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"The Office of Student Wellness at NH DOE is committed to the development of the whole child. We work, in collaboration with local communities, school districts, and individuals, to support students as they become fully productive members of society. Our approach allows us to affect real, meaningful change in the lives of all Granite Staters while remaining fiscally responsible, culturally competent, and youth guided."

This toolkit has been developed by an ad hoc team comprised of a small representation of individuals from across the state working in Centers for Independent Living (CIL), Local Education Agencies (LEA) and Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). The goal was to create a resource tool to enhance collaboration in transition planning for young adults with disabilities. A special acknowledgement to members of these three organizations for the many valuable resources and links included in this toolkit.

This website was created by the Center for Independent Futures, a non-profit organization in Illinois. This organization aims to help "adults with disabilities and their families plan, support and sustain new ways of living in their community." The website and organization provides information about having a disability, as well as services and accommodations that they can provide for adults with disabilities. Because the Center for Independent Futures is a non-profit organization, they host a variety of fund raising events each year. These events, as well as other ways to donate to the organization can be found on the website. If I were a special educator working on transition and career development, I would use this website for students who are looking at attending school in Illinois. The site would provide very useful information for the student because it would tell them what kind of supports they can receive in the state and where they can get those supports. Illinois has a variety of colleges and universities, and the Center for Independent Futures would be a very positive support system for new students in the state.

"Transition services are intended to prepare students to make the transition from the world of school to the world of adulthood. In planning what type of transition services a student needs to prepare for adulthood, the IEP team must first consider areas such as vocational training, community employment and post secondary education for the student. If the IEP team thinks that independent living and community participation are appropriate for a student then these areas should also be considered." This website is from the State of Vermont Department of Education. The website has an overview of transition planning and what to do. There are many other great links on the site as well. This is a terrific resource for anyone who will be working in Vermont. The laws are different in each state so it is good for those of us who are certified in NH and are planning to head to Vermont in the future.

The Wisconsin Post High School Outcomes Survey (WPHSOS) assesses the outcomes of individuals with disabilities one year after they have exited high school. Former students are contacted for a telephone interview to assess areas independent living, participation in postsecondary education, employment, and high school IEP planning.

"Across the U.S., we are witnessing a health crisis in the classroom .  Health-related barriers to learning are keeping kids from doing well in school - and children living in poverty are getting hit the hardest.  Building on decades of experience caring for vulnerable kids, Children's Health Fund launched the Healthy and Ready to Learn Initiative in September 2014 to meet this crisis head on.  Working together with educators, health care providers and parents, Children's Health Fund is leading a growing movement to ensure that all kids are healthy so they can succeed in school and life."

This website provides information about transitioning out of school. It talks about who can provide helpful services, where to find a job, and how to live independently. The home page of the website is divided into three sections; students, families, and transition professionals. Each of these three sections is then divided again on their own. The student section provides information on living within communities, managing health, and managing money. This information is given in a very friendly manner that is simple to understand. It is provided in both written form and verbal form with pictorials included. The family section is divided into 9 categories. These categories range from self-determination to employment to organizations that can help with the transition process. Each of these nine categories provides a brief description and alternate resources for further information. The section for transition professionals provides online courses and links to informational websites. As a special education teacher working on transition and career development, I would share this website with both students and families because the information is presented in a very clear way. I would work with students to help them read about and learn the information being provided and then create an activity as a follow up. For example, I would help the student navigate their way through the managing money portion of the website and then have the student complete a series of activities having to do with money and budgeting.

This site has a plethora of information about the transition process and how you can be successful in that process using assistive technology. It is broken into 5 sections that are written in a friendly-manner that is easy to follow, even if you are not familiar with the transition process or assistive technology.  I could see myself referring to this article for guidance when working in the transition stages of a students' education. It is helpful, like a textbook, but is not nearly as lengthy.

