Integrated transition planning is a path to living a full, meaningful and connected life as a member of the community. It means planning for what will change as your young adult becomes an adult. We know that everyone is different, so every idea may not be the right fit for your family.

Parts of Transition Planning

• • • Home: Will my young adult live at home or move out?
    • Education: Does special education offer school and community opportunities to meet my young adult’s skills and interests?
    • Post-Secondary Education: Does my young adult want to go to college or technical school?
    • Employment: What type of work does my young adult want to do?
    • Community: Are there supports available that can lead to a full and meaningful life?
    • Health: Can my young adult handle their own health care and insurance needs?

Start Early 

Give your young adult and your family enough time to plan. Youth with intellectual or developmental disabilities may need extra time to learn the skills needed for a more independent life. Start by sharing your young adult’s dreams for the future with school staff, health providers and community professionals. You and your young adult, with those who provide support, can turn these dreams into reality by working together.

Imagine the Best Life 

Set high expectations. Your confidence will guide your young adult to live the best possible life. Always keep an open mind when providing support. Surround your family with people who also have high expectations. Let go of limitations and think about their strengths and skills.

Advocate, Advocate, and Advocate Some More                                                                        

If transition planning is not going well, you and your young adult may need to step out of your comfort zone. Are all the people who support your young adult working together to meet your young adult’s goals? Is anyone missing from the transition team? Sharing your young adult’s hopes and dreams with others will help them meet these goals. Learn to advocate for what you need if you feel stuck or unsupported. Find ideas on our Family Leadership page.

Starting on the Pathway to Transition                                                                                        

Preparing for an integrated transition to adulthood can begin at any age. Starting early is the key to a smooth transition. To support younger children to prepare for transition:

• • • Talk with young children about their hopes and dreams and help them think about what they want to do “when they grow up.”
    • Encourage them to explore their interests and participate in a variety of experiences that support those interests.
    • Invite them to be part of their IEP meetings, especially to talk about what they are currently doing and what they enjoy during the school day.
    • Help them learn and practice self-advocacy skills, including understanding their disability or health condition and how they might want to explain it to others.
    • Teach them to build independence, social skills, and the best ways to communicate.

Early Transition (Ages 14-17)                                                                                     

• • • At age 14, special education laws require formal transition planning to be included in the IEP. You will begin using the Post-Secondary Transition plan (PTP).
    • Age 14 is when doctors usually like to see patients on their own for at least part of the visit. Teens can start making their own appointments and refill their own prescriptions.
    • Your young adult might want to share their hopes and dreams for their future with their health providers and other professionals.
    • Two years before school ends, your young adult can connect with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) to prepare for work in the community. Ask the IEP team to invite the counselor to a meeting to talk about DVR services. If you would like, DVR services can begin as young as age 14.

Learn about legal options and tools like Supported Decision-Making, or Guardianship if your young adult will continue to need help with decision-making after turning 18. At age 18, have a plan in place. At a minimum, ask your young adult to sign Release of Information forms with their health system, school and bank so these professionals can legally speak with you about your young adult and you can continue to support them in these settings.

Active Transition (Ages 17 and 18)

• • • Public benefits move from children’s services to adult services starting at age 18. If your young adult uses the Children’s Long-Term Support (CLTS) Program, talk with your young adult’s support and service coordinator about continuing access to Medicaid and explore the application process for adult long-term support programs. For adults, these programs are called Family Care or IRIS. (In limited cases, a young adult may stay enrolled in CLTS until age 21.)
    • If your young adult doesn’t have a service coordinator, you can contact your county’s Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) for support in applying to Medicaid and long-term support programs when your young adult is age 17 ½ or older. They can also share information about applying or re-applying for adult Social Security benefits.

Transition After Age 18

• • • Transition doesn’t stop at age 18. Changes will continue throughout your adult child’s life.
    • Continue to help your adult child identify resources and people to support them to live a healthy, safe, connected, integrated and meaningful life.

Transition Planning Resources 

• • • Family Voices Transition Planning Series a series of ten fact sheets on all aspects of planning for transition to adult life.
    • What’s After High School? is a live and on-demand learning session from Family Voices of Wisconsin that gives a broad overview of transition.
    • Before Age 18’s Transition Resource Guide has tips and resources to plan for adulthood and life after high school.
    • Transition Action Guide for Post School Planning improves communication, coordination and services for students transitioning from school to work or post-secondary education.
    • Health Care Transition Timeline has tips for young adults to manage their health care and insurance coverage needs independently.

INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Wisconsin Wayfinder: Children’s Resource Network, 877-WiscWay (877-947-2929): Wisconsin Wayfinder offers families one name and phone number to find services for young adults with special health care needs. Wayfinder connects you to a resource guide at one of the five Children’s Resource Centers in your area.

If you need this fact sheet as a pdf or other format contact Lynn at lynn@fvofwi.org.