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Parents are involved in the education of their student through the Individualized Educational Program (IEP) or Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP) process. As an IEP or IFSP team member, parents/guardians participate in forming annual academic, behavioral, developmental, and social goals for the student. Parents receive quarterly communications regarding the student's goal progress.

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Helping students transition to different grades

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Helping students transition to different grades

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This can be the most difficult transition of all because parents and infants have an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP). This plan is completely about the child and the family. The IFSP is a family model where all learning is natural and services come into the home. Once they enter preschool, all services now happen at the school not in the home.

What questions should I ask as my child transitions from preschool to kindergarten?

What type of school is the best setting to meet my child's needs?

Can I visit the school campus? Visit the classroom? Talk with the teacher?

How many hours each day will my child attend?

How many children will be in the classroom?

What services will my child receive? How will the services differ from what we are receiving now?

How will my child get to school if it is not your neighborhood school?

If my child is to receive transportation services what do I need to know about it?

Where is your child going after school? Do you need daycare? Does the school have an afterschool daycare?

Is my child ready for kindergarten?

How can I join the PTA?

How can I help my child transition from elementary to middle school?

If at all possible a child should go to their neighborhood school as they have connections with friends and neighbors. Hear what the school is recommending for your child. Visit the school and classrooms being recommended and if concerned talk about your concerns with the teacher.

What questions should I ask as my child transitions from elementary to middle school?

How will services change on the IEP from elementary to middle school?

How will the teacher touch base with me?

When do I get progress reports?

Will there be lockers?

How will my child get to P.E.?

Does my child qualify for transportation? If so, what do I need to do?

Is there summer school?

Is there a school orientation?

Does the school have counselors? When can I meet the counselor?

My child is on medication. What are the procedures?

Are there any school functions my child and I can attend to make him/her feel more comfortable?

Are there after school homework clubs?

How can I join the PTA?

How can I help my child transition from middle to high school?

Visit the school campus that is being recommended and meet with the school counselor as well as the teachers. Be sure to inquire as to the opportunities for your child while in high school.

What questions should I ask as my child transitions from middle to high school?

What are requirements for graduation?

How will services change on my child's IEP from middle to high school?

Is there workability or vocational education at the school? How does my child get involved in this?

How will my child be graded?

How will we discuss my child's transition plan that is put in place when he/she is 16 years old?

What is the homework policy?

What will my child need to succeed at the school?

Do you provide a daily planner for my child to keep his/her schedule and due dates or is that something I will need to get and to teach him/her how to use?

What happens during finals?

When can I obtain my child's schedule so I can show him/her around the campus in order to make an easy transition?

How does my child make up credits if he/she should get behind?

How can I join the PTA?

What can I do over the summer to prepare my child?

How can I help my child prepare for college?

Special education students should be preparing for transition beginning in middle school. Each student should begin to see what the requirements are in their perspective state. A transition plan should include plans for completion of school, graduation and their future for college and/or career. To prepare for college, students need to make sure that they have fulfilled all requirements for their graduation. This should include taking all courses in the school district, achieving all credits toward graduation, taking all assessments and exit exams required for graduation and preparing to transition to college and/or career.

Applying to take the SAT and ACT exams may need to include an updated profile to have extended time to take the tests. Students and/or their parents should check on the requirements including other psychological assessments for qualification. Once the tests are taken, then make a special education file to use only for the applications to all potential colleges. It should include the most current psychological assessment and a clear diagnosis of any disability that would help a student to qualify for the "reasonable accommodations" for school. Make a list of the various colleges and what their student with disabilities office may offer, the contact in each office and what the requirements might be to apply to the program. Remember, once a student leaves the IDEA program and especially when the student turns 18 years old, the student must be the one to ask for the services at the college, take responsibility to declare to the disabilities office and apply for services.

Is there a transition "check list" for my high school student that will assist with his/her transition to college or career?

The following is a checklist of transition activities that students and parents should consider when preparing transition plans with the IEP team. The student's skills and interests will determine which items on the checklist are relevant. This checklist is used to determine whether or not these transition issues should be addressed at IEP transition meetings. The checklist can also help identify who should be part of the IEP transition team. Responsibility for carrying out the specific transition activities should be determined at the IEP transition meetings.
Four to five years before leaving the K-12 school district:

Identify personal learning styles and the necessary accommodations for an IEP student be a successful learner and worker.

