Transition Plans and Self-Determination

Transition Plans and Self-Determination

Read the articles Designing individualized education program (IEP) transition plans and Self-determination and the education of students with disabilities. Identify and discuss the elements of an IEP transition plan, as well as the importance of promoting self-determination in the transition plan and process.  Discuss your experiences and insights on effective strategies to teach self-determination skills to a student with a disability and what challenges you might anticipate when teaching these skills.  How would you overcome these challenges to ensure students are well prepared for life beyond high school?

MORE INFO:

This week we do not have a journal or an assignment due.  You will see a link for the End of Course Survey.  Here you are provided information about receiving the survey in your email, and important things to note for completion.

Required Reading

  1. Read from your text, Exceptional Lives Special Education in Today’s Schools:
    1. Chapter 4: Today’s Families and Their Partnership with Professionals
      • Chapter 4 discusses the dynamics of families, the value of partnerships, as well as strategies for successfully working with students and families together.
    2. Chapter 10: Understanding Students with Autism

Required Multimedia

  1. Courey, L. (2008). Families of kids with autism talk about their successes [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieR2EI-tcmo
      • This video highlights the experiences of a family and a child with autism. The video helps to develop an understanding of family needs and collaborating effectively with families.

You will gain a greater understanding of the importance of partnerships with families and students with autism after reading these two chapters.  Before posting to Discussion 1, watch the video:  Families of Kids with Autism Talk about Their Successes.

students

Now post your reaction to the video.  Discuss how families partner with teachers to ensure appropriate accommodations to maximize learning and development.  Put yourself in the role of the teacher.  List the research-based best practices for collaborating with the family.  Your initial post is due on Day 3.

Required Reading:

deFur, S.  (2000). Designing individualized education program (IEP) transition plans. Eric Digests. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED449599.pdf

      • This article discusses the elements and the process for creating and implementing an Individualized Education Program transition plan.

Wehmeyer, M.  (2002). Self-determination and the education of students with disabilities. Eric Digests. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED470036.pdf

      • This article discusses what self-determination is, its importance, and what educators can do to help promote it.

Recommended Multimedia

TED.  (2010).  Caroline Casey: Looking past limits [Video File>.  Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/caroline_casey_looking_past_limits.html

      • This TED Talk with Caroline Casey tells the story of self-determination to live an extraordinary life.

Discussion 2:

After reading the articles, discuss the parts of an IEP transition plan.  Explain why it is important to promote self-determination in the transition plan.  Share your experiences and your insights on effective strategies teaching self-determination skills.  Discuss the challenges you might anticipate when teaching these skills.  Discuss the ways you would overcome the challenges to ensure the students are prepared for life after high school.  Your initial post is due on Day 3.

This week we will also learn about Traumatic Brain Injury.  Students identified with a traumatic brain injury often times have to relearn things they already knew.  TBI is an acquired disability.  Partnerships with rehabilitation professionals promote successful reentry to school.

Required Reading

Chapter 13: Understanding Students with Traumatic Brain Injury

  • Chapter 13 discusses the identification, evaluation, and instructional practices for students with a traumatic brain injury.

The characteristics and learning needs of a student with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the memory strategies for supporting this student population is provided in chapter 13.  You will see many similarities for making accommodations and inclusion tips for providing these students appropriate services in the least restrictive environment.

Week Five Learning Outcomes

This week students will:

  1. Explain the effects that a child with autism has on families.
  2. Describe the characteristics and learning needs of a student with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the memory strategies for supporting this student population.
  3. Summarize the importance of individualized transitional plans.
  4. Generate strategies for how to successfully collaborate with parents.

Overview

AssignmentDue DateFormatGrading Percent
Families and AutismDay 3
(1st post)		Discussion3
Transition and Self-DeterminationDay 3
(1st post)		Discussion3

Required Reading

  1. Read from your text, Exceptional Lives Special Education in Today’s Schools:
    1. Chapter 4: Today’s Families and Their Partnership with Professionals
      • Chapter 4 discusses the dynamics of families, the value of partnerships, as well as strategies for successfully working with students and families together.
    2. Chapter 10: Understanding Students with Autism
      • Chapter 10 discusses the identification, evaluation, and instructional practices for students with autism.
    3. Chapter 13: Understanding Students with Traumatic Brain Injury
      • Chapter 13 discusses the identification, evaluation, and instructional practices for students with a traumatic brain injury.
  2. deFur, S.  (2000). Designing individualized education program (IEP) transition plans. Eric Digests. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED449599.pdf
      • This article discusses the elements and the process for creating and implementing an Individualized Education Program transition plan.
  3. Wehmeyer, M.  (2002). Self-determination and the education of students with disabilities. Eric Digests. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED470036.pdf
      • This article discusses what self-determination is, its importance, and what educators can do to help promote it.

Required Multimedia

  1. Courey, L. (2008). Families of kids with autism talk about their successes [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieR2EI-tcmo
      • This video highlights the experiences of a family and a child with autism. The video helps to develop an understanding of family needs and collaborating effectively with families.

Recommended Multimedia

  1. TED.  (2010).  Caroline Casey: Looking past limits [Video File].  Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/caroline_casey_looking_past_limits.html
      • This TED Talk with Caroline Casey tells the story of self-determination to live an extraordinary life.

Discussions
To participate in the following discussions, go to this week’s Discussion link in the left navigation.

  1. Families and AutismWatch the videoFamilies of Kids with Autism Talk about Their Successes.  Post your reaction to the video, and then discuss how families of children with autism partner with educators to provide appropriate accommodations for learning and development.  Imagine yourself in the role of a teacher of a child with autism in your classroom.  Generate a list of research-based best practices for collaborating with the family to build a strong school-family partnership.

    Guided Response: Respond to at least two classmates by Day 7. Extend their thinking by asking clarifying questions about specific details of their proposed partnership or by sharing insight on possible accommodations that may be necessary. Share any further strategies for partnering with families that you have found to be effective.

    Carefully review the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate this Discussion Thread.

  2. Transition and Self-DeterminationRead the articles Designing individualized education program (IEP) transition plansand Self-determination and the education of students with disabilities. Identify and discuss the elements of an IEP transition plan, as well as the importance of promoting self-determination in the transition plan and process.  Discuss your experiences and insights on effective strategies to teach self-determination skills to a student with a disability and what challenges you might anticipate when teaching these skills.  How would you overcome these challenges to ensure students are well prepared for life beyond high school?

    Guided Response:  Respond to at least two classmates by Day 7. Extend their thinking by sharing your personal experiences with transition plans and/or by asking specific questions about potential challenges in the transition plan process.

    Carefully review the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate this Discussion Thread.

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In an effort to make sure that these problems are over come, several steps can be taken. The first of this is that the different teachers that are in schools can be taught the skills necessary to teach the different students…
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