Bridges Transition Program
Coming of Age: Autism and Transition to Adulthood at Beacon Day School
What do we mean by Transition ?
Transition is a formal process that begins by the age of 16 for students who receive special education services. During this time, the IEP team begins helping students and their families plan for life after high school and the public education system. Teachers, in collaboration with parents and other members of the student’s team, will begin developing goals to be included in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) based on the student’s interests and needs in relation to moving into adulthood. Options may include: college, work, vocational training, independent living and adult disability services.
Start transition planning early.
Beginning transition planning early in a student’s life allows parents to envision broad goals for their child’s future, and provides IEP team members the opportunity to address concerns and challenges and facilitate important skill acquisition well before adulthood is reached. Here at Beacon Day School, our students in elementary and middle school are taught independent life skills, daily living skills, and prevocational skills as part of our curriculum; this provides the foundation they need to successfully navigate the transition program when the time comes.
Focus on independent living skills and employment behavior training.
At Beacon Day School, we value collaboration with our parents to plan a successful transition for our students into adulthood and adult services. Transition teachers, administration and families work hand in hand to determine a transition plan and IEP goals to support the student and their future endeavors. Our extensive community based instruction(CBI) program, specialized transition curriculum, and work experience program are personalized to help students gain the skills they need to be successful after graduation and to be productive members of their community.