This issue of "Transition Summary" contains articles about self-determination and becoming a good self-advocate, with each article reflecting the experience of someone who has grown up with a disability. "The Many Facets of Self-Determination" (Michael Ward) discusses the concept of self-determination; offers an historical perspective of the…

The goal of Project VAST (Virginia's Approach to Services for Transitioning) is to develop, implement, and evaluate a model at both state and local levels which ensures that students with disabilities who move through Virginia's public school programs and into the community will receive transitional services focusing on career preparation,…

A developing concern in Minnesota for the fact that a greater percentage of special needs students than non-special needs students tends to drop out of postsecondary vocational education prompted a project to promote articulation--transition--for these students into postsecondary education. A statewide survey was conducted to determine current…

A summer vocational interest exploration workshop was developed by Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools for handicapped students aged 14-19. Students developed their basic and social skills and gained understanding of career opportunities as they worked in simulated job environments in food services, business, building/grounds maintenance,…

Preparing disabled students for transition to productive adult lives involves careful planning between sending and receiving agencies. The article describes state and school district transition programs, emphasizing interagency planning teams (Oregon), cross-agency coordination and ninth grade vocational assessments (Minnesota), and field-testing…

This report discusses the transition from early intervention services (EI) to preschool services (ECSE), which presents many challenges to children, families, service providers, and programs. The needs and preferences of families from culturally and linguistically diverse groups pose additional challenges. The report reviews the DEC Recommended…

This handbook is designed to help teachers create a transition portfolio that will accompany the student with mild to severe disabilities to new classrooms and schools, and convey special needs, accommodations, and other vital information to a new team of teachers. It offers practical details on gathering critical information and tips on what to…

These two newsletter issues of the National Transition Alliance (NTA) for Youth with Disabilities present articles concerning the transition of youth with disabilities from school-to-work (STW) and related informational items. The first issue contains the following articles: "Contextual Learning" (analysis of one of the five categories…

This study examined: (1) the current level and quality of participation by students with disabilities in the Individualized Education Program (IEP)/transition planning process and annual meetings; (2) the extent to which teachers expect and enable special education students to participate in that process; and (3) factors that may foster or…

This final report describes the activities and accomplishments of a federally funded project designed to develop a community-wide interagency service delivery model for facilitating the successful transition of handicapped children from preschool programs to the least restrictive environment in the public schools. The model addresses four major…

This report provides updated information on how transition policies for New York students with disabilities are being implemented in Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers. It summarizes the findings about former students' post-school employment, postsecondary education, and community living status, and identifies the program…

This guide, designed for families of children with disabilities and educators in Washington state, is intended to provide a shared understanding of special education and encourage partnership for the child's benefit. Each section specifies what families and educators should expect, their responsibilities, possible questions to ask, and their…

This booklet describes the DO-IT Pals program, a University of Washington program designed to encourage high school students with disabilities to explore careers in science, engineering, mathematics, and technology and learn more about how to prepare to enter these fields of study and employment. The program provides students with information…

This guide for parents of students with disabilities in Florida provides information about the types of diplomas available through the Florida public school system and is intended to help parents and students make diploma choices in middle school and beyond as part of yearly transition individualized education program (IEP) meetings. Part 1…

A study used interactive focus groups to examine the perspective of 71 secondary students with disabilities about their experiences with career development and employment preparation. Results found school vocational experiences did not play a large role in the students' career aspirations. Family members had significant influence over career…