Emily+Rasicot+-+Final+Wiki

 **//Tools of Transition Planning For Elementary School Students//** toc

Introduction:
Transition planning is typically completed during their beginning years of high school to prepare them for graduation, academic completion of curriculum, and beyond. However, students must be made aware of the planning process and the different aspects that got into it. Students in as low as eighth grade are made aware of the goal making process, but students in much younger grades need to be informed of the different pieces that go into transition as a whole. Some students with disabilities are not able to handle transition well and therefore, should be made aware of changes and what to do in case of transition, at a very early age to avoid any issues or complications. Although the law states that transition planning must be completed no later than age 16, there is no definite start date and the earlier the student, teachers, and parents can begin discussing options of students in order to help them succeed, the better. In elementary and middle school, students should be made aware of tools that can help them succeed when they get to high school. Tools such as self-determination, self-advocacy, and career awareness should be discussed with students in terms that they understand. Students should be able to identify their own strengths and weakness and work with teachers to implement these strengths and begin to use them to create opportunities for goal making and future choice making. In doing so, we've begun setting the student up for academic success and a smooth transition through life.

What are Transition Services?
Transition services are activities put in place in order to provide students skills to successfully transition from high school to post secondary education or employment or independent living. By law, students' transition planning must start in the first IEP that is implemented when the child turns 16. Although the earlier a team begins the planning process for the child, the better. Many students can benefit from earlier planning and implementing of activities that may start as early as middle school age. IDEA 2004 Close Up The law simply states that the planning may not being //after// the child turns 16, but it may begin before. Coinsiding with the age requirement, the IDEA 04 also requires that the //strengths// of a student must be made clear and that transitional goals must focus on the strengths and positive aspects of a student. "...the development of transition goals should focus on and build upon what the students //can// do - not focus entirely on what the student //can't// do." ([|greatschools])  Along with the IEP team and the staff that are helping to create goals for the student, parents also play a key role in the process of transition planning for their child. They are able to request that planning activities begin before age 16. "Such early acitivities can include training in self-advocacy skills. Such skills have been found to play a critical role in the post-school success of students with disabilities, yet a recent study found that only 3 percent of secondary students with disabilities who participate in genernal education academic classes have been provided with self-advocacy training." ([|greatschools])



What is Self-determination?
Self-determination is a process in which students take charge of their learning, goals, behaviors and beliefs. According to Field, Martin, Miller, Ward and Wehmeyer (1998) self-determination is described as "a combination of skills, knowledge, and beliefs that enable a person to engage in goal-directed, self-regulated, autonomous behavior" (p.2). In order to achieve self-determination, one must know their own strengths and weaknesses in order to take control of one's actions. This is even prevalent for young children although to a different extent. According to Wehmeyer, self-determination "includes self-awareness, self-knowledge, choice-making skills, decision-making skills, problem solving skills, and self-reinforcement skills. it is possible to teacher self-determination to early elementary school students" (Palmer & Wehmeyer, 2003). Students of all ages need to know these skills and need to learn to adapt them to their lives both in and outside the classroom. All of these skills are things that can be taught to students at any age; however, the earlier they are taught, the better. Students in elementary school need to learn to adapt to changing times and in teaching these skills to students, they have a better chance of remembering them later on in their educational career and succeeding at implementing the skills they have been taught.



Self-Determination in Elementary Schools
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,'Nimbus Sans L',sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Elementary students create awareness of self, personal interactions, school, and the workforce. mideastpeaceproject <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Some ways to promote self-determination to elementary school children include: media type="youtube" key="_hNPsEBnQsg" height="315" width="420" align="center"
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Allowing students to make choices and decisions. This will teach them that each choice they make has a specific reward or consequence out of the limited options they have to choose from. This also provides them with the opportunity to take control of situations that are presented to them and make up their minds for themselves.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Allow students to problem solve and think aloud as they work through problems and questions.
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Teach goal-setting strategies and techniques, including deciding upon steps to take to reach any long-term goals that may be set for the student.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Encourage students to think about their day-to-day lives and the decisions and choices that they make.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Teach students to use time management skills in order to break long-term goals into multiple short-term goals.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Make students aware of their strengths rather than their weaknesses. Many time, students are all too aware of what they //cannot// do, but are less knowledgeable about what they //can// do.

