Latest / Life Without a Filter: Practical Strategies for Life After 22 / Episode 9: Transition 201: A Holistic Look at The Arc of Massachusetts Transition Timeline

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Episode 9: Transition 201: A Holistic Look at The Arc of Massachusetts Transition Timeline · Life Without a Filter: Practical Strategies for Life After 22

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hi everyone, and welcome back to Life Without a Filter.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Cheryl, wife, mom to two amazing young adults, and one very spoiled fur baby.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: This podcast is where we talk honestly about life after public school ends for our kids with disabilities and what it really looks like to navigate the adult service world.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Before we jump into this week's episode, just a little housekeeping that this will be the last episode in 2025.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: We will be taking a break over the winter holiday season and we'll be back on January 6th with our next episode.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: If you're a parent, caregiver, or educator supporting a young person between the ages of 13 and 22, I'm so glad you're here today.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: We're continuing our Transition 201 series with a deeper dive into another one of my favorite resources, the Ark of Massachusetts Transition from School to Adult Life Timeline.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: So, grab a coffee, take a breath, and let's jump in.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: If you listened to my last episode, you know I've been walking through some of the transition checklists that helped us during our own journey with Elle.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: I already covered the Turning 18 checklist in detail, but the Ark of Massachusetts timeline is a very different tool.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: And in my opinion, it's one every family should know about.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: What I love about this handout is that it starts at age 13, which means it meets you right at the beginning of the transition process under IDEA or your state's guidelines.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: It also does something the Turning 18 checklist doesn't do.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: It looks at your child as a whole person, not just as a list of tasks.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: Now, full transparency.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: There is one thing I would change, and it's not the information itself.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: The content is great.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's actually the format.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: There is a lot of repetition across the years.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Building relationships, encouraging friendships, and continuing to do transition assessments.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: All of these are super important, but it's worded slightly different under each year's category.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: Personally, it would have been helpful to have a section labeled ongoing activities, and then each age group could highlight the things that are unique to that year.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: But hey, every tool has its quirks, right?
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: So let's take a look at this handout and talk about some of the items I thought were really helpful.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: So before we begin, let's take a look at where to find this handout.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: If you're watching on YouTube, I'm going to be showing you exactly where the handout is and some additional resources.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: If you're listening to this as a podcast, don't worry, I'm going to include all of the information in the show notes.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: So when you click on the link that I provided to you for the ARC of Massachusetts website, it's going to bring you to their what is transition page.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: And you can click on where it says the website, that will bring you directly to the transition timeline.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: When you click on that, it will open up the PDF, Transition from School to Adult Life Timeline.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: The first thing I want to highlight is that they do have information regarding state and federal laws.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Knowing your child's rights matters so much.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: It can change how you advocate during IEP meetings, what services you ask for, and how early you start thinking about your child's graduation or age outdate.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: To learn more about mass-specific state laws, I highly encourage you to spend some time exploring the DESI site on secondary transition.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: I will list the link in the show notes below, but again, if you're watching on YouTube, here is the website.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: And you can see here that it does have a lot of information on the left-hand side, and it also has more information as you scroll down the page with links to additional pages.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: The ARC handout also has more information about the Massachusetts state laws, and it also lists Massachusetts state resources, which should be very helpful to you.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: Another thing I want to talk about is the transition planning form because they will talk about this in the ARC handout.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: In 2024, Massachusetts introduced an updated version of the IEP.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: What I really like about this new format is that the transition planning form is now embedded in the middle of the IEP as opposed to being tacked on at the end.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: In a future episode, I am going to do a deep dive about the IEP form and all of the sections under the transition planning form and how it impacts the IEP.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: If we take a look at the ages 13, 14, and 15 section, two areas that I would like to point out are in relations to transition assessments.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: One question that we don't always think to ask during our IEP meetings is what transition assessments does the school use?
