From Disability to Possibility: The Power of High Expectations

in Transition Planning

1Developed under a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs. CFDA#84.323A Award#H323A070019

AgendaYou will learn about:• Setting high expectations for youth and

why these expectations are important• Exploring what’s possible• Using advocacy skills to promote high

expectations• Creating commitment to high

expectations• Putting it into practice

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High Expectations

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Neither you nor the world knows what you can do

until you have tried.-Ralph Waldo Emerson

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From Disability to Possibility

• Challenge yourself to consider more than limitations

• Acknowledge the emotional impact

• Become involved and take steps to move forward

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Parents Provide the Foundation

• Support your child in deciding what is important to him or her

• Build on your child’s interests and motivation

• Focus on your child’s success• Teach your child to make choices

and assume responsibility

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What Are High Expectations

and Why Are They Important?

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Laws Support Having High Expectations for Individuals

with Disabilities

• Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)

• The Rehabilitation Act of 1998• Americans with Disabilities Act

(ADA)• Higher Education Opportunity Act

and others8

Impact of Low Expectations

• Isolation• Low

achievement–Low school

expectations–Low family

expectations

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Explore What’s Possible

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What Do You Expect?

Families can create a vision for the future based on their child’s maximum potential for success

What is the most I expect my child to achieve?

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Find BalanceWhen expectations meet realities:• What your child is able to do• Challenges• Program issues

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Explore What’s Possible: Parents

• Learn about possibilities• Become an adult services

“detective”• Talk with other parents

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Explore What’s Possible: Students

Life after high school• Do they want to go to school or

college?• What kind of job do they want?• Where will they live?• What will they do for fun?• Who will they need to help them?

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Advocacy Skills

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Parent Advocacy Skills• Advocates are people

who speak up for themselves or others to make a situation better

• No one knows your child as well as you do. No one cares about your child’s success as much as you do.

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Effective Parent Advocates

• Understand their child’s disability• Know the key players• Know their role, rights and

responsibilities

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Effective Parent Advocates

• Use clear and direct communication– Be assertive, not aggressive– Be persistent, flexible and positive–Work in partnership as a member of a

team– Know how to resolve disagreements– Ask questions

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Support Student Self-Advocacy Skills

Self-advocacy means taking the responsibility for communicating one’s needs and desires to others

Self-advocacy is a critical tool for increasing self-sufficiency and achieving life goals

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Create a Commitment to High Expectations

• Don’t just think it—ink it!• Use your voice• Gain investment• Give youth the opportunity to

express interests and participate in decision making

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Family involvement is a greater predictor of

successful outcomes for youth than income or

social status.

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Putting High Expectations into Practice

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Using the Transition Planning Process

• Identify a student’s strengths, needs, interests and preferences

• Determine desired outcomes for after high school (postsecondary outcomes)

• Work backwards to design school and community experiences to gain skills and connections needed to achieve outcomes

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Building Blocks to Create the Bridge from High Expectations to Realities

• Transition services–Course of study–Measureable

annual goals–Services and

supports–Linkages

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Revise Expectations• Presume competence• Try supports and

accommodations• Reassess • Adjust when necessary

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Ready or Not…Take Final Steps Before Graduation

• Actively link with adult service providers

• Collect final documents such as:– Summary for Postsecondary Living,

Learning, and Working– Supports for Accommodations Request

• Create a Plan A and a Plan B

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If we did all the things we were capable of

doing, we would literally astound ourselves.

-Thomas Edison

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Thank You for Coming!

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