//<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Self-Awareness: // <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Self-awareness is the ability to know ourselves, our personality, our thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions. Not only does self-awareness allow you to know yourself but it gives you a clearer picture of others and how they view you as well. "When the student reaches self-awareness, a knowledge of supports available, and a realistic view of how one's goals and skills can be matched, then the foundation for self-advocacy and self-determination is laid." (Palmer & Wehmeter, 2003; Schreiner, 2007). "Learning about one's self involves the identification of learning styles, strengths and weakness, interests, and preferences. For students with mild disabilities, developing an awareness of the accommodations they need will help them as for necessary accommodations on a job and in postsecondary education. Students can also help identify alternative ways they can learn." partnerstx.org Adults are able to role play scenarios that may arise for students as far as motivation and emotions and teach the student how they may be able to deal with those specific situations.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Strengths & Weaknesses://
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">A main aspect that needs to be taught to students in elementary school is how they can identify their strengths and weaknesses. Usually when a student is strong in one content area compared to another, it is evident in their work; however, students themselves need to be aware of each. Students need to be taught that weaknesses will be worked on and strengths will be appreciated. These ideas must, obviously, be explained in a way that each student understands, but it must be made known that weaknesses are not a //bad// thing, simply something that needs extra work and that students need to learn how to identify traits on their own. One example of how implement such a strategy is to make an analogy out of the concept. At journals.cec.sped.org, students are taught to think of their mind as a car, with their strengths being the open road and their weaknesses being road blocks. The activity explains to elementary school children how to take care of their mind like they would take care of a car, as well as what to do when you hit a "roadblock." (See Examples section for full activity).



<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">What is Self-Advocacy?
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Self-Advocacy is the ability for a student to stand up for what they believe in and what they see as being fair and right for themselves. According to Wright's Law, <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">"Self-advocacy is learning how to speak up for yourself, making your own decisions about your own life, learning how to get information that you can understand things that are of interest to you, finding out who will support you in your journey, knowing your rights and responsibilities, problem solving, listening and learning, reaching out to others when you need help and friendship, and learning about self-determination." <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">WrightsLaw <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The act refers to the ability to communicate with others, convey their feelings and thoughts with those around them, as well as negotiate what they believe to be justified. Students must be able to express their own interests, desires, needs and rights. Students must be able to make decisions for themselves and take responsibilities for their actions and the consequences. (VanReusen et al., 1994) Self-advocacy is about taking charge of one's thoughts, actions and beliefs. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">"Enabling and empowering students to direct their own lives has been an underpinning of federal legislation for some time. For example, the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Title 1, Vocational Rehabilitation Program, describes the philosophy of independent living as including consumer control, peer support, self-help, self-determination, equal access, and individual and system advocacy, in order to maximize the leadership empowerment, independence, and productivity of persons with disabilities." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Disability Law Lowdown " -- Although this podcast is mostly geared towards high school students, the material that is covered is accessible to students of all ages. The website consists of a sets of different podcasts surrounding the topic if self-advocacy. The listener is provided with current information related to disability laws.  Strategies For All Ages -- Here you will find strategies about self-advocacy for people of all ages, from staying positive to planning for the future. Each strategy is appropriate no matter the age or grade range of the student.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Self-Advocacy in Elementary School
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Students with disabilities need to learn to advocate for themselves effectively by learning strategies which will assist them in problem-solving, goal setting and self-confidence. Students need to be able to recognize, accept and understand their strengths and weaknesses and take responsibilities for their actions. "Transition planning provides a powerful context in which to both teach and practice skills like goal setting, problem solving, effective communication and listening skills, assertiveness and self-advocacy, and decision-making. Younger students (in elementary and middle school) should be involved in planning activities as well." cec.sped.org <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">We must teach the appropriate ways to self-advocate, since younger students learn best when they have observed someone else perform the correct actions. When a child is too young to advocate for themselves, they must have a trusted adult (parents, teacher, mentor, friend, etc.) advocate for them. This is where the child learns how to complete the skill. This adult must show the child how to advocate for oneself as well as observe how the student learns. How the student learns best will determine how to best reach the student in order to assure their success in the future. Adults should discuss this with the student, model the behavior, and help the student use these tools to the best of their advantage to become successful.



