The IEP With No Transition Plan
Jasmine is a 16-year-old 10th grader with autism spectrum disorder and a mild intellectual disability. She reads at a second-grade level and solves addition and subtraction problems with a calculator. She spends half her day in a life skills classroom and attends general education science and art. Jasmine tells staff she wants to work at a pet store or animal shelter. Her mother wants her placed in a sheltered workshop after graduation because she believes competitive employment is unrealistic and unsafe. The IEP annual review is in three weeks, and Jasmine turns 16 in two months. The current IEP has academic goals, speech-language services, and a note that transition will be discussed 'later.' No transition assessments have been administered. The district's transition coordinator has not been invited. Jasmine has not attended her IEP meetings.
1. What transition assessment and planning requirements apply now that Jasmine is turning 16?
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By age 16, the IEP must include measurable postsecondary goals in education or training, employment, and, if appropriate, independent living, based on age-appropriate transition assessments. The current IEP has no assessments and no goals. The team should conduct interest inventories, student and parent interviews, adaptive behavior and self-determination measures, and situational or community-based assessments at an animal shelter or pet store. It should also review academic, communication, and daily living data. The team must invite Jasmine, document her preferences, and invite agencies likely to provide services, such as vocational rehabilitation. The transition plan should include transition services, a course of study, and annual goals that support the postsecondary goals. Waiting until later would violate the age-16 requirement.
2. How should the team write measurable postsecondary goals and a course of study that reflect Jasmine's interests and needs?
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A defensible employment goal might be: After high school, Jasmine will work part-time in a pet store or animal shelter with job coaching and natural supports. The education or training goal could be: After high school, Jasmine will participate in a vocational training program in animal care. If appropriate, an independent living goal might address using public transportation or managing a schedule with supports. These goals are measurable because they identify what, where, and when. The course of study should include life skills, work-based learning, science, and art, and should be aligned with the goals. Annual IEP goals might target following a visual task sequence, requesting help, and completing a job task with decreasing prompts. The team should use Jasmine's interest in animals as the foundation, not a generic sheltered workshop placement.
3. How should the team handle the disagreement with Jasmine's mother and ensure Jasmine's participation and rights?
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The team should use person-centered planning to hear Jasmine's goals and her mother's concerns. It should explain that competitive integrated employment is the presumptive goal under federal law and that sheltered workshops are not the default; supported employment and customized employment can address safety concerns. The district should provide evidence from situational assessments rather than relying on labels. Jasmine must be invited to the IEP meeting, and her attendance and preferences should be documented; if she does not attend, the team must take other steps to ensure her preferences are considered. At age 18, rights transfer unless a guardian or other arrangement is in place, so self-determination and supported decision-making should be discussed now. If disagreement persists, the team should offer mediation or a facilitated IEP, and the parent may use due process.