Transitions Program

Transition is movement! We all have so many transitions in our lives with many more to come. Some we know about. Some take us by surprise. The ones we know about, we can plan for, making them less stressful and more exciting, and we get fewer surprises and have more control.

Graduation from high school is a big transition that we see coming for years! However, the path isn’t always clear and with a child with disabilities, more coordinated planning may be required. Our transition planning process here at Newgrange will assist your child in reaching their goals after high school graduation.

The Transition section of the IEP

Your student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) has a whole section dedicated to transition planning.

The Transition section provides a framework to:

• think about the future and design a plan for after high school.
• focus on strengths, preferences, interests, and needs.
• connect with services and supports that can help while in high school and after graduation.
• focus on goals for education, employment, independent living, and community involvement.

 The goal of Newgrange’s transition planning process is a successful, coordinated post-secondary outcome in all areas of transition, not just a completed IEP.

The Newgrange School Transition Program Overview:

The Transition Program at Newgrange is a school-wide program aligned with New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards for 21st Century Life and Careers. The goals and objectives of the program are presented across all grades and content areas. Every teacher and related services staff are mindful of our collective goal of post-secondary success for our students: a fulfilling future conceived by the student for the student with support and guidance from teachers, parents, administration, and community members.

 The goal of the transition program is to develop the knowledge and awareness all high school students need to be successful and fulfilled adults, with a particular focus on self-awareness, self-determination, responsibility, and becoming an effective self-advocate.

The Transition Program has five primary components:

Transition classes
Assessment
Person-Centered Planning
Community-based instruction (CBI)
Coordinated student support
Development of Agency Linkages

 Transition Classes: Engage students on the following topics at an age-appropriate level:

Academic Skills needed to meet post-secondary goals
Career Awareness, Experience, and Preparation
Community Involvement
Post-secondary Education Planning
Financial Literacy
IEP awareness
Independent Living
National/ Global Awareness
Personal Management
Job seeking skills – including applications, resumes, cover letter, and interviews
Self-Advocacy and Self-Determination
Technology and the Media
Developing a Student-Centered Transition Plan
Community Linkages and Agencies and Services

Assessment:  Transition Assessment is on-going and an Assessment Plan may be developed at a student’s IEP meeting or on an as-needed basis to address questions or concerns pertaining to transition planning.

Person-Centered Planning:  The planning process puts the student and the family at the center of the planning process. We identify a student’s strengths, preferences, and interests early and build the goals and all activities around those crucial factors.

Community-Based Instruction:  Our CBI experiences include various on- and off-site opportunities that aim to enhance students’ transition preparedness through service learning projects, real-world life skills, job shadowing, volunteering, un-paid work experiences, and college visits.

In the last year, our students have either worked or volunteered on a weekly basis at the following establishments:  Learning Ally, S.A.V.E. Animal Shelter, and Trenton Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Little Kids College, The Bent Spoon, and St. Francis Medical Center.  Other community sites students have explored as part of the transition program are WPRB Princeton, Princeton Record Exchange, Mercer County Community College (including Office of Special Services), Palmer Square Management Corporation, Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, and Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. Students have also attended Dare to Dream (Mercer and Burlington Co. Community Colleges) and 21^st Century Life and Careers conferences.

Coordinated Student Support:  A unique feature of Newgrange’s Transition Program is our ability to coordinate with all members of the teaching staff and related service providers.

Development of Community Services and Agency Linkages:  As part of a child’s transition plan, connections with the community must be made. There are agencies that offer support and consultation in the areas of employment, life skills and community living, recreation and leisure, community participation, advocacy and support services, and medical and other health-related needs, as well as post-secondary education and training and financial support and services and Newgrange may facilitate and initiate contact as appropriate.

INDEPENDENT LIVING STUDIO

Newgrange now has a fully functioning kitchen and laundry room that all staff utilizes for a wide range of activities. Students prepare hot and cold food, learn general kitchen and electrical safety, practice food safety and hygiene, and do laundry! During meal preparation students apply knowledge of healthy, balance eating and incorporate mathematics during recipe conversions.

TRANSITION INTENSIVE PROGRAM (TIP)

TIP is for 16-21 year olds and builds upon Newgrange’s academic, social skills, and transition programs providing enhanced community-based instruction, structured learning experiences, and life skills, social skills, and vocational skills training. Community-Based Instruction (CBI) is at the heart of the program and students are transported to community sites several times a week. The program also includes individualized Structured Learning Experiences (SLE) with job coaching provided according to student need. The key to TIP is the individualized nature of the program, and we develop goals and objectives for all areas of the program that reflect the individual needs of the student.  Program staff includes the transition coordinator, job coach, school counselor, occupational therapist, and transition nurse who work collaboratively to guide students to post-secondary success!

Level 1 TIP

– Half-day instruction in reading and other academic subjects as appropriate based on student’s post-secondary goals.
– Three afternoons per-week participating in Structured Learning Experiences (SLE) in the community and/or the school building.
– Two sessions per week of intensive life skills instruction in the classroom, the Newgrange Independent Living Studio, and in the community (Community-Based Instruction).
– Two sessions per week targeting other areas of transition (vocational skills, post-secondary education preparation, transition planning, and agency linkages).
– Participation in Tutorial or the NVLD-program Social Skills program per student need.

Level 2 TIP

– Two AM periods of instruction in reading and other academic subjects as appropriate based on student’s post-secondary goals.
– Three 5-hour days per-week of structured Learning Experiences (SLE) in the community and/or the school building.
–  Intensive and “hands-on” life skills instruction and recreational, educational, and/or other transition activities in the Independent Living Studio and/or the community (community-based instruction).
– Two sessions per week targeting other areas of transition (vocational skills, post-secondary education preparation, transition planning, and agency linkages).
– Participation in Tutorial or the NVLD-program Social Skills program per student need.