Identify career interests and skills, complete interest and career inventories and identify additional education or training requirements.

Explore options for postsecondary education and admission criteria.

Identify interests and options for future living arrangements, including supports. Learn to communicate effectively your interests, preferences and needs.

Be able to explain your disability and the accommodations.

Learn and practice informed decision making skills.

Investigate assistive technology tools that can increase community involvement and employment opportunities.

Broaden experiences with community activities and expand friendships. Pursue and use local transportation options outside of family.

Investigate money management and identify necessary skills.

Acquire identification card and the ability to communicate personal information.

Identify and begin learning skills necessary for independent living.

Learn and practice personal health care.

Two to three years before leaving the K-12 school district:

Identify community support services and programs (Vocational Rehabilitation, County Services, Centers for Independent Living, Regional Centers etc.).

Invite adult service providers, peers and others to the IEP transition meeting. Match career interests and skills with vocational course work and community work experience.

Gather more information on postsecondary programs and the support services offered. Make arrangements for accommodations to take college entrance exams.

Identify health care providers and become informed about sexuality and family planning issues.

Determine the need for financial support (Supplemental Security Income, state financial supplemental programs, Medicare).

Learn and practice appropriate interpersonal, communication and social skills for different settings (employment, school, recreation, etc.).

Explore legal status with regards to decision making prior to the age of majority. Begin a resume and update it as needed.

Practice independent living skills, e.g. budgeting, shopping, cooking and housekeeping.

Identify needed personal assistant services, and if appropriate, learn to direct and manage these services.

Twelve months before leaving the K-12 school district:

Apply for financial support programs. (Supplemental Security Income, Independent Living Services, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Personal Assistant Services.)

Identify the post-secondary school you plan to attend and arrange for accommodations.

Practice effective communication by developing interview skills, asking for help and identifying necessary accommodations at post-secondary and work environments.

Specify desired job and obtain paid employment with support as needed. Take responsibility for arriving on time to work, appointments and social activities.

Assume responsibility for health care needs (making appointments, filling and taking prescriptions, etc.).

Register to vote and selective service.

What is Vocation Education in relation to Special Education?

Vocational Education is based on an age appropriate Individual Transition Plan (ITP) which is documented in the IEP beginning on the student's 15th birthday. The goals that are written in the ITP include appropriate measurable post-secondary goals that cover the education or training, employment, community experiences and if needed, independent living. These goals are to be updated annually. The transition services should reasonably enable the student to meet his or her post-secondary goals.

Workability is a program that all individuals with disabilities will successfully participate in in preparation for the workplace and independent living and falls under the Vocational Education piece of the IEP. The mission of Workability is to promote the involvement of key stakeholders (students, families, educators, workforce agencies and business partners) in planning and implementing an array of services that will culminate in successful student transition to employment, life-long learning and quality adult life.

Higher Education: Assistance for Parents and Young People with Special Needs

The National Association of School Psychologists has prepared a helpful tip sheet for transitioning students with special needs into higher education. The article, Transitioning High School Students with Learning Disabilities into Post-secondary Education: Assessment and Accommodations, provides parents with information and resources on helping their student begin a college career.

How do I establish guardianship for my child with special needs?

A conservatorship and/or guardianship allows someone to act for someone else. A conservatorship/guardianship cannot be created voluntarily. It is granted by a judge. A guardianship is similar to a parent/child relationship, except that a guardian is not held legally responsible for the acts of the other person and guardians do not have to use his or her own money to provide for the other. They are generally given when someone can no longer take care of themselves. For instance, if a person becomes mentally incapacitated and is no longer able to make knowledgeable decisions about his or her own welfare, a conservatorship or guardianship will need to be obtained. This involves obtaining a judgment from the court and the appointment of a caretaker by the court.

How do I create a power of attorney for my child with special needs?

A power of attorney is a document that voluntarily creates a relationship with another and gives them the right to act as if they were you. You may limit a power of attorney to a very specific transaction or you may grant full power to someone over all of your affairs. For example, a limited power might be to allow your agent to sell your car and deposit the sale proceeds to your bank account or to write checks on your bank account to pay your utility bills. A "full" power would allow your agent to transact all your financial affairs for you.

