Home > For Parents & Families > Transition Issues > School Transitions > To High School
To High School
Roles of the Medical Home in Transition
- Continue to teach the youth about her own special health care needs and medications.
- Continue teaching self-advocacy: how and who to ask for help.
- Continue to encourage the youth in self-care issues and in self-management of her own appointments and ordering supplies.
- Encourage the youth to update his family history and to start a transition action plan in preparation for transitioning to
adult health care services. See Transition Self Assessment
(
83 KB)
and Family History
(
110 KB)
or Family History
( 20 KB)
.
- Encourage the youth to take responsibility for and update his own medical history, immunization record, and list of specialists.
See Medical Summary
( 18 KB)
and Care Notebook.
- Encourage the youth and her family to start looking for adult care providers. See Community & Professional Services.
- Encourage the youth and his family to investigate appropriate health insurance and funding.
- Encourage the family to address possible guardianship issues.
- Communicate with the school and transition team all pertinent information on the youth's health care needs and abilities.
- Add to the IEP (Individualized Education Program)/504 goals self-management and understanding of medications, side-effects, and therapies.
- Encourage the youth to participate in the school team meetings as appropriate.
- Assess the youth's strengths and career interests.
- Ensure that the youth is involved in the school transition team* meetings, as appropriate.
- Continue to assess the youth's strengths, career interests, and goals.
- Refer to job training, vocational training, or appropriate daytime activities.
- Discuss sexuality and refer to appropriate resources depending on the youth's development and disabilities.
Timeline for Transition
Ages 10-14
- By age 14, the student should be included in all meetings if appropriate - his/her input in decisions is crucial.
- With the school team and the Medical Home, address social skills, communication, appropriate academics, self-help, and self-advocacy skills, and determine the necessary related service supports. See Self-Advocacy.
- Develop and use a plan to increase independence at home.
- Consider social issues, including recreation and sexuality. See Social Issues, Recreation Activities, and Sexuality/Reproduction.
- Start thinking about graduation goals and become familiar with state and school district's graduation requirements and diploma options.
Ages 14-16
- Identify classes and credits required to complete graduation and schedule classes and curriculum accordingly.
- Consider driver education. See Travel/Transportation.
- Identify job interests and abilities including activities such as career exploration, job sampling, and some job training. See Employment/Daytime Activities.
- Begin to identify community services that provide job training and placement.
- Consider summer employment or volunteer experience.
- Prepare a job placement file with references and skills that have been acquired.
- Begin applying to adult service agencies like State Services for People with Disabilities, Vocation Rehabilitation, and applicable independent living services. Some agencies may have long waiting lists.
- Ask the school team about required examinations or competency tests all students for graduation, if applicable.
Ages 16-18
- Colleges, Vocational or Technical Schools;
- Residential or independent living services; (see Independent Living)
- Recreation and leisure groups; (see Recreation Activities)
- Medical services and sexuality; (see Sexuality/Reproduction) and
- Job training opportunities with family or friends.
Ages 17-18
- Begin to consider and research guardianship, if applicable. Remember that your child becomes a legal adult at 18! See Guardianship/Estate Planning.
- Learn about Social Security benefits. See Health Insurance/Financial Aids.
- Take ACT or SAT tests and complete college applications, if applicable. See ACT College Entrance Exam and SAT College Entrance Exam.
- Visit colleges and register with the College Disability Center of your preferred college by the end of Senior year. See To College.
Graduation Options in Utah
Basic High School Diploma*
- Student must successfully complete all state and district course requirements for graduation.
- Student must pass all subtests of the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test (UBSCT).
Alternative Completion Diploma*
- Student must successfully complete all state and district course requirements for graduation.
- Student must provide documentation of at least three attempts to take and pass all subtests of the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test (UBSCT)**.
Certificate of Completion
- Student has completed his/her senior year, is exiting the school system, and has not met all state or district requirements for a diploma.
- Student may or may not have participated in the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test (UBSCT).
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High School Graduation Decisions
Resources
Information & Support
For Parents and Patients
Transition Tips for Parents of Teens with Disabilities
( 476 KB)
This pamphlet developed by Shriners Hospital for Children, also called Looking to the Future, provides information for parents
on taking care of themselves; helping teens stay physically and emotionally healthy; addressing sexuality; helping teens succeed
in school and work; teaching teens to manage their own health care; helping teens become more independent; and resources and
websites.
Transition Tips for Teens with Disabilities
( 308 KB)
This pamphlet developed by Shriners Hospital for Children, also called Looking to the Future, provides information for teens
on staying physically and emotionally healthy; taking charge of their own health care; succeeding in school; preparing for
work; getting ready for the future; and resources and websites.
Transition Tips for Parents of Young Adults with Disabilities
( 346 KB)
This pamphlet developed by Shriners Hospital for Children, also called Moving On, provides information for parents on letting
go; assisting young adults in becoming more independent; helping young adults find health insurance; helping young adults
transition to adult health care; guardianship issues; and resources and websites.
Transition Tips for Young Adults
( 348 KB)
This pamphlet developed by Shriners Hospital for Children, also called Moving On, provides information for young adults on
moving to adult health care; paying for health care; preparing for the future; getting around in the community; becoming more
independent; and resources and websites.
Utah Parent Center
A statewide non-profit organization, founded in 1984, to provide training, information, referral and assistance to parents
of children and youth with ALL disabilities, including physical, mental, hearing, vision, learning, behavioral and emotional.
Staff consists primarily of parents of children and youth with disabilities. The Center provides information on support and
advocacy for families of children with special health care needs.
Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Alliance provides technical
assistance for state Parent Centers - Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers
(CPRCs). Provides links to local Parent Centers.
Utah State Office of Education
Provides information about Utah schools, the school board, rules, regulations, and more.
State Education Contacts and Information
From the U.S. Department of Education, links to each state's education agency.
Access Utah
A statewide information and referral service
providing information on issues related to people with disabilities; provides a list of equipment for sale.
National Center on Secondary Education and Transition
Provides information about transition during high school and to opportunities after high school including jobs, vocational
education, and college. Provides links to contacts in each state for 1) State Transition Contact, 2) Regional Resource Center
Contact, 3) State Director of Special Education, 4) Part B Contact, and 5) State Director or Vocational Rehabilitation.
Services
Health Insurance/Funding, Transition
See all Health Insurance/Funding, Transition services providers (47) in our database.
Services for People with Disabilities
See all Services for People with Disabilities services providers (60) in our database.
For other services related to this condition, browse our Services categories or search our database.
Authors
| Contributing Authors: | Robin Pratt, 12/2005 Barbara Ward RN BS, 12/2005 Gina Pola-Money, 12/2005 Cheralyn Creer, 12/2005 Karen Ekker RN, 12/2005 Carolyn Green RN, 12/2005 Lynne Larsen-Miller, 12/2005 Elaine Pollock, 12/2005 Kathryn Post, 12/2005 Helen Post, 12/2005 Lisa Samson-Fang MD, 12/2005 |
| Reviewing Author: | Alfred Romeo RN, PhD, 11/2008 |
| Content Last Updated: | 11/2008 |