Project Description:
The TransitionAHEAD Roundtable is a comprehensive, day long, multi-disciplinary team experience designed to assess a young adults current status and future goals in the major life areas of health, education, employment, and independent living as they plan their transition to adulthood. The Roundtable includes interviews, assessments, discussions, meetings with a family member and self-advocate peer mentor, a guided health care transition simulation, situational assessment mini work experiences, and one-on-one meetings with representatives from adult services (e.g., vocational rehabilitation, independent living, supported employment provider, family advocacy, mental health, benefits planning, and developmental disability resource coordinator). The Transition Engagement Guide (Parent-Johnson, Parent-Johnson, & Meier, 2017), a tool developed with a diverse group of stakeholders and pilot-tested with promising results, is used to guide youth with disabilities, families and health professionals in the development of an action plan that promotes assets, opportunities, and connections in preparation for transition from pediatric to adult healthcare.
Both the young adult and family participate in separate and together activities focused on allowing the team to get to know the young adults strengths, interests and vision for the future. Together with the young adult and family member, the multidisciplinary team generates a comprehensive plan for transitions that is focused, coordinated and action oriented with specific recommendations for next steps as they relate to successful transitions. Resources and a report highlighting recommendations are provided to enable sharing this information with other key people involved in the young persons transitions such as school, health care, and adult services. Follow-up is conducted at regular intervals. Annual revisits as needed can be completed to update and address transition issues.
Transition AHEAD Roundtable Professional Development: Individualizing Transition Plans is a pilot continuation of the Transition AHEAD Roundtable. This professional development series was developed to address the various subjects and resources offered by the Transition AHEAD Roundtable with the teachers and other education staff that work with the TAR's target demographic. The focus of this professional development series is to support cohort members to create an intentional, organized, holistic, and coordinated process for guiding students with disabilities to meaningful lives beyond high school. Participants will have the opportunity to explore, discuss, and apply these lessons to their students.
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention, Health-Related Activities, Employment-Related Activities, Recreation-Related Activities, Quality of Life, Other - Leadership
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Geographic Areas, Reservation, Rural/Remote, Specific Groups
