Resource Library

ASK an Expert: The Transition Iowa Website and Roadmap

Mari Brown with ASK Resource Center unpacks the Transition Iowa Website and the site's key feature - the Transition Roadmap!

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Transition Roadmap and Checklist

Use this roadmap and checklist to navigate the transition process for youth with disabilities from elementary through high school. The Roadmap includes the who, what, when, and why of transition planning for youth with disabilities, including related resources. The checklist is a simplified version of the full roadmap.

Learn more from Transition Iowa

Transition Goals in the IEP

The Center for Parent Information and Resources explains the requirements related to transition goals in an IEP, questions for the team to consider and examples of measurable transition goals.

Learn more from CPIR

Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation - Parent and Educator Forum

IVRS believes in employment for all Iowans. Join this monthly Zoom Meeting to help you get the information you need to make employment choices for your student with a disability.

Join the Zoom Meeting with IVRS

Got Transition®

Got Transition® is the national resource center on healthcare transition (HCT). Its aim is to improve the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare through the use of evidence-driven strategies for healthcare professionals, youth, young adults, and their families.

Learn more from the Got Transition® Website

ASK an Expert: Transition 101

Transition consultants from the Iowa Department of Education explain the basics of the transition planning process for students starting at age 14 in Iowa. Includes information about transition assessments, graduation requirements, and 4+ Services for students who have needs that allow them to attend high school beyond the typical 4 years.

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4+ Services

4+ (Four Plus) Services are transition services for students with IEPs ages 18 to 21. These services are for students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) who continue to need special education services to achieve their IEP goals and/or graduation requirements.

Read the ASK Resource PDF

Pre-Employment Transition Services

A description of Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), what they include, and how to access these services is provided by Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS).

Learn more from IVRS

Secondary Transition

This webpage from the Iowa Department of Education provides guidance on a variety of important transition topics including legal requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), graduation requirements, 4+ Services, Age of Majority and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

Learn more from the IDOE

Transition Terms

Use this 2-page document as a tool to identify important transition related vocabulary. Many of the terms include links to find additional information on the topic.

View the ASK Resource Center PDF

Secondary Transition | Iowa IDEA Information

The Iowa IDEA Information (i3) website provides an explanation of the transition planning process for students with IEPs including important components within the IEP and information on the transfer of rights and the Post-secondary Summary

Learn more from i3

Early ACCESS Transition Toolbox

Iowa IDEA Information: Develop a better understanding of what happens to transition children successfully out of Early ACCESS at age three and what options there are for the future.

Learn more from i3

ASK Us - Transition Fairs

Cynthia Blackford discusses the importance of going to Transition Fairs that are offered through the AEA. Transition is helping students move from school or a special education setting to post-school activities.

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A Side-by-Side View: Transition Services

This document from NTACT shows a side-by-side view of Pre-Employment Transition Services, VR Transition Services and the IDEA.

Learn more from NTACT

Transition Iowa

TransitionIowa.org is a website that supports transition planning for youth with disabilities, their families and the professionals who serve them. The resources found here support high expectations and successful outcomes for all students, and help transition-age young adults prepare for life after high school.

Learn More at Transition Iowa

Guidance on 4+ Services

The Iowa Department of Education provides guidance on 4+ Services (when a student attends beyond the typical 4 years of high school) including definitions, school district responsibilities and placement decisions.

Learn more from the IDOE

ASK an Expert: Understanding Iowa’s 4-3-3-3 Graduation Requirements

Iowa requires each school district to have minimum graduation requirements. Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) should be given the chance to meet these requirements. This might require some creative solutions from the IEP team. Beginning in 8th grade, the IEP team is responsible for developing a plan that outlines how the student will meet the graduation requirements and earn a high school diploma. This webinar discusses how graduation requirements affect students with IEPs and emphasizes the need to understand the specific requirements in each district. It also will offer tips for IEP teams to help plan a graduation path for students with IEPs.

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Graduation Requirements

Before 2018, students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) could graduate and get a high school diploma simply by meeting their IEP goals. However, starting in the fall of 2018, the Iowa State Board of Education changed the rules for how students with IEPs graduate and what a regular high school diploma means.

