Transition

Age of Majority

Age of majority is the legal age established by state law at which a person is no longer a minor and has the right and the responsibility to make certain legal choices that adults make. The IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) affords parents certain rights to ensure their participation in the educational process for their child with disabilities.

More Information on Transferring Rights

Employment First: A Family Perspective

Employment First (E1st) is based on the idea that "Employment is the first priority and preferred outcome of publicly funded services for people with disabilities." (Iowa APSE) It may sound like another "new thing" but really it isn't. Instead, it is a way for Iowa services to increase integrated work options for Iowans with disabilities.

Read More

Life After High School

We have all thought about what we want to do when we "grow up." For most teenagers, high school is a time when they have to move from thinking and dreaming to planning and working toward real goals. All students face the big transition from high school to the "real world," and students with disabilities may face that transition with even more factors to consider. Preparing how to meet those special needs is the purpose of transition planning for students with IEPs

Prepare for Life After High School

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act: What it Means for Iowa Youth, Families and Schools

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was signed into federal law July 2014. The purpose is to "empower individuals with disabilities to maximize employment, economic self-sufficiency, independence, and inclusion in and integration into society."

Learn About WIOA

Transition Terms

Special Education uses many acronyms or abbreviations, many of which families become familiar while their student is in school. As teens and their families prepare to exit school and begin life as an adult, they are faced with many new terms and acronyms. Listed below are definitions of some words and acronyms often used during this important time.

Understand the Terminology