TRANSITION PLANS 

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

Not all students will have the same transition needs. The students interests, needs, and additional disabilities will guide the transition process. It is important to involve the student in planning the IEP as well as involved in planning for their future. Be respectful of the students interests and aspirations when assisting students and families in the transition from school to post-school activities.

​As the student advances through high school, and particularly in the student's senior year, the Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) will gradually expect the student to do more for themselves. At this point the student with low vision should be using their optical devices without difficulty and problem solving when to use them. The student should be able to advocate for their own visual needs and become increasingly independent to the extent possible. This includes expecting the student to be increasingly responsible for their own needs and solve problems independently.

As the student advances through high school, and particularly in the student's senior year, the Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) will gradually expect the student to do more for themselves. At this point the student with low vision should be using their optical devices without difficulty and problem solving when to use them. The student should be able to advocate for their own visual needs and become increasingly independent to the extent possible. This includes expecting the student to be increasingly responsible for their own needs and solve problems independently.
 
As part of the transition plan and as part of developing self determination, encourage the student to:

• Set goals for the future.
• Develop a plan to achieve their goals.
• Make choices about everyday activities.
• Know their rights and responsibilities.
• Understanding their strengths, challenges, likes and dislikes.
• Understanding their accommodations.

 
Assist the student in developing career awareness, completing career interest inventories, and information to assist students in evaluating their academic skills and career interests.  The plan should be flexible enough to allow changes in the course of study and still meet graduation requirements.
 
Transition services are a coordinated set of outcome-oriented activities for a student that promotes the movement (or transition) from school to post-school activities. The coordinated set of activities is based on a student’s needs, preferences, and abilities and may include: Instruction and related services; community experiences; development of employment; post-school adult living objectives; daily living skills instruction; and a functional vocational evaluation.

The outcome-oriented process for the transition aged student means working at a job. The post-school activities presented by transition may include:

• Post-secondary education,
• Vocational training,
• Integrated and/or supported employment,
• Continuing and adult education,
• Adult services,
• Independent living services, and
• Community participation. Transition services are a coordinated set of outcome-oriented activities for a student that promotes the movement (or transition) from school to post-school activities. The coordinated set of activities is based on a student’s needs, preferences, and abilities and may include: Instruction and related services; community experiences; development of employment; post-school adult living objectives; daily living skills instruction; and a functional vocational evaluation.

Individual Plan for Employment (IPE)
The student along with the educational team will define an employment goal and develop an IPE. The IPE is designed to match a student’s unique vocational strengths, abilities, and interests. The IPE and related individualized education program (IEP) should be aligned to ensure a unified plan of employment for the student.

Transitioning to College
For some transition age students, obtaining college degree is necessary step towards reaching the employment goal. In this situation, the team will guide student’s choice of where to attend college.

How Can the School Help?
Helping students prepare for competitive employment requires a systematic approach to career development. To prepare students for employment, the IEP team can:

• Create work-based learning opportunities such as job shadowing, mentoring, and work experiences with the student;
• Utilize assessments to effectively assist students prepare for employment;
• Make academics relevant to the world of work by noting employment applications or reading, writing, computing, thinking, etc;
• Discuss a student’s strengths and needs
• Help students understand their disability and how to request accommodations in higher education and employment settings; and
• Align accommodations provided in school with those the student may realistically receive in post-secondary education and employment settings.

Additional Transition Resources...

Trief, E., & Feeney, ​R. College bound: A guide for students with visual impairments. This resource book by AFB Press addresses everything a student needs to know to prepare them for the transition from high school to college. Topics include developing organization, note-taking, test-taking, study skills, managing living space, student-teacher relationships, social life, academic life, and extracurricular and leisure time activities.

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Career Connect is an employment information resource developed by the American Foundation for the Blind for job seekers who are blind or visually impaired. Provides employment information, career exploration tools, and extensive job seeking guidance for students and adults with vision loss and the professionals who work with them.

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The National Technical Center on Blindness and Visual Impairment focuses on providing employment outcomes for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Whether you are interested in employing someone who is blind or visually impaired, provide services to individuals who are blind or visually impaired, or have a visual impairment yourself, this site will serve as your headquarters for resources and technical assistance.

