Domain 3: Family Involvement
3.1 Understand and consider the impact of transition on the family
3.2 Facilitate involvement of families in the transition planning process
3.3 Identify specific family roles during transition planning
3.4 Identify family needs related to transition
3.5 Use school resources for supporting culturally and linguistically diverse families
3.6 Promote cultural responsiveness in transition planning
3.7 Develop relationships with families through shared problem solving
3.8 Provide information to families about transition, community agencies, and post-school options
3.9 Provide training to parents/families about transition topics
3.10 Understand different family beliefs, values, and practices
3.11 Explain the values and beliefs underlying transition to diverse families
3.12 Connect with cultural organizations to ensure the involvement of diverse families
Supported Decision Making
Too often in transition planning, we encounter families who plan to obtain full guardianship of their child with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities without considering the child's thoughts on the matter. This is largely due to the lack of information that parents have on alternatives to guardianship. Supported Decision Making offers an alternative to guardianship, providing supports that are individualized based on the individuals preferences and needs. According to Payne-Christensen and Stilington (2008), guardianship decisions be based on the same assessments that transition plans are based on, which includes the student’s preferences, strengths, and interests. Additionally, the Transfer of Rights should have a central role in the transition planning process with the school supporting the student's self-determination.
To help parents start thinking about the future and what that looks like for their family, whether it includes guardianship or some alternative, I have started including this Supported Decision Making Brainstorming Guide from the ACLU. Including this in my IEP meetings when I present the Transfer of Rights information has helped the parents of my students to see that there are alternatives available, and this guide provides a great way to start the conversation.
Once Supported Decision Making is introduced to parents, I like to provide them with more information on the process. The ACLU provides many different educational videos and documents for SDM, but it can be a little overwhelming to provide all of that information at once. This video provides a step-by-step guide for developing and formalizing a plan for SDM. It has been a great resource and families feel more confident with the process once they have this information.
3.2, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9
Transition Planning Guide & Resource Directory
3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.8, 3.9
As many researchers have found, parents can feel overwhelmed by the transition planning process. Often times, families are not sure where to start, or they are not aware of services available in the area to meet their individual needs. In the article "Promoting High Expectations for Postschool Success by Family Members," the authors state that Special Education professionals should use multiple formats to educate parents about post-secondary services (Peele-Ogle, et.al, 2016). A flyer or brochure is a great way to educate parents on the transition planning process, to provide a list of service providers, and to help families find services that fit their specific needs.
It is also important to consider the cultural and linguistic diversity amongst the families you work with and within the community. CLD families face many additional barriers in transition planning. According to Kim and Morningstar (2005), these barriers include:
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isolating professional attitudes by the school personnel
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disrespect and ignorance of the family’s culture
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contextual factors (poverty, violence, drug abuse, etc…) making it difficult for families to participate in planning
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Bureaucratic barriers due to a lack of information or knowledge.
I have included an example of a Transition Planning Guide and Resource Directory that I created for my community and the surrounding area. In this guide, I break down the process, legislation, and general information about eligibility into a format that is easy to understand using language that is more appropriate for someone not familiar with all of the vernacular used by professionals in the field. I have also considered the needs of the community. In southwest Missouri we see high rates of poverty, drug abuse, and homelessness. I have included in the directory resources for low-income individuals, mental health services, and homeless youth.
Family involvement in transition planning is something that I have experienced personally as well as professionally. My sister, Audrey, is currently going through the process of preparing for her future. Her diagnosis of Angelman Syndrome impacts her ability to live and work independently, as well as her ability to make some decisions for herself. Having this opportunity to see both sides of the transition planning process is reflected in my practice and in my coursework.
Although I cannot easily demonstrate the connections I have formed with individual parents, I was able to demonstrate a unique perspective when considering the challenges that families can face when attempting to balance life and school. In this assignment, I describe the emotions that parents might experience, the additional roles they take on, the stressors that parents might be dealing with, and what I can do as a teacher to alleviate that.
Reflections on Family Involvement
3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, 3.7, 3.10, 3.11
Family involvement plays a significant role in transition planning. Therefore, it is important for educators to respectfully include the family in a meaningful role in the IEP and transition planning. According to the article, "Promoting High Expectations for Postschool Success by Family Members: A 'To-Do' List for Professionals," we should begin transition planning early and engage families to create more effective transition plans and to empower families (Peele-Ogle, et.al, 2016). Including families as one of the central components of transition planning has been a strategy that I have used consistently in my practice to develop transition plans that are both student centered, but also considers the family's needs and values.
Throughout the courses I have taken, family involvement has been brought up in many different ways. This document is a compilation of discussion posts that I have made highlighting the efforts of my district and myself to connect with families, meaningful inclusion of families in transition assessment, and building collaborative relationships with families.
10 Actions that Parents can take TODAY
By Gail Fanjoy
3.8, 3.9
I adapted this flyer from an "Ask the Expert" discussion with Gail Fanjoy, the Executive Director of Katahdin Friends Incorporated (KFI). The information she provided gives parents thorough steps they follow to have an active role in the transition planning process. Parents that I have shared this with have found the information useful and now have a tool they can refer to when advocating for their child.
A "To-Do" List for Professionals
3.2, 3.5, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12
This "To-Do" List is based on the article "Promoting High Expectations for Postschool Success by Family Members: A 'To-Do' List for Professionals" (Peele-Ogle, et.al, 2016). I created this document to share with my department during our collaboration time with the goal of generating conversation on improving our efforts for including families in transition planning, and to identify strategies that will be the most appropriate for our school.
References
American Civil Liberties Union (2018). Supported Decision Making Resource Library. Retrieved from : https://www.aclu.org/other/supported-decision-making-resource-library
American Civil Liberties Union (2018). Using Supported Decision Making: A Step By Step Guide. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_A6napQ4Co&t=188s
Fanjoy, Gail (2018, Apr 26) M8 Ask the Expert Discussion Board: Community Living and Participation Speaker(s). Message posted to https://kuconnect.ku.edu/courses/1287/discussion_topics/29338?module_item_id=86194
Kim, K. H., & Morningstar, M. E. (2005). Transition planning involving culturally and linguistically diverse families. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 28(2), 92-103.
Payne-Christiansen, E. M. & Sitlington, P. L. (2008). Guardianship: Its role in the transition process for students with developmental disabilities. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 43(1), 3-19.
Pleet-Odle, A., Aspel, N., Leuchovius, D., Roy, S., Hawkins, C., Jennings, D., Turnbull, A., Test, D.W. (2016) Promoting High Expectations for Postschool Success by Family Members: A “To-Do” List for Professionals. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 39(4), 249-255.