Episode 2: Goodbye School, Hello Unknowns: Intro to Transition Planning 101

✨ Goodbye School, Hello Unknowns ✨
 When the school “bubble” pops, it can feel overwhelming. Services, waitlists, adult systems—it’s a lot.

In Episode 2 of Life Without a Filter, I’m breaking down Transition Planning 101:
✅ What transition planning really means
✅ When it starts (and why it’s different by state)
✅ The 3 pillars every parent & teacher should know
✅ Checklists that make the process less scary

If you’re a parent or teacher wondering what’s next after public school—this episode is for you. 💙

Resources from today's episode

✅ The Turning 18 Checklist from Autism Housing Pathways:  https://autismhousingpathways.org/turning-18-checklist/

✅ The Arc of Massachusetts Transition from School to Adult Timeline:  https://thearcofmass.org/resource-search/transition-from-school-to-adult-life-time-lines/

✅ The Federation for Children with Special Needs Transition Resources:  https://fcsn.org/resources/parents-families/transition/

Rather watch the video version?  Check out this episode on our YouTube Channel:  https://youtu.be/BgBtN0hnZGk 

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As a Disclaimer, I am NOT a lawyer, a medical doctor, or a licensed psychologist. I am writing this blog as a mom sharing her journey and opinions. My views are my own and should not be construed as any direct medical or legal advice. (I hate having to write a disclaimer, but this is the world we live in!)

Transcript

Hi everyone, and welcome back to Life Without a Filter. I'm Cheryl, wife, mom of two great young adults, and your guide as we walk through the sometimes overwhelming, sometimes inspiring journey of planning for life after public school for our kids with disabilities. In today's episode is called Goodbye School, Hello Unknowns, Transition Planning 101. And if you're a parent or a teacher listening, you probably know exactly what I mean when I say that the day our kids leave school can feel like that bubble pops. For so many years, school is this built in structure of support. Teachers, therapists, services, it all happens often behind the scenes. And then one day, we start asking what comes next? What services will there be? How do we even start? And let's be honest, it can feel terrifying.

But here's the good news. You are not alone in this process. Transition planning exists for a reason. And while it is a big shift, there are tools, checklists and laws that are there to guide us through it. So let's jump into today's episode.

Hi, everyone. Parenting can be hard no matter what age or stage you are in. But what happens when your child becomes an adult and they will need a lifetime of support? I'm your host, Cheryl, and welcome to the podcast, Life Without a Filter. My goal is to share our not so unique, maybe specific journey as a family navigating the various special education transition services and creating our son's self-directed adult program. While we don't have all the answers, our hope is that you can learn from our experiences to make your own path a bit smoother. We'll also have some special guests providing resources and sharing their personal stories of navigating within the adult disability services world. Let's embark on this journey together.

So before we dive into how we began planning a self-directed program for our son, L, let's back up and start with the basics. The first question being, what is transition planning? When L was in middle school, I started hearing other parents talk about transition planning. At first, I thought, well, we've been through transitions before when moving from teacher to teacher, therapist to therapist, school building to school building. 

But this transition talk was different. This was about the big transition, leaving the public school system and moving into the adult services world. In special education, transition planning is all about preparing students for what life will look like after high school, further education, work and independent living. 

At the federal level, under IDEA, transition planning starts at age 16. But here in Massachusetts, where I live, it starts earlier at age 14.  So if you're listening from another state, check your local laws. The bottom line is once your child is in their teens, transition planning should be on the radar.

So what does transition actually look like in practice? The process really comes down to the three pillars of transition planning. The first pillar is education and training. This isn't just about diplomas. For some students, this means traditional academic classes and standardized tests. For others, it may mean functional academics, things like money management, readying for daily life, or even electives like art or music that spark joy and interest. 

The second pillar is employment or vocational skills. This is broader than just getting a job. It includes job readiness skills, exploring different career paths, volunteering, even practicing soft skills like interviewing or teamwork. Schools can partner with programs like MRC's Pre-ETS for additional training too. 

The third transition pillar is for independent living and community living. This is everything from cooking, cleaning, and laundry, to travel training, safe community navigation, and building social and recreational routines. And here's the key. Independence looks different for every person. The goal is to help our kids be as independent as they can be. 

So these three areas, education, vocational, and independent living, become the backbone of transition planning in the IEP once your child hits that age threshold. So where should you begin?

Okay, confession time. I love a good checklist. There's just something about crossing things off that makes this huge, overwhelming process feel manageable. And when it comes to transition planning, checklists are your best friend. Here are three that we personally use during the transition process. I have linked them in the show notes so you can take a look at them yourself.

The first one I want to talk about is the Turning 18 Checklist by Autism Housing Pathways. If you haven't visited this website or heard Catherine Boyle speak, run to listen to her. This one-page guide highlights the big to-dos that hit at 18. Some of the items on the checklist include making sure your school district has done a Chapter 688 referral, applying for SSI, registering for the draft, and applying for Section 8 housing, just to name a few. 

The second resource that we used was the transition from school to adult life timelines that is presented by the Arc of Massachusetts. It is more in-depth than the Turning 18 Checklist and lays out what to think about year by year from age 13 through age 22. So while I liked the Turning 18 Checklist because it listed all the big items, the Arc Checklist really gets into the detailed things that you should be thinking about. It also has different Massachusetts state resources, other resources listed on it, and Massachusetts laws related to transition, which are very helpful when you are having your IEP meetings. 

The third resource we used is from the Federation for Children with Special Needs. They have a Family Guide to Transition Services in Massachusetts, along with individualized brochures that go deeper into specific topics like assessments, self-determination, and secondary planning. 

When you first look at these documents, it can feel overwhelming. But remember, transition isn't a one-and-done process.You have years to work through this, and the team will revisit and refine your child's goals as they grow every year during the IEP process. I would review the checklist at the start of the school year and before every IEP meeting to help keep us on track. I want to circle back to where we started, because if you're anything like me, the phrase transition planning might bring up more fear than comfort. And it makes sense. The unknowns are scary, long waitlists for services, confusing systems, and that sinking feeling of what now when school is over. But here's the truth. This is a shared journey. You are not expected to figure it out overnight, and you are definitely not expected to figure it out alone. There are resources, teams, advocates, and yes, even podcasts like this one to help you along the way. And remember, transition planning isn't just about preparing your child for adulthood. It is about helping them shape their vision for what comes next, whether that's school, work, volunteering, or community life. 

So that's your crash course in transition planning 101, the what, the when, and the checklist to help you start organizing it all. In future episodes, we'll dig deeper into each checklist and area, breaking it down into manageable chunks, so it feels less like standing at the bottom of a mountain, and more like walking one step at a time. This episode was just the preview. If you found today's episode helpful, I'd love for you to share it with another parent or teacher who's starting to think about transition. And if you've discovered a checklist or resource that's been a lifesaver for you, send it my way. I'd love to highlight it in a future episode. Thanks for spending this time with me. And remember, you don't have to do this alone. Together, we've got this.

Until next time, this is Cheryl, and this has been Life Without a Filter.

Thanks for joining us for this week's episode. What action steps can you take away from this episode? Share them in the comments section. If you liked what you heard, make sure to subscribe, tell a friend, and leave a review. Until next week, let's continue to support and honor each other on our unique family journey.