A fact sheet developed by Formed Families Forward for the Parent Educational Adocacy and Training Center (PEATC)’s WAZE to Adulthood project. This fact sheet offers tips and best practices for implementing strong transition planning for youth and young adults with disabilities who are also in foster care. Virginia-specific policies and resources are provided.
Designed for parents, caregivers, professional partners and others.
Planning for Transition IEPs fact sheet
This tip sheet provides parents and allies of youth and young adults with lived experience of a mental health condition tips be able to improve their connection with them. This tip sheet was developed as a collaboration between the family member and young adult advisory boards that work with the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research at University of Massachusetts. The tips are based on advisory board members’ real experiences.
From the WAZE to Adulthood project at PEATC, these fact sheets support parents/caregivers and students in understanding all roles and the members of an IEP team.
Who is on My IEP visual for students
Who is on my IEP team fact sheet for students
Roles around the IEP Table sheet for parents/caregivers
Charting the LifeCourse is designed to be used for individuals with disabilities, family members, or in the work individuals do. The framework and tools will help organize ideas, vision, and goals, as well as problem-solve, navigate, and advocate for supports. The LifeCourse Nexus website provides links to resources and information for individuals, families and professionals, including e-learning modules.
Charting the LifeCourse Tools website
From the PEATC Planning Your Future series, this 2 page fact sheet is designed for youth and explains what is self-advocacy and offers suggestions for increasing it.
Self Advocacy Fact Sheet for youth
Got Transition® is the federally funded national resource center on health care transition (HCT). Its aim is to improve the transition from pediatric to adult health care through the use of evidence-driven strategies for clinicians and other health care professionals; public health programs; payers and plans; youth and young adults; and parents and caregivers.
Link to Special Populations webpage on Got Transition
Broadcast live on March 6, 2024, this web panel of experts focused on post-secondary options for young adults with disabilities that impact behavioral health.
Three panelists from Breakthru Services, Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), and the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia shared information on skill building services, the basics of eligibility for DARS post-high school services, as well as targeted supports available for young adults with mental health and neurobehavioral needs and other conditions which present challenges to traditional post-secondary education, training and employment options.
Panel webinar recording
This fact sheet from FFF and the WAZE to Adulthood project, led by the Parent Educational Advocacy and Training Center (PEATC) and supported by the US Rehabilitative Services Administration. It provides an overview of some common challenges to transition planning for this population and offers parents and caregivers suggestions and resources for supporting person-centered planning.
This sheet is designed for parents, caregivers, and professionals.
Fact Sheet
From The Arc of Northern Virginia, a collection of resources on supported decision making, an array of services and procedures to support adults with disabilities into adulthood, often as an alternative to Guardianship.
Supported Decision Making resources
Do you receive disability cash benefits (SSDI or SSI) from Social Security?
Are you between 18 and 64 years old?
Are you looking to find meaningful and substantial work?
Are you ready to test your ability to work and replace your cash benefits with earnings?
If you answered YES to all of the above, Ticket to Work might be for you!
Published by Va Department of Education in Spring 2021.
From PEATC, several booklet guides from the Transition to Adulthood Series.
Is Guardianship My Only Option? – This short 16-page guide reviews guardianship arrangements for adults with disabilities and presents options for supported decision making.
Supported Decision-Making in Special Education Programs – This guide reviews options for supported decision making in schools, related to special education planning and services.
Is Guardianship My Only Option?
Supported Decision Making in Special Education
This fillable Word document can be used to create and customize a written agreement between student, parent/caregiver, and school staff. Customize areas and actions and clarify recognitions and rewards.
From Formed Families Forward, this tip sheet covers 10 tips for helping to keep children and youth safe online.
Internet Safety Tip Sheet for Parents and Caregivers
Accessible HTML version
From the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research, these TEST tip sheets are designed for youth and young adults who have individualized education programs (IEPs). One focuses on preparing for an IEP meeting and another focused on identifying community partners to participate in IEP meetings and transition planning.
You Got This: Taking a Leadership Role in Your IEP Meeting
I've Got my Crew: Inviting Community Partners to your IEP Meeting
A website produced by the Department of Defense with data from the Departments of Commerce, Education and Labor. Site offers information and tools on post-high school career, education and military options.
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), through grant funding provided by the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD) and assistance provided by the Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) at James Madison University has developed five web-based training modules for parents, school professionals, and other community stakeholders that work with families whom have a child with a disability. Parents and caregivers have certain goals in mind when their children go to school. Regardless of whether or not their children have disabilities, all parents want their children to learn, explore, and experience as much as they possibly can. Parents strive for their children to complete their public education, obtain a diploma, and be fully prepared to move on toward their chosen path, whether that is immediate employment, higher education, or something else. In order for children to achieve these goals, there are certain decisions that will have to be made along the way. The modules created relate to the Critical Decision Points for Families of Children with Disabilities curriculum and are designed to assist participants in understanding four things as they prepare to make these decisions:
There are a total of five modules that range in length from three to five minutes, which can be completed in a single viewing or broken up over time to meet individual time constraints.
The curriculum for these modules is also available in print and online. A fully accessible online version is located at the following web link: Virginia Department of Education’s Special Education – Parents Section. To obtain a printed copy of the curriculum or to ask questions about the module training opportunities, please contact Tracy Lee, Family Engagement Specialist, via email, at Tracy.Lee@doe.virginia.gov, or by phone, at (804) 225-3492.
Resources from a Translating Evidence to Support Transitions (TEST) grant is to increase the use and adoption of research-based best practices in transition planning services for high school students with emotional and behavioral disorders receiving special education services.
Scroll down page to find Practice Guides, Presentations and other resources.
A great one page comparison table for families and professionals from the Center for Transition Innovations at VCU.