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: Because at some point, and probably more than once, your child will have a three-year reevaluation.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: These assessments should inform transition goals.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why it's important that part of the three-year reevaluation includes transition assessments.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: Different schools use very different tools.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: There are some transition assessments that are considered informal assessments versus the more formal assessments that we may be used to.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: So it's really important that you ask your team what assessments are they planning on using with your child during those re-evaluation years.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: Another topic in this section has to do with the role of technology and independence.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: As an assistive technology consultant, I've seen so many teams overlook this piece until senior year or sometimes right before aging out.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: But technology isn't just about academics, it's about communication, safety, daily living skills, employment readiness, the whole picture.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: That's why I strongly encourage that teams start early talking about assistive technology for the future.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: You will thank yourself later.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: The next section focuses on age 16 and 17.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: Once you hit 16 and 17, the focus shifts towards the young adult's voice, what they want, and how they see their future.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: This is where person-centered planning shines.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Self-advocacy, envisioning the future, building transition portfolios, writing out a five-year plan.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: These are all part of helping your child take ownership of their life.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: We'll talk about different person-centered planning tools in future episodes because there are some really great ones out there that I would like to highlight.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: Another big topic in this age group is about travel training, which, if you followed our story, you know has been a journey.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: When Elle was in school, he used to take the minibus, but during COVID, we switched to driving him.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: And let me tell you, he got a little too comfortable with mom as his chauffeur.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: So we compromised.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: I drove him in and he would take the bus home.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: But during his transition program, he was extremely resistant to doing travel training on our local Gatra bus system.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: And up until now, he's still been hesitant to do it.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: He has been open to using the commuter rail to get into Boston and using the subway system in Boston to get around the city.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: So we are making baby steps that way.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: But for his upcoming ISP meeting, one of his goals that he has expressed he wants to work on is to go back and focus on travel training.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: So we are going to be re-exploring public and private transportation options like GATTRA and Uber Caregiver.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure I will be doing future episodes on how that is working out for him.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: Around this age, you'll also want to ask your school about the 688 referral, that important document that connects your child to adult services and starts that application process going.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: I spoke about this in detail in last week's episode under the Turning 18 checklist.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: So please take a look at that for more information.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: Another area that I discussed last week was in regards to starting to learn about other programs like SSI, SSDI, Guardianship, and supported decision making.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: Once Elle turned 16, I attended so many webinars and agency information sessions related to these topics.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: I strongly encourage parents to start gathering information now so you're not scrambling at age 18 when you start to apply for these services.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: Under the age 18 section, this is when you start bringing adult services into the conversation.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: 18 is a huge milestone.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: In addition to everything from the Turning 18 checklist, you want to make sure that a representative from the adult service agency that your child applied to through the 688 referral starts attending the IEP meetings.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: And if they can't attend the IEP meeting, ask for a separate meeting.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: The adult agency needs to know who your child is, not just what's written on paper.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: Under the section for ages 20 to 21, this is where the transition plan and the search for programs really begins.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: And this is a big one.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: Around 9 to 12 months before graduation or aging out, the school will hold the individual transition plan meeting, also known as the ITP meeting.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_00: By this time, you should know which adult service agency your child will be moving to when they leave public school.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: Those representatives will help craft the plan, and the Transitional Advisory Committee will ultimately approve or deny it.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: This is also around when families start touring adult service programs.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: When Elle was going through this in 2021, there were five agencies in our catchment area.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: After the ITP meeting, we narrowed it down to three agencies that we thought would be a good fit for L.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: Of those, only one was doing tours at the time.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: And even though they were doing tours, they had a wait list so long they couldn't tell us when L might have a spot there.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Regardless, one piece of advice someone gave me, and I absolutely agreed with this, is that not every agency is right for every person.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: I talked to a lot of people, friends, people on different chat groups, to gather information about the different programs.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: But what I found is that your child may love what another parent hates, and vice versa.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's all about what fits for your child.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: Another thing they talk about in this section is that this age range is also a great time to start looking for an adult primary care physician and dentist.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: Pediatric practices often graduate their patients at a certain age.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: We learned this the hard way.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: Another resource that I want to point out is about the pre-ETS program.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: These programs support employment-related skills even for students who won't pursue paid work.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: Think communication, self-advocacy, soft skills, things every young adult needs.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: In Massachusetts, pre-ET services can start as early as 14.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: I know some school districts that do end up doing this, and there are others that may wait until they're closer to the 18 to 22 range.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: Regardless of what age you start, it's important to talk to your school district about what pre-ETS programs they offer and what agencies they contract with in order to deliver these services.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: I'll put a link in the show notes to the Pre-ETS Transition Program website in Massachusetts so you can get more information.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: And the last section in this handout for age 22, this is the age when, according to the timeline, transition from school to adult services should be complete.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: But that's not the reality for a lot of families.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: If you're in any parent Facebook group, you've seen this firsthand.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: Young adults aging out with no placement available.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: And even if you do have a placement, just because you are in one organization when your child ages out doesn't mean that this is going to be where they are going to be for the rest of their lives.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: I like to remind families that when we look at our lifespan, we spend such a small period of that within the public school setting, and we will spend, hopefully, a lot longer in the adult services world.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_00: So while that transition should be complete, the transition is never ending.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: Transition occurs throughout our lifetime.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: So one thing to remember is that while we have these timelines and we feel like we have to get everything done by 22, post-22, we are going to have a lot of additional transitions and changes as our adult child grows and learns and decides what they want their life to look like.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: Also in the age 22 section, this is also the age where families often experience the hardest transition of all, moving from an entitlement system to an eligibility system.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: While your child might be found eligible for adult services, they are not entitled to a placement.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: This is going to be dependent on funding, availability, and staffing.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'll be doing a future episode on the difference between our entitlement system and the eligibility system in adult services.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_00: I know this episode covered a lot, from age 13 all the way up to 22, but truly, the more informed you are, the better you can advocate for your child.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: Transition isn't a straight road, it's a series of steps, decisions, and sometimes pivots.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: But remember, you don't have to do it alone.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for joining us for this week's episode.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: What action steps can you take away from this episode?
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: Share them in the comment section.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: If you liked what you heard, make sure to subscribe, tell a friend, and leave a review.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: Until next week, let's continue to support and honor each other on our unique family journeys.