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John Does (alias name) Transition Plan

Melissa Faz

Texas A&M University

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Reflection

Throughout this semester, I have learned about the process it takes to create a transition

plan for a student. By completing this project, I had the opportunity to learn about my student

and his family. In terms of interacting with families from diverse backgrounds, I have gained

knowledge over a few several things. Being flexible and open minded when working with

parents is something that as educators we must do. For example, it was not until the very end of

the semester that I learned that the mother of my student was having issues at work. Because of

these issues, she did not communicate with me for a while. At first, it was a bit hurtful that she

was not replying to my messages. However, I soon learned that this mother was not only

working very hard, but she was also a single mother of four. After this scenario I have learned

that it is important to give parents time to get back to you. Wanting so many different things from

them can sometimes be challenging to achieve because every parent has a different background.

Additionally, they have multiple things going on with their lives. As a future educator, I can now

say that I have overcome the mentality of thinking that parents should promptly reply to our

messages. Rather than getting upset at parents for not communicating with us, as educators we

can find different ways of communication so that parents and teachers can both work together to

create the best possible outcomes for our students.

In order to complete this project, there were several times that I had to use my critical

thinking skills. For example, during the Interest Profiler assessment the student easily became

frustrated with the number of questions this assessment contained. In order to find a solution to

this frustration, I gave the student a five-minute break for every 25 questions he completed. This

allowed for him to sit back and release all of the stress he was feeling. In addition, I decided to

read all of the questions aloud to him. By reading to the student, the assessment was able to go
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by a lot smoother and faster. Additionally, he was also able to clearly understand what the

question were asking. Overall, this project challenged me in multiple ways, but with patience and

a lot of thinking, I was able to come up with different solutions that were going to help my

student in the process of making his transition plan.

As far as collaboration, this project taught me the importance of collaborating with other

teachers. Throughout this project, I collaborated with several individuals. One individual that I

did not anticipate to collaborate with was the attendance lady. She was always able to inform me

if my student was gone or was testing. In addition, by collaborating with different teachers, I was

able to practice on my communication and organizational skills.

In order to develop my skills in these areas, I will continue to communicate and

collaborate with other professionals. I have learned that in order to complete a project like this,

communication must be made at all times. To continue improving professionalism skills, I will

need to do more research on assessments. By learning about different types of transition

assessments, I will be able to determine what assessments are a best fit for my future students. In

addition, I would like to gain more knowledge on interacting with families of diverse cultures. In

order to best understand where people are coming from, it is important to develop relationships

with different families. By working with these families, I will be able to expand my knowledge

on multiple ways of communicating with parents. As time goes on, I hope that my skills and

knowledge in these areas will continue to grow.

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Student Summary

John Doe is an enthusiastic 16-year-old boy who is currently an 11th grader enrolled in

Bryan High School. He is served under IDEA for autism and speech impairment and receives co-

teaching supports for his core curriculum. With accommodations and the support of his teacher,

Mrs. Appletree, John currently accesses grade level TEKS through both general and special

education classes. The student has various academic strengths, such as in reading and science.

Along with this, he is involved in the athletic training program. With his education and

extracurricular activity, John is able to improve his vocational, academic, and social skills.

As previously stated, the students strengths range across two different core subjects. In

reading, he is able to use a flexible range of metacognitive skills in both assigned and

independent reading to understand an authors message. According to his 2015 STAAR EOC

test, he was able to demonstrate an ability to understand and analyze informational texts with

50% accuracy. Johns strengths in science include being able to use his Periodic Table, while also

locating elements. In addition, he is starting to better understand how to combine elements and

make compounds.

As part of his related services, John receives speech therapy three times per six weeks.

According to his records, when prompted, the student is also able to provide 10 word sentences

with modifiers. Observations and teacher reports indicate that John is having difficulty with

verbal and non-verbal social communication. He requires multiple prompts to utilize appropriate

personal space as well as appropriate greetings. However, when provided with appropriate

models and direct instruction, John is able to increase his use of appropriate behaviors.

When interviewing John, he expressed that he enjoys watching Star Wars, telling jokes,

playing on his computer, and watching sports. As far as a future career, the student has not
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communicated any preferences as to what he would like to do. However, his mother has

mentioned that he enjoys using computers and giving massages. With this being said, she hopes

that he will be able to find a job either working with computers or working as a masseur.

Furthermore, his IEP states that Johns transition strengths include having good attendance,

confidence in ability to work with others, positive overall attitude, responds well to authority,

and really enjoys athletic training. During athletic training, John is able to work on his

communication skills, social interactions, and punctuality. On the other hand, his IEP states that

John needs to work on completing assignments, organizing time and materials, working

individually on activities, personal space, and keeping his hands to himself.

On September 19, 2016, Johns special education teacher Mrs. Appletree was

interviewed. Mrs. Appletree mentioned that John has not shown any career related interests, but

would benefit from the Go Center or vocational inventories. She mentioned that the student

enjoys technology, is very social, but can be inappropriate at times. In addition, he tends to walk

away from work he does not like. However, in order to help him stay on task, Mrs. Appletree

uses a timer to remind him how much longer he has on his activities. Along with his special

education teacher, John mother was also interviewed. She shared that her son did not have a job

because for the time being she can financially support him. After graduation, she hopes that John

will be enrolled in a two-year university that will provide accommodations and modifications for

Johns disability. She believes that Johns special skills and talents include being good with

computers and doing what he is expected to do. Currently, John is not being provided any

vocational training, but his mother hopes that he will benefit from colleges that offer programs

that are geared to help students with disabilities.