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From Pre-K to Graduation - Special Education Guide | National PTA

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This can be the most difficult transition of all because parents and infants have an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP). This plan is completely about the child and the family. The IFSP is a family model where all learning is natural and services come into the home.

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Definitions to commonly used terms in special education that will help you navigate the special education process.

Academic Intervention Services: Student support services which supplement instruction provided in the general curriculum and are designed to assist students in meeting State learning standards. AIS are available to students with special needs and shall be provided consistent with the student's Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

ADD/ADHD: Attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are medical conditions characterized by a child's inability to focus, while possessing impulsivity, fidgeting and inattention.

Accommodations: Changes that allow a person with a disability to participate fully in an activity. Examples include extended time, different test format and alterations to a classroom.

Adapted Physical Education (APE): Specially designed physical education program, using accommodations designed to fit the needs of students who require developmental or corrective instruction.

Annual Review: An evaluation, conducted at least one time per year, for each child with a disability for the purposes of recommending the continuation, modification or termination of the special education program.

Assessment: Evaluation procedures used to identify a child's needs and the family's concerns and priorities about their child's development.

Assistive Technology Devices and Services: Equipment and services that are approved to be used to improve or maintain the abilities of a child to function including such activities as playing, communicating or eating.

Autism: A developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engaging in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines and unusual responses to sensory experiences.

Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP): Special education term used to describe the written plan used to address problem behavior that includes positive behavioral interventions, strategies and support. This may include program modifications and supplementary aids and services.

Cognitive: A term that describes the process used for remembering, reasoning, understanding and making decisions.

Community Advisory Committee (CAC): A committee whose membership includes parents of school children, school personnel and representatives of the public. This committee advises school administration and local school boards regarding the plan for special education, assists with parent education and promotes public awareness of individuals with special needs.

Complaint Procedure: A formal complaint filed with the County or State Board of Education if a district violates a legal duty or fails to follow a requirement under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Consent: The written approval a parent gives to the Committee on Special Education to have their child evaluated and receive services. Consent is always voluntary and a parent may revoke it at any time.

Cumulative File: The records maintained by the local school district for any child enrolled in school. The file may contain evaluations and information about a child's disability and placement. It also contains grades and the results of standardized assessments. Parents have the right to inspect these files at any time.

Deaf-Blindness: Concomitant (simultaneous) hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness.

Deafness: A hearing impairment so severe that a child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, and adversely affects a child's educational performance.

Designated Instructional Services (DIS): Also called Related Services. Instruction and services not normally provided by regular classes, resource specialist programs or special day classes. There are 16 DIS services available for students:

Speech and Language

Occupational and Physical Therapy (OT)

Adapted Physical Education (APE)

Hearing Services (HH)

Interpreting Services

Vision Services (VI)

Orientation and Mobility (OM)

Behavior Intervention Services (ABA)

Counseling and Guidance

Parent Counseling and Training

Psychological Services

Social Worker Services

Specially Designed Vocational Education

Recreation Services

Heath and Nursing Services

Mental Health Services

Counseling/Therapy-Individual, Group & Family

Parent Counseling and Training

Psychological Services

Developmental Delay: For children from birth to age 3 (under IDEA Part C) and children from ages three through nine (under IDEA Part B), the term developmental delay, as defined by each State, means a delay in one or more of the following areas: physical development, cognitive development, communication, social or emotional development or adaptive [behavioral] development.

Developmental History: Steps or stages of a child's growth in such skills as sitting, walking and talking. This information is gathered as part of the social history requirements.

Dominant Language: The language or other mode of communication that the family normally uses. Evaluations of your child are required to be administered in the child's dominant language.

Due Process: Procedures designed to protect a person's rights. This includes requirements for confidentiality, consent and complaint mechanisms.

Educationally Related Support Services (ERSS): Services intended for students who are not eligible for special education services yet eligible to receive speech and counseling services.

Emotional Disturbance: A condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child's educational performance:

An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or health factors.

An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.

Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.

A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.

A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

The term includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance.

