Transition planning glossary
The words and acronyms you will meet in transition meetings and adult-service paperwork. Where a federal rule applies we name it. Entries marked as practice terms are not defined in the federal rules, and state programs may use other names.
A
- Accommodation
- A change in how a student learns or shows learning, without changing what is expected. Examples are extra time, a quiet room, or materials in another format. In college, accommodations are arranged through the school's disability services office and are not the same as an IEP.
- Age of majority
- The age at which a person is legally an adult under state law, usually 18. Under the federal rule, a state may provide that the rights given to parents under special education law transfer to the student at the age of majority. Whether that happens, and how, is set by each state.Federal rule: 34 CFR 300.520
- Age-appropriate transition assessment
- Information gathered about a student's strengths, preferences, and interests to help set postsecondary goals. The IEP's postsecondary goals must be based on age-appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills. The rule does not name a single test. Teams use interviews, interest surveys, observations, work samples, and formal tools.Federal rule: 34 CFR 300.320(b)
C
- Community-based instruction
- Teaching skills in real community settings, such as stores, transit, and workplaces. Practice term. It is one way a team can deliver the community experiences that the federal definition of transition services lists.
- Course of study
- The classes and experiences a student takes to reach postsecondary goals. The transition services in the IEP include the courses of study needed to help the student reach the goals. The wording and the required courses depend on the state and district.Federal rule: 34 CFR 300.320(b)
D
- Disability services office
- The college office that arranges accommodations for students with disabilities. Practice term. Colleges set their own procedures and documentation rules, and students usually must start the process themselves.
G
- Guardianship
- A court-ordered arrangement in which another person makes certain decisions for an adult. Rules and alternatives differ by state. This site explains the concept at an orientation level and does not recommend for or against it for any person. A lawyer or a state protection and advocacy agency can explain the options where you live.
I
- IDEA
- The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the main federal special education law. IDEA sets out what states and school districts must do for eligible children, including evaluations, IEPs, related services, and transition planning. States add their own rules on top of the federal floor.
- IEP
- Individualized Education Program: the written plan for a student's special education and related services. The IEP records present levels, annual goals, services, and how progress will be measured. For transition, it adds postsecondary goals and the services to reach them.Federal rule: 34 CFR 300.320
- Independent living
- Skills and supports for living as independently as possible, such as self-care, home tasks, money, and travel. The federal rule asks teams to consider independent living skills in transition planning where appropriate. A student's needs and preferences decide how much weight they get.Federal rule: 34 CFR 300.320(b)
- Interagency collaboration
- Schools working with outside agencies, such as vocational rehabilitation, on a student's transition. Practice term. The IDEA rule on IEP teams says that, to the extent appropriate and with the consent of the parent or the adult student, the school must invite a representative of any participating agency likely to be responsible for providing or paying for transition services.Federal rule: 34 CFR 300.321(b)
M
- Medicaid waiver
- A state program that pays for home and community-based services for some people with disabilities, outside regular Medicaid. Practice term. Names, eligibility, and waiting lists differ by state, so this site gives an orientation and points to the state Medicaid agency.
P
- Postsecondary goals
- Measurable goals for what the student wants to do after high school, in training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living. Beginning no later than the first IEP in effect when the student turns 16, or younger if the team decides, the IEP must include appropriate measurable postsecondary goals, updated each year.Federal rule: 34 CFR 300.320(b)
- Pre-ETS
- Pre-employment transition services: services for students with disabilities that prepare them for work, offered through the vocational rehabilitation system. The federal vocational rehabilitation law lists required activities. Which students qualify, and how a student is connected to the service, depends on the state agency.
S
- Self-advocacy
- A student speaking up for their own needs and choices. Practice term. The federal rule requires a student to be invited to an IEP meeting where transition is discussed, and building self-advocacy is a common transition goal.
- SSI
- Supplemental Security Income: a federal monthly benefit for some people with disabilities and limited income and resources. It is run by the Social Security Administration. Rules for children and for adults differ, and amounts and limits change, so this site points to ssa.gov and does not state them.
- Student-led IEP
- An IEP meeting in which the student leads some or all of the discussion. Practice term. Teams use it to build self-advocacy. How much a student leads is a choice for the student and the team.
- Summary of performance
- A document the school gives a student who is leaving special education by graduating or aging out. The rule calls it a summary of academic achievement and functional performance, including recommendations to help the student meet postsecondary goals. It is required when eligibility ends because of graduation with a regular diploma or exceeding the state's age limit.Federal rule: 34 CFR 300.305(e)
- Supported decision-making
- An arrangement in which a person with a disability chooses trusted people to help them understand and make their own decisions. Practice term. Some states have laws or forms for it, and others do not. It is often discussed as an alternative to guardianship.
- Supported employment
- Paid work in the community with ongoing support, such as coaching, for people with significant disabilities. Practice term, also used in vocational rehabilitation programs. Details vary by state and funder.
T
- Transition services
- A coordinated set of activities that helps a student move from school to adult life. The federal definition is a results-oriented process focused on improving academic and functional achievement, based on the student's needs, strengths, preferences, and interests, and it includes instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other adult living objectives, and, where appropriate, daily living skills and a functional vocational evaluation.Federal rule: 34 CFR 300.43
V
- Vocational rehabilitation
- A state and federal program that helps people with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep work. Often shortened to VR. Each state has its own agency. Students can be referred before they leave school, and the agency decides eligibility under its own rules.
W
- Work-based learning
- Learning that happens in or through a workplace, such as job shadowing, internships, and paid work experience. Practice term. Schools and vocational rehabilitation agencies both arrange it, with different rules on pay, supervision, and credit.