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College Success @ Perkins is a new program, designed for high school graduates who want to be fully prepared for college. The program goal is to equip students to get the most out of college by encouraging academic and personal growth, with a focus on preparing students to live on their own. The nine month program, which takes place on the campus of the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA, instructs students in how to navigate a college campus, how to join clubs and sports teams and how to cook meals in a campus apartment.

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TVI's Guide Complete Set Bundle + BONUS Resources

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TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC: An Activities Based Curriculum for Teaching Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired
The TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC is a digital pdf available for download. It is designed specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), and consists of over 400 activities and topic areas of discussion for instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum. The activities are age-neutral and multi-sensory and therefore can meet the needs of the broad range of students served on an itinerant caseload serving. The activities can be individualized to the students various learning modalities and scaffold in order to challenge students but ensure success. Select those activities that align with the student’s learning objects based on the student’s unique visual needs and academic and developmental level. In addition to the core activity areas, each of the 32 Thematic Units incorporates additional unique ECC concepts and skills providing you with a years’ worth of activities. These units are cyclical and can be used repeatedly to help students build on prior knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of concepts. Each unit includes suggestions for activity adaptation associated with the unit. These include lists of objects, possible community-based experiences, environmental print, poems, children & young reader books, children's songs, pop culture songs, movies, and websites.


In addition to the book, the following two supplements are included:
·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Concept Checklist
·      TVI’s Guide to the ECC Activities Checklist


For complete product details and additional images, visit the TVI's Guide product page.


TVI's Guide to the ECC Product details
·      Digital pdf download: 346 pages (11 pt font)
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets: TVI's Guide to the ECC Grab and Go Supplements
The Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheets is a Grab and Go supplement to the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC. This workbook is a pdf download that can be printed on demand for use with students. It contains five different types of worksheets for developing visual motor skills and near magnifier fluency skills particularly with the use of a video magnifier. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to each of the 32 ECC Thematic units. The worksheets, along with a list of environmental print for each thematic unit, are designed to help students refine their visual motor skills while reinforcing ECC concepts presented in the thematic units.  


For complete product details and additional images, visit the Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Product Page.


Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details:
·      Digital pdf download: 210 pages
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Worksheets: A TVI’s Guide to Teaching the ECC Grab & go Supplement
The Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency and Maintenance Grab and Go ECC worksheet packet is a print on demand workbook that contains worksheets in print and simulated braille to use for data collection. Present the student with a hard braille copy and use the worksheets to document accuracy and fluency in reading braille. As a companion to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. These word lists and sentences will help the student refine their keyboarding or braille reading skills while bridging ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Although the lists and passages can be produced using a manual braillewriter, you may also copy and paste the passages into any braille translation software for quick production on an embosser. They may also be entered into a typing program such as APH’s Talking Typer to build keyboarding fluency.


For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency & Maintenance Product Page


Thematic Keyboarding & Braille Fluency Worksheet Details:
·      Digital pdf download: 338-page print and simulated braille worksheets
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists: Grab & Go ECC Supplement
The Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Grab and Go ECC supplement is a 446 page pdf downloadable print on demand workbook that includes 2940 vocabulary card on 3 1/2" x 2" templates divided by each of the 32 Thematic Units along with a checklist of each unit words in print and simulated braille. As a companion to the TVI's Guide to the ECC, the vocabulary cards correspond to the ECC Thematic activities presented in the curriculum guide. 


Additional Use:
Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments can have a extremely varied caseloads. It is possible to go several years without having a student on your caseload who requires braille instruction. Like other skills, if you do not practice your braille regularly, it is easy to lose those skills. Use these checklists and cards to maintain your braille skills. Fold the checklist along the line dividing the print from the braille. Choose to either read the print and produce the word in braille using a braillewriter or read the simulated braille and decode it. Finally, these vocabulary cards and checklists may be used with family members or peers who are interested in learning and practicing the braille code.


For complete product details and additional images, visit the Thematic Vocabulary Cards & Checklists Product Page


Thematic Vocabulary Cards and Checklists Details:
·      Digital pdf download: 446-page print on demand resource
·      Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
·      Author: Carmen Willings
·      Language: English


BONUS!
Lotto Cards
The LOTTO Cards Grab and Go Supplement includes 37 theme related unit cards along with activity suggestions that support activities within the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC.


On My Way File Folder Cards
Print and use these cards to represent locations the student may visit that are related to the current thematic unit. Use these with the On My Way File Folder Game outlined in the TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC p. 27.

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