Hearing Impairment: An impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance but is not included under the definition of "deafness."

Impartial Hearing: A formal process at which a family's complaints can be heard by an impartial hearing officer who will resolve the dispute or complaint regarding the child's evaluation, IEP or certain other issues.

Intellectual Disability: Significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently (at the same time) with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Until October 2010, the law used the term "mental retardation." In October 2010, Rosa's Law was signed into law by President Obama, which changed the name of the term to "intellectual disability."

Individualized Education Program (IEP): A written plan developed by the CSE which specifies the appropriate level of special education programs and services to be provided to meet the unique educational needs of a student with a disability.

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): Placement of students with disabilities in special classes, separate schools or other removal from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability is such that even with the use of supplementary aids and services, education cannot be satisfactorily achieved.

Mediation: A method for solving a problem that uses persons trained in helping people resolve their own problems. In mediation, the school district and parent will try to reach an agreement with which both parties are satisfied.

Multiple Disabilities: Concomitant (simultaneous) impairments (such as intellectual disability-blindness, intellectual disability-orthopedic impairment, etc.), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in a special education program solely for one of the impairments. The term does not include deaf-blindness.

Orthopedic Impairment: A severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by a congenital anomaly, impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (e.g. cerebral palsy, amputations and fractures or burns that cause contractures).

Occupational Therapy (OT): Services delivered by an Occupational Therapist that relate to self-help skills, adaptive behavior and play and sensory and motor and postural development.

Other Health Impairment: Having limited strength, vitality or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that:

Is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, sickle cell anemia and Tourette syndrome.

Adversely affects a child's educational performance.

Parent Support Group: Discussion and information-sharing meetings for parents of children with disabilities.

Pendency: A due process right that the parent and child have that allows the child and family to continue to receive services as described on the current IEP while the parent works to resolve a dispute.

Physical Therapy (PT): Services provided by a Physical Therapist that relate to large movement difficulties and related functional problems.

Reevaluation Review: A reassessment of the child's ability and achievement within a three-year period.

Related Services: See Designated Instructional Services.

Response to Intervention (RtI): Integrates assessment and intervention within a multi-level prevention system to maximize student achievement and to reduce behavioral problems. Schools use data to identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes, monitor student progress, provide evidence-based interventions and adjust the intensity and nature of those interventions depending on a student's responsiveness, and identify students with learning disabilities or other disabilities. This is similar to Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS).

Section 504 Accommodation Plan: An educational plan or modifications for a student suspected of a disability that may not require special education services.

Special Education: Specially designed instruction that includes special services or programs.

Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT): A preschool special education teacher who provides direct and indirect service in regular programs or a child's home for students ages three and four.

Specific Learning Disability: A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia and developmental aphasia. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of intellectual disability, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural or economic disadvantage.

Speech or Language Impairment: A communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, language impairment or a voice impairment that adversely affects a child's educational performance.

Speech Therapy (SP or ST): Services provided by a Speech and Language Pathologist that relate to delays in speech development and communication.

State Education Department (SED): Refers to the state agency that establishes education regulations and provides support to counties and school districts.

Traumatic Brain Injury: Means an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition, language, memory, attention, reasoning, abstract thinking, judgment, problem-solving, sensory, perceptual and motor abilities, psychosocial behavior, physical functions, information processing and speech. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.

Visual Impairment Including Blindness: An impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child's educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.

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Definitions to commonly used terms in special education that will help you navigate the special education process. Academic Intervention Services: Student support services which supplement instruction provided in the general curriculum and are designed to assist students in meeting State learning standards.

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This site gives a lot of information about special education and gives a option to translate it in spanish

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This site gives a lot of information about special education and gives a option to translate it in spanish

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A bilingual site for educators and families of English language learners

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Tools That Empower Spanish-Speaking Parents

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Links updated, July 2017 A resource page for Parent Centers Compiled by Myriam Alizo, CPIR Download this page as an adaptable, accessible Word document Many Parent Centers provide information and training to Spanish-speaking parents of children with disabilities. In fact, in the last year, more than 27% of the families served by Parent Centers received their services in Spanish.

