel will include students from Project CASE who will share their college experiences and provide information on the importance of adding to the existing supports to help students with complex disabilities be successful in college.
Each district must designate a Transition and Employment Services Designee, as required by HB 617 from the 83rd Texas Legislature. This person should be a resource for connecting students, families, and teachers with the information and agencies needed for effective transition to adulthood.
During this session the requirements in HB 617 will be reviewed, with an emphasis on the application to our work as educators and agency staff. This session is highly recommended for anyone serving as the Transition and Employment Services Designee for a district.
Juvenile delinquency in the U.S. presents a challenging and often controversial issue. A group that merits particular attention is the disproportionate number of juveniles with disabilities in the juvenile system. Concerns have also been voiced on recidivism rates for this population as well as the adequacy of educational services provided while incarcerated. The issue of educational interventions is particularly important because of the prescriptive nature of federal legislative mandates (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) regarding the right of these individuals to a free, appropriate public education. Given the disproportionate representation of youth with disabilities in the juvenile system and the inadequacy of services provide during incarceration, further examination of issues associated with this population is warranted. This session provides an overview of the issue of juvenile offenders with disabilities; examines the psychological characteristics of children with disabilities, which are associated with atypical social development and which place these children at higher-than-normal risk for delinquency; discuss influences on delinquency with a particular emphasis on recidivism among juveniles with disabilities; reviews evidence-based interventions involving transition; and highlights recent research studies on disabilities and delinquency.
State Performance Plan Indicator 14 requires states to report the percent of youth who are no longer in secondary school, had IEPs in effect at the time they left school, and were enrolled in post-secondary education/training or employed. Graduating from high school and pursuing a productive adulthood is one of the more significant transitions that adolescents face with long-term outcomes. Indicator 14 provides one opportunity for states and districts to determine if youth with disabilities are positively engaged. This session will review Texas’ post-school outcome survey results. Progress, trends, and areas of concern will be examined. How to increase participation will also be discussed. The post-school outcomes of former students with IEPs provide the state information on the effectiveness of transition planning.
Participants will hear from students who are currently enrolled in the Bridge to Career in Human Services program at Texas A&M University. A panel of students will share their college experiences and how these experiences are moving them closer to their goal of competitive employment in the career field of their choice. Additionally, the students will talk about their high school experiences and what they wished they would have done in high school to prepare for college. The audience will have the opportunity to participate in an interactive question-and-answer period.
Students with disabilities who possess self-determination and leadership skills complete high school at higher rates and obtain greater success after high school than their peers without these important skills. Project LEAD, which originated from the Texas Statewide Youth Leadership Forum, was created to help educators and parents teach self-determination and leadership skills to adolescents with disabilities and students at risk of failure. Attendees of this presentation will leave with ideas for providing self-determination and leadership skill development in their students with disabilities.
It has been over ten years since the enactment of the transition amendments to IDEA with a statutory definition of an "outcome oriented process" and the expectations for those outcomes. In spite of the vast amount of money spent on special education and related services, the majority of students with disabilities are neither engaged in postsecondary education or integrated, competitive employment. This lack of productivity and outcomes of poverty and lifelong public system dependency in segregated settings is not financially sustainable. In this session, you will learn about the substantive changes that must be made within special education, beginning with early intervention, to ensure an expectation and services that result in integrated employment and integrated community living, or the potential consequences of not delivering on the promise of IDEA.
My son is 25 and has a college degree, but he spends all day playing video games. My daughter recently graduated high school, but college is not going to be a match for her. Now that she is not in school, she sits at home all day with nothing to do. Just when you have adjusted to being a parent of a child with a disability, you become the parent of an ADULT with a disability—and it is a game changer. How do you help your child transition to becoming an adult who is an independent, contributing member of society—and of your household? This presentation will examine skills essential to navigating “LIFE” as an adult. The presenter will share strategies parents can use to develop these skills at home and transfer them to the workplace.
The presentation will be a combination of lecture-style and cooperative group learning. Participants will be provided strategies for developing self-determination skills in students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). According to Deci and Ryan (1985), individuals must have certain needs met before they can function in their environment. Those needs are competence, relatedness, and autonomy. The participants in the study by Hepburn (2014) described family experiences and school-related experiences that have helped them develop the self-determination skills needed to enroll in postsecondary education. Those stories will be shared, along with teaching strategies for both home and school to develop these skills.
This presentation is intended to provide an introduction to DARS Vocational Rehabilitation Transition services for those who are new to working with DARS, or serve as a refresher for those who have received the basics before. Erin Wilder, Statewide Program Specialist for Transition, will be the primary presenter, with participation from several of the DARS Regional Transition Specialists. Topics will include the basics of the Vocational Rehabilitation process—referral, eligibility, Individual Plan for Employment (IPE), information on who should be referred to this program and why, what services can be provided in Vocational Rehabilitation, and how to partner with your school's DARS counselor to connect students with services.
Special Olympics Texas’ Project UNIFY program, Meet in the Middle, has been changing the lives of students of all ages and abilities since 2008. By engaging in socially inclusive sport, leadership, and awareness activities, students take ownership of their campus culture, leading by Unified example. Students form authentic friendships and work side by side to share with peers and the community what meaningful social inclusion looks like. The benefits are many, extending far beyond the classroom. Learn how it works, what students take from participation, what teachers and administrators say, and how to foster student-led inclusion efforts at your school.
This presentation will provide answers to the most frequently asked questions concerningTexas Transition policies and procedures in order to assist districts in maintaining compliance with federal, state and local regulations. A discussion of the answers will follow.
School and agency staff should become familiar with the information and resources contained in the Guide, as well as the intent for using this new tool in connecting families and students with the supports needed for effective transition to adulthood. Requirements in HB 617 will be reviewed, with an emphasis on the application to our work as educators and agency staff.
Ever worry what your teenage son or daughter will do when high school is over? Are you scared your teen might not succeed in college, hold down a job, or live independently? Then attend this interactive session by VSA Texas’s public speaker training project Opening Minds, Opening Doors. Our project’s self-advocate speakers will perform skits based on their own real experiences of transition. As an audience member, you will be encouraged to step into the skits yourself and enact different outcomes for each skit. Put yourself in your teenagers’ shoes and imagine their possibilities for independence.
There are no handouts needed for this session.
As we approach the 40th anniversary of IDEA and the 25th anniversary of the ADA, it is time to reflect on our accomplishments, current challenges and opportunities, and emerging and best practices to raise our expectations and to assure every child with a disability, regardless of severity, is provided equal opportunity to achieve the American dream and become a valued, contributing member of society; zero reject! Although the Transition Amendments to IDEA were enacted in 2004, their impact nationally has been minimal. In 2014, the federal government placed much greater emphasis on special education outcomes as we slowly shift away from process and paper. In this session, you will review the transition outcomes in law, the report card on outcomes issued by OSEP in July 2014, the May 2014 OSERS policy requiring a formal interagency agreement between state departments of education and vocational rehabilitation for transition students, the presumption of employability standard of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as the emphasis on transition, customized employment, and many other provisions such as the prohibition of anyone under the age of 24 working for subminimum wage without a comprehensive assessment by VR, all of which are included in the Work Investment and Opportunity Act of 2014, for which preliminary regulations were issued in January 2015. The train has definitely left the station, and you and your students will not want to be left behind.
