StartNow! Program
Life after high school can be challenging, and transitioning to work, college, and
independent living means taking on more responsibilities. Start Now! supports students
with disabilities in middle school, high school, and during high school transition to
envision their life beyond high school.
Start Now! invites and offers interactive opportunities for all students with disabilities to explore and
imagine what they would want their whole life to look like.
StartNow! Program
Who is eligible:
students in middle school
and high school with
disabilities
What is provided:
- Advocacy: Students learn
how to communicate their
needs to encourage them
to direct their lives - Time management:
Preparing for adult life
means setting priorities,
getting organized, and
achieving goals - Person-Centered
Planning (PCP): Students
learn how to map their
dreams and goals so they
may become a reality - Job exploration: Students
will discuss their interests
and abilities and what type
of jobs would best match
them.
Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)
Who is eligible:
students typically age 16-21
What is provided:
Pre-employment transition services:
- Job exploration
- Self-advocacy
- Work-based learning
- Workplace readiness training
- Post-secondary education counseling
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Who is eligible:
Any student or youth with a disability “may” be eligible
What is provided:
- Counseling and guidance
- Assessment services
- Benefit planning
- Independent living
services - Assistive technology
services - Training and Education
- Job-related services
Start Now! benefit to school districts: The information and data collected from the Start Now! sessions
help identify the support and services needed to help each student succeed in school and beyond.
Proactive schools are effective schools!
To learn more on what STARTNOW! can offer your school or schedule STARTNOW! sessions contact: startnow@wapave.org
Originally funded by Wise and trained by its authors, Cathy and David Murahashi. PAVE Start Now! has
applied Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines to ensure all learners can access and
meaningfully participate, and incorporating feedback from students and teachers.