Autism diagnoses in young children increased dramatically in the 1990s-and now those children are young adults on the verge of a challenging transition to the real world. Every school and program will be ready to help with this groundbreaking practical guide, straight from the author of the acclaimed bestseller Life Beyond the Classroom and two community-based autism experts. Professionals who work with young adults will get hard-to-find information on how specific social, behavioral, and cognitive characteristics of people with autism affect the transition to adulthood, exploring potential challenges and traits that can be powerful assets. Then they'll get a complete guide that walks them through every aspect of transition planning, including planning for employment and postsecondary education: conducting skillful assessment to determine a young person's individual career goals, job-related strengths, and independent living skills using well-designed instructional supports, routines, and spaces in inclusive classrooms implementing positive behavior support to help young adults with autism succeed in school and at work providing community-based instruction at naturally occurring times, so it's easier for students to learn and generalize new skills showing students and their families how to make the most of SSA disability benefits assisting students with college preparation, from choosing a college to managing academic and social demands using supported and/or customized employment strategies to help young people establish satisfying careers that play to their strengths helping young people develop critical life skills they'll use across settings unlocking the benefits of community services and programs, such as vocational rehabilitation programs and Centers for Independent Living Compelling stories throughout the book illustrate how successful transition planning improved the lives of three diverse teenagers, and the p

p>What lessons can your program learn from the highly successful Project SEARCH (R) model-and how can you apply these strategies to improve training and employment opportunities for students with disabilities? Find out in this accessible guidebook, your key to using principles of one of today's most effective transition models to help young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities get, keep, and succeed at a fulfilling job of their choice. For more than 15 years, thousands of young adults have benefited from Project SEARCH: the business-led internship program that prepares students with disabilities for competitive, integrated employment. This is the only book that distills the program's secrets to success, giving counsellors, educators, transition coordinators, and other professionals practical guidance straight from the founders of Project SEARCH. You'll discover a fresh approach to teaching competitive, marketable, transferable skills in real work settings promoting effective collaboration among businesses, transition teams, and young people and families breaking down obstacles to meaningful employment for people with disabilities help students master the subtleties of appropriate workplace conduct, a major key to job retention support parents in preparing their child for success in transition programs and employment develop customised follow-along services so the student can retain employment and advance further avoid gaps in service as young people transition out of school Filled with invaluable tips and strategies, case studies, and practical materials to help you apply principles of the Project SEARCH model, this book will inspire higher expectations for young people with disabilities and vibrant new ideas about systems change. A must for all transition teams as they work to advance competitive employment and richer lives for all people with intellectual disabilities. With practical materials such as: Student Selection Rubric Guide Social skills activities Lesson Plan for Choosing Internships Task breakdowns from sample Project SEARCH sites Internship Evaluation Agreement of Roles and Responsibilities document HIPAA training presentation

This book is a quick and practical guide to the basics of transition planning for students with disabilities. Drawing on a strong body of research and filled with evidence-based strategies, practical guidance, clear examples, and usable tools and forms, it guides educational professionals to work successfully with these students and their families) to design effective transition Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and prepare for the workforce, further education or training, and community living. Updates to the second edition include thorough discussion of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA-2014), discussion of funding sources that are available today due to new legislation, new case studies, increased emphasis on student involvement, and more.