SCHOOL-TO-ADULT TRANSITIONS

“Greet all people with a smile.” – Ethics of the Fathers 3:16

Formal transition planning for students with disabilities begins at the age 14. While this may seem early, it can take months or years to complete the transition process. The goal of transition is to help your teen understand their disability and choices to determine their future. Below are important questions for youth to consider with his/her team:

    • What kind of work do I want to do?
    • Will additional education or training be necessary?
    • Where do I want to live?
    • How could I live independently?
    • What transportation options do I have access to?
    • How will I obtain and transition to adult health care and what will that mean?

“A human being mints many coins from the same mold, and they are all identical.  But the holy one, blessed by God, strikes us all from the mold of the first human and each one of us is unique.”

Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5

State Identification Cards

As youth transition to adulthood, it is important to obtain a State Identification Card even if you are not planning to get a driver’s license.  Without a photo identification card individuals may find it difficult to access services at banking institutions, government agencies, and transportation centers such as train stations and airports.

Click here for more information on obtaining an identification card from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

The Wallet Card Project is a project of The Disability Independence Group, Inc. (DIG) that was designed in collaboration with The Coral Gables Police Department (CGPD), and The University of Miami Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. (UM-NSU CARD). The wallet card is a tool to be used by a teenager or an adult with a disability. Currently, the cards are for persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or intellectual disabilities.

Easter Seals offers a wider array of service over the life span for children and adults with different abilities. These include education, therapy, vocational training and summer programs

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is a federal-state program that helps people who have physical or mental disabilities get or keep a job. VR mission is to help people with disabilities find meaningful careers. They offer career counseling, financial assistance with tuition and job counseling.

The Able Trust, also known as the Florida Endowment Foundation for Vocational Rehabilitation, is a 501(c)(3) public-private partnership foundation established by the Florida Legislature in 1990. Its mission is to be a key leader in providing Floridians with disabilities opportunities for successful employment. Since its establishment, The Able Trust has worked with community organizations throughout the state to help thousands of Floridians with disabilities enter the workforce. The Able Trust youth programs provide career development and transition to many students with disabilities annually, helping to reduce the dropout rate and prepare young adults for life beyond high school.

The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council is an agency that advocates for and promotes programs, practices and innovative initiatives that enhances the independence, productivity, inclusion and self-determination of individuals with developmental disabilities in all aspects of life. They have a particularly good reference section of publications on different stages of life.

Quick Links

Transition planning

Preparing for transition

0.5M
Americans Live With an Autism Spectrum Disorder
0%
of Children Have Been Diagnosed with a Developmental Disability