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Social and Emotional Learning: Strategies for Parents

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There are many ways parents can encourage emotionally intelligent behavior in their children. Check out this guide to resources for learning more about character development.

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This is the Riverside county website that provides workshops that parents can attend

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This is the Riverside county website that provides workshops that parents can attend

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This is the SELPA Site for information and students.

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Tips on how to help children with challenging behavior

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Tips on how to help children with challenging behavior

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Has life with your young child become filled with conflict and confusion? Does it seem as if even the simplest activity can turn quickly into disaster when your child's behavior is out of control? Are you beginning to feel as if things are getting worse instead of better? You're not alone. Many, if not most, parents find themselves struggling with the challenging behavior of their young child at some point in time. The good news is that there are evidence-based, effective strategies that you can use to create positive solutions for your family.

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PBIS.org | Resource: Positive Solutions for Families: Eight Practical Tips for Parents of Young Children with Challenging Behavior

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PDF: Has life with your young child become filled with conflict and confusion? Does it seem as if even the simplest activity can turn quickly into disaster when your child's behavior is out of control? Are you beginning to feel as if things are getting worse instead of better?

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Positive Behavior Strategies in the Classroom

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Positive behavior strategies can help you support students with challenging behaviors.

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CHADD - Improving the lives of people affected by ADHD

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Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization serving people affected by ADHD.

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Who is PENT?

PENT is dedicated to supporting positive educational environments which use evidence based, positive strategies to achieve high outcomes for all students by disseminating resources and materials for educators throughout the state of California.

PENT Provides...

Annual Forums for Cadre members.

Evidence based, best practice research in the area of positive behavior.

Functional, usable and educator friendly resources and documents.

Training resources and materials that are FREE to use.

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Positive Environments, Network of Trainers (PENT)

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Positive Environments, Network of Trainers (PENT)

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The Positive Environments, Network of Trainers (PENT) is dedicated to supporting positive educational environments which use evidence based, positive strategies to achieve high outcomes for all students by disseminating resources and materials for educators throughout the state of California.

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TO END PUNITIVE, EXCLUSIONARY DISCIPLINE, WE'RE GOING TO NEEDNEW LENSES, PRACTICES, AND POLICIES. YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

We are in the midst of a societal and public health crisis. We are losing our most vulnerable kids, largely due to perspectives that are outdated and counterproductive, and disciplinary practices that are punitive and exclusionary.

With each time-out, detention, suspension, expulsion, paddling, restraint, seclusion, and arrest at school, there are children who aren't getting the help they need and are being pushed away from caregivers who could instead be helping them.

The cost to all of us is profound. Overwhelmed, discouraged educators. Frustrated, desperate parents. Expensive placements. Disenfranchised, marginalized, alienated kids. A pipeline to prison.

It doesn't have to be this way.

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We are in the midst of a societal and public health crisis. We are losing our most vulnerable kids, largely due to perspectives that are outdated and counterproductive, and disciplinary practices that are punitive and exclusionary.

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This helps parents with students stress and anxiety that is caused from the pandemic

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This helps parents with students stress and anxiety that is caused from the pandemic

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COVID-19 Resources for Parents | National Federation of Families

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This page was created just for parents, caregivers, youth and families. It is a collection of resources and information to support them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Perhaps you have just received a diagnosis for your child and need guidance on what to do next. Or maybe you've hit a roadblock in special education and you're unsure about your rights and responsibilities and the next steps to take. Or maybe you'd like to know if an AAC device would help a loved one who is nonverbal. TASK is here to help! Call us at (866) 828-8275 for help with:

Telephone support and assistance with special education and the IEP process

Workshops on special education and transition planning

IEP consultations and document review

Assistive technology labs and AAC consultations

Programs for transition-age youth

Resources and referrals

Our helpful staff can answer questions, review IEP documents, provide youth programs for building social and self-advocacy skills, recommend assistive technology solutions, and offer referrals to support groups and other helpful agencies. Call us at (866) 828-8275 for more information!

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Perhaps you have just received a diagnosis for your child and need guidance on what to do next. Or maybe you've hit a roadblock in special education and you're unsure about your rights and responsibilities and the next steps to take. Or maybe you'd like to know if an AAC device would help a loved one who is nonverbal.