Looking to the future can feel exciting, hopeful, confusing, overwhelming—or all emotions at once. For families supporting a young person with a disability, it’s never too soon to begin planning to ensure a smooth process from the teen years toward whatever happens next. This toolkit supports families as they organize this multiyear project. For a Read More
The planning process to support a student with disabilities toward their adult life plans requires coordination and organization. This graphic provides a visual overview of the work and who is responsible to help. The center upside down triangle describes key questions for a student as they move through school and toward adulthood: The three colored Read More
Helping a student with disabilities prepare for life after high school requires thoughtful organization and planning. This presentation describes three ways to support this important time of life: High School and Beyond Plan IEP Transition Plan Agency Support Here are resources referenced in the video: OSPI Model Forms: Scroll down to find and open the Read More
Life after high school can be challenging, and transitioning to work, college, andindependent living means taking on more responsibilities. Start Now! supports studentswith disabilities in middle school, high school, and during high school transition toenvision their life beyond high school. Start Now! invites and offers interactive opportunities for all students with disabilities to explore andimagine Read More
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is a service provided to help someone with a disability get ready for work, access a job, maintain a job, and more. The right to VR services is guaranteed under federal law, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which grew from regulations in place since the Smith-Fess Act of 1920 established the first Read More
A Brief Overview Keeping track of important documents for your child’s health can save you time and give you less stress. Take advantage of technology! If you choose to build a digital storage system, integrating it with your smart phone will make it easy to share information on-the-go with doctors, day care providers, school staff, Read More
A Brief Overview Vocational rehabilitation (VR) is a federal right. Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) are one way to get support. Another is through 1:1 counseling and an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). In Washington State, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) provides Pre-ETS and VR services. To seek support for a student still working toward Read More
ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act. Prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all public and private places open to the general public. Adult Services: Programs available to support individuals after they become legal adults at 18. Age of Majority: In Washington, 18. An adult is responsible for educational, vocational, financial, and other decisions unless other Read More
Click to print out this graphic Description of the above graphic: What’s Next? High School Transition Planning Mapping the Future Check these milestones to ensure high school paves a pathway for young adult success and achievement! Ages 13-14Student begins High School and Beyond Plan in Middle School—a WA State requirement for all students. Ages 15-16IEP Read More
PAVE’s program called Parent Training and Information (PTI) helps family caregivers, youth, and professionals with questions about services for children and young people with disabilities, ages 0-26. PTI provides direct help, training for groups, and access to resources. Click Get Help to fill out the form, and PTI staff will contact you to talk through your situation and provide Read More
A Brief Overview Districts are responsible to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to students within their boundaries with known or suspected disabilities that significantly impact access to learning. Read on to learn more about FAPE and student rights. Federal and state requirements to ensure that children with qualifying disabilities can access early learning Read More
Post-Graduation Survey Support for Families Each June 1-Nov. 1, Washington school districts call the homes of former students to reconnect and see how things are going. The information that families share helps the state make decisions about educational programming for students in special education. If a school district representative calls, the interview will be about Read More
A Brief Overview Parents and schools can learn step-by-step how to create and manage a SEPAC through the downloadable Advocacy in Action guidebook. An informal webinar about SEPACs is freely available through Facebook. Parents and schools who want to learn more about special education process, rights and responsibilities can reach out to PAVE’s Parent Training Read More
A Brief Overview Each student has abilities and skills. A thoughtful Individualized Education Program (IEP) can highlight abilities and provides the supports needed for the student to learn. This article will help parents understand how to participate in the IEP process. Every part of the IEP is measured against this question: How does this help Read More