<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">What is Career Awareness?
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Career awareness programs are a tool to help support students who are looking into post secondary opportunities, no matter the age of the students. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">"Career awareness programs use age appropriate materials that match the developmental levels of the students. Age appropriate activities expose students to a variety of different jobs, careers information sources, and the reasons why people work. Programs incorporate academic career pathways into classroom activities... Career awareness programs widely use tools are the Individual Career Plan (ICP) and the Individual Career Develop Portfolio. According to the Ohio State Department of Education (2000), Individual Career Plans (ICP) are essential for the development of self-awareness, employability skills, decisions making and goal setting, community involvement, economics, and the reduction of bias. S <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">tudents <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> use the ICP as they identify and explore initial career goals and educational plans. Elementary students use ICP to develop skills and to prepare to make future educational and career decisions. " <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">mideastpeaceproject <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Students are taught to increase the awareness and need for future job skills. Students use the interests which they have determined, and used them to determine different possibilities for future careers that they are interested in. Overall, students work towards finding out what they wish to do when they grow up. They are made aware of the different jobs that are present for them to strive for and begin to understand how their lives in the classroom can affect their lives //after// the classroom.  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: Arial,Tahoma,Verdana; font-size: 12px;">

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Career Awareness in Elementary School
<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Students in elementary school use the career awareness classes differently from those who are getting ready to look for jobs in today's society. Students in elementary school do not use career education as any type of exploration or preparation class, but rather they remain open minded to new ideas and what different careers entail. "Elementary school counselors and teachers build self-awareness, family awareness, school awareness, community awareness, career/work awareness, attitude development, decision making strategies, and self-worth...A  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">s elementary students get older, the students modify career visions and goals. After completing an elementary school career awareness program, students have higher grades, higher academic achievement, improved school involvement, as well as an boost in career awareness exploration, personal, and interpersonal abilities. In addition, the students total a lot more complex courses and have a higher graduation rate from high school. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,'Nimbus Sans L',sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">mideastpeaceproject <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Students of different ages are informed about the various options they will have after high school. However, when presented with the different options in elementary schools, students are shown in "Career Day" type events as well as learning how to identify their interests and relate them to the work force. They learn what different jobs look like and what kinds of skills are needed to complete each job. Students work on the different skills needed to adapt to a working and community environment.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Examples
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">[Self-Determination] <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Mind = Car

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Journals - CEC
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">When I start my car, I must know where I want to go.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">When I use my mind, I must set a goal.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">When I drive I must know directions.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I use my mind to remind myself of directions. I can ask for help if I feel lost.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I must think about my driving. I must think about my thinking.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I must avoid distractions when I drive and when using my mind.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I am responsible for what happens in my car and in my mind.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I take care of my car and I take care of my mind.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I drive my car every day. I give my mind exercise. I use my mind so that it will get stronger.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I give my car gas so that it will have energy. I go to bed on time so that my mind will have energy.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I use my trunk for storage. I use my mind to remember important information.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I can monitor my performance when I drive my car and when I am using my mind.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">I must pay attention to roadblocks when I drive and my weaknesses when I use my mind.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">It is fun to drive a car and it is fun to use our minds. We can discover big surprises.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">References & Resources
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Inclusion, Advocacy & Self-Determination Websites ** > <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">cec.sped.org <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Education.Alberta.Ca FamilyVillage LD Online <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Journals - CEC <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,'Nimbus Sans L',sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">mideastpeaceproject <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">partnerstcx <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Runninginthehalls.com <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">WrightsLaw
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">ADAPT **
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Employment For All **
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">People First of Oregon **
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Inclusion Research Institute **
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">People First of Missouri **
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">People First of New Hampshire **
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Self-Advocate Leadership Network **
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Self Advocates Becoming Empowered **
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Speaking for ourselves **
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">WeCAHR **

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Murawski, W. (2005, May). // Teaching self-determination to early elementary students: Six years old at the wheel //. Retrieved from http://journals.cec.sped.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1136&context=tecplus