Read the ASK Resource PDF

ASK an Expert: What are 4+ Services and Are They Right for My Student?

Learn about how the IEP team makes decisions about when 4+ Services (beyond the typical 4 years of high school) should be considered for a student with a disability. Includes examples of what 4+ Services can look like in different environments.

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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

Learn more from ASK Resource Center

IEP Meeting Checklist for Transition Age Students

Follow these easy steps before your next IEP team meeting, during the meeting, and after the meeting, to help you advocate for yourself with confidence and make your voice heard.

Read the PACER Center PDF

Health Transition Planning and the IEP

Parents, youth and the entire IEP team will want to consider how health and healthcare issues impact a student’s ability to achieve his or her postsecondary education, employment, and independent living goals.

Learn more from National Parent Center on Transition and Employment

Family Toolkit: Pediatric-to-Adult Health Care Transition Webinar

This webinar reviews helpful resources and provides insight from a mother of a transition-aged young adult.

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ASK a Family: Transition to College

ASK is pleased to share a candid conversation with a family that experienced a successful transition from high school to higher education. Mike Vratsinas and his mother, Stacy Briggs, share their story and advice for other individuals and families interested in pursuing higher education.

Watch the ASK a Family Webinar

Understanding HIPAA: What Parents Need to Know About Privacy & Their Adult Child's Health Information

This document answers frequently asked questions (FAQs) about when parents can access their adult child's protected health information. You will find information about parent's rights to access their minor child's protected health information.

Read the PHI PDF

Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities

Office for Civil Rights (OCR) describes the difference between the supports that are available to students with disabilities in high school versus in the college setting and how the process to get accommodations is different.

Learn more from the OCR

My IEP Owner's Manual for Transition Age Students

This printable IEP Owner's Manual was created so youth can use the manual to learn about the different parts of their IEP that will help them succeed in their plans for life after high school.

Learn more from PACER

A FAMILY TOOLKIT: PEDIATRIC-TO-ADULT HEALTH CARE TRANSITION

This toolkit was developed for families to use during pediatric-to-adult HCT and includes resources for both parents/caregivers and youth/young adults.

Read the Got Transition PDF

Partners and Services in Employment for Transition Aged Youth

This chart outlines various agencies and service providers that help to support employment for youth with disabilities in Iowa. It includes a description of who they serve, what services are available and how to refer someone to the following agencies: Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS), Iowa Department for the Blind (IDB), Iowa Workforce Development (IWD), Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs), School Districts and Area Education Agencies (AEAs), Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA), and the Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation (IVRS) Intermediary Program.

Learn more from IVRS

ACHIEVE Family Portal Sign-In

The ACHIEVE Family Portal supports families and children transition seamlessly as they age from Early ACCESS services through Special Education, empowers families, learners, and teams to collaborate in a shared system and allows for more informed decisions on what works best for each individual learner and engages families and learners to view, print, and sign documents electronically, and view real-time progress on outcomes and goals so all learners can “achieve” and succeed.

Learn more from the IDOE

ASK an Expert: Moving from Early Access (IFSP) to Early Childhood Special Education (IEP)

Explore the differences between Early ACCESS services and Early Childhood Special Education services and gain knowledge about the child find process used to determine a child’s need for special education. Learn about possible options in transition planning for when your child and family exit Early ACCESS services.

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ASK an Expert: IVRS webinar with Mary Jackson

Learn about the services that are available to students with disabilities through Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS). This webinar includes a description of the Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) typically provided through the school, the Local School Plan that describes those services and the option for more individualized and intensive services.

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ASK an Expert: Conflict Resolution in Special Education

Join ASK Resource Center and Mari Brown, Family Support Specialist & Transition Iowa Coordinator at ASK to get an overview of the Conflict Resolution in Special Education.

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ASK an Expert: What's New at ASK? Part 1 of 2

Join the executive director, leads, and coordinators of ASK Resource Center for an informative session. We will discuss the history of ASK and the range of services we offer. This session will cover topics such as individual family support, training, the Mentoring Network, and postsecondary transition. Attendees will gain insight into the organization's background and the specific support it provides.

Watch the ASK an Expert Webinar