"FCTD Family Information Guide to Assistive Technology & Transition Planning This 50-page guide offers families information and resources to effectively prepare for and participate in periods of transition in their children's lives. In family-friendly language the guide discusses transition plans and the role of AT in them, offers checklists and suggestions. and provides a range of resources aimed at helping students make successful transitions to higher education, employment and independent living. The guide can be accessed online in both Spanish and English"

Description: The Agrability Project offers assistive technology and resources to farmers, their families and their communities, which allows agricultural workers with disabilities to be successful and live independently.  Those eligible for services may have blindness, deafness, developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, amputations, arthritis, stroke, or spinal cord injuries. The Agrability Project works with groups like 4-H clubs to encouraged students to participate in making modifications to farms, and eliminating accessibility barriers, etc. It currently serves 24 states.From the Home Page, if you click on "Communities of Interest" it will list different groups that discuss the latest issues about disability in agriculture. Topics include: Arthritis and Agriculture, Assistive Technology, Ergonomics, Mental/Behavior Health, Peer Support, and Vocational Rehabilitation. From the Resources Page you can click on "Youth" and be taken to a page that offers lesson plans about assistive technology and Inclusive 4-H resource materials. As a special educator it is important to be able to think "outside-the-box" sometimes when it comes to helping a student meet their goal. Knowing the area that we live in and the interests of my students, there is definitely a pull to the agriculture industry. This website is a good resource to use when trying to assist the students with this particular career interest in mind for the future.

"Learn the skills you need to teach the people you care about, work with, or live with about sexuality education. We have online training, curriculum, and live workshops to help staff, educators, direct support professionals navigate the topic of sexuality.  "

"What assistive technology, adaptive software and portable tools do people with disabilities use to independently access information, activities and places in their daily lives? This will depend on the individual, his or her access to resources, and the design of the environment or information that is trying to be accessed. The following tipsheets share information by disability type and include portable or remote options for people with disabilities who travel internationally."

"The Institute on Disability is pursuing the expansion and further development of Assistive Technology (AT) services and training in the state of New Hampshire. Assistive Technology is integral to the daily lives of many New Hampshire residents. Awareness of and the ability to try assistive technology devices are important aspects to making a decision whether a particular technology is "the right fit." The IOD is actively involved in partnerships on campus, throughout the state, and on a national level to promote access to assistive technology services." This site is full of great information about assistive technology. The resources tab is where you want to direct most of your attention as many of the documents and resources that are identified are very practical and geared toward use by special education service providers, students, and parents. Of particular interest to schools is instructions for how to create a low cost case for the iPad for use in schools. Check it out! Application to Transition Practice The information provided on this site will help to support transition practices in the classroom (direct teaching of transition skills), in work-based learning experiences, and living. There are many suggestions for how to physically adapt assistive technology hardware to meet an individual's need in the workplace. Also, in the resources there is a resource list of "reviewed" iPad apps for use to assist individuals with disabilities to become more independent is environments both within and outside the classroom. For example, the dragon app is free and it can be used to dictate and transcribe text. Various apps used for study skills and time management and organization could be very useful for students with LD and ADD in a variety of environments. It would be important to introduce individuals to some of these apps while they are in high school so they can learn about how they might help them in college, daily living, or employment settings.

The Institute on Disability is part of the University Center for Excellence on Disability at the University of New Hampshire. "The Institute on Disability is pursuing the expansion and further development of Assistive Technology (AT) services and training in the state of New Hampshire. " This department at the University of New Hampshire provides information about disability services that are provided for their current students as well as information concerning training programs for professionals. Professionals can register to attend the assistive technology workshops to learn about the newest programs that will help students with disabilities in their education. As a special educator, I would use this website to attend workshops on the most current assistive technology resources. This would keep my knowledge up to date and give me the opportunity to experience new and different programs. Then, when I have new students who may need different assistive technology both in high school and transitioning to college, I will be better equipped to tech them how to use the program.

Summary: This PDF document is in the form of a book which serves as a guide for professionals working on generating transition plans. The guide progresses through tips for planning for employment, education, independent living, etc. , and also features informal assessments for each. The guide closes with examples of letters to parents or guardians about transition planning, as well as questionaires to assess learning styles. Professional Practice: This guide is a "one stop shop" for those who are looking for resources for writing a transition plan for a student. It features a variety of different questions to guide the creation of this important document. As I work with students of transition age, I could see myself using this booklet regularly to guide my process.

Awesome resource! Transition plans are so important and this resource is really helpful when it comes to creating them.

This is a great resource. I liked how it was broken out by the ages so you can see how relevant transition services are at the different stages. It's helpful to see/consider things you might not have thought of for a plan. It will be very useful when creating transition plans for middle and school kids.

Lead the Way: Engaging Youth in Health Care is the School-Based Health Alliance's online youth engagement toolkit. This resource is designed for individuals who work in school-based or community health centers who want to engage youth in their mission and work.