Transition services are about paychecks, confidence, and real experience. Students receive an Individualized Education Program, known as an IEP, that includes goals for life after high school. Those goals should lead to work, not only worksheets. Treat the school year like a job season. Track paid hours, job shadows, interviews, and supervisor feedback. Students should graduate with a résumé and at least two professional references.
Start with authentic work. Use work based learning through school, community partners, and local employers. Offer a ladder of experiences that grows with the student. Begin with campus based tasks. Add community based instruction. Add job shadows. Add informational interviews. Move to short paid internships, then longer placements with increasing independence.
Measure what matters. Record attendance, punctuality, task completion, productivity, problem solving, and communication. Capture supervisor comments every week. Keep copies of timecards. Update the résumé after every new experience. Practice calls and emails to managers, since communication builds self advocacy.
Plan for equity from day one. Students of color, multilingual learners, and students from low income households often receive fewer work opportunities. Close that gap on purpose. Recruit employers from many neighborhoods and industries. Provide transportation support. Offer interpreters for family meetings. Teach interview skills with culturally responsive examples.
Connect with vocational rehabilitation. Invite your state Vocational Rehabilitation counselor to IEP meetings that include transition planning. Align school services with adult agency services. Aim for a seamless handoff so supports continue after graduation.
Finish strong. Host a “reference fair” in the spring. Invite supervisors to meet families, sign reference letters, and coach students on their next steps. Celebrate pay raises, not only grades.
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