After graduation, Johns mother anticipates that he will have a full-time job, basic money

management, and will be able to drive himself. She has also expressed that she will support her
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son in any of his jobs by helping him work on skills that are needed for the occupation.

Although, John does not receive any services from the local vocational rehabilitation agency,

through school and extracurricular activities, John will continue to work on independent living,

employment, and communication skills.

Informal Assessment Summary

Rationale: The assessment for employment was conducted using the Interest Profiler instrument,

a tool for career exploration. This assessment was chosen to find out what the student finds

interesting and how these interests relate to the world of work. This assessment did this by asking

the student to answer questions that represent important interest areas. Learning the students

work interests will help the student decide what kinds of occupations and careers he might want

to explore in the near future. The paper information package did not provide material on how the

scores of the student should be interpret. However, by inputting the students scores on their

online website, the site was able to compile results and potential career options. Due to the fact

that the Interest Profiler did not provide interest areas in recreation/leisure, home living, and

post- secondary education, a previous assessment was used for these areas. This assessment was
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assessed through the Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scale (ESTR III) by Chris Gibson,

Johns former teacher.

Post- Secondary Education:

Enderle, J. L., & Severson, S. J. (1991). Enderle-Severson transition rating scale: Third edition

(ESTR III) [Assessment instrument]. Moorhead, MN; Practical Press.

In the area of post-secondary education, John scored a 6 out of 28 questions. Although this

portion was Johns lowest, he does demonstrate self-awareness in his interest, needs, and wants.

Due to the results, John shows that he needs additional help on identifying post-secondary

agencies and schooling options.

Employment:

No author. (2001). O*net, Interest Profiler- Instrument [Assessment instrument]. Washington,

D.C.; U.S. Dept. of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

Regarding employment, John has the fine motor skills to perform simple tasks. He is able to

follow routines very well and shows interest in wanting to work with technology. John does not

yet understand what it means to support himself. Additionally, he will need to practice interviews

for future jobs and learn how to search for jobs on his own. The Interest Profiler scores indicated

that John scored highest in the investigative and conventional portions of the assessment. Results

indicate that John enjoys searching for facts, figuring out problems, working with clear rules, and

following strong leaders. After showing John several career options, he mentioned that he is

most interested in being a computer programmer assistant.

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Recreation and Leisure:

Enderle, J. L., & Severson, S. J. (1991). Enderle-Severson transition rating scale: Third edition

(ESTR III) [Assessment instrument]. Moorhead, MN; Practical Press.

After gathering results, John has expressed that he enjoys taking part in games, having

interaction with adults, interacting with peers, and initiating involvement in recreational

activities. The results also indicated that John will need to learn how to modify his behavior to fit

specific situations and learn how to appropriately behave in public.

Home Living:

Enderle, J. L., & Severson, S. J. (1991). Enderle-Severson transition rating scale: Third edition

(ESTR III) [Assessment instrument]. Moorhead, MN; Practical Press.

Results suggested that John is capable of taking care of his own hygiene. For example, the scores

indicated that he knows how to dress himself, maintain a clean body, and is able to recognize

when things are dirty. On the other hand, John will need instruction on how to prepare meals that

require cooking, learn how to do laundry, perform household maintenance, treat minor or major

illnesses, take medication without supervision, and manage his own money.
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Self-Advocacy Plan

Education:

Due to Johns autism, he will tell his teacher that he needs to take at least one five-minute break

during every lesson. In addition, it is essential that he is also given a schedule to follow. With this

schedule he will know what is expected of him. To make sure that the student is successful in

school, he will study by himself or in small groups. A large group will be overwhelming and

distracting and will not help him succeed in his education. Johns will be sure to find a tutor who

will work with him one- on- one.

Employment:

John will tell his employer that he has autism which can sometimes interfere with his social

behavior. The student will also explain that in order to best conduct his job, a schedule should be

made. This will allow for him to eventually fall into the working routine. Additionally, John will

ask the employer to let him know when changes are made. This way the student will know

beforehand that there will be changes made into his routine.

Recreation and Leisure:

John will need to tell his friends that he can get very overwhelmed with loud noises.

Additionally, he will also clarify to his friends that at times it can be hard to understand what he

is saying. If this ever happens, John knows to write down what he is trying to say and show it to

the person he is trying to communicate with.

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Independent Living:

After high school, John will be living with his mother. However, once he reaches the age of 25,

he will try to live on his own. During this time, he will have the number of the apartment

complex in his phone and in a phone book. John will also have a list of emergency contacts in his

phone and phone book in case the office at the apartment complex is closed. The student will ask

that his roommate allows for John to have quiet time after bed time hours. John will have a

budget excel sheet to estimate about how much money he can spend each month. If John ever

has any issues with money management or with his apartment, he will ask his mother for help.
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Transition Outcomes and Goals

Education:

Outcome:
After completing 11th grade at Bryan High School, John will enroll in a vocational

prep class to work on job skills needed for employment.

IEP goal:
In order to develop job skills, by the end of May 2017, John will have requested

to Mrs. Appletree that he wants to be enrolled in a vocational prep class.

Timeline:
March 2017: Advocate and ask case manager for help in enrolling in a vocational

prep class
April 2017: Choose at least three vocational classes of interest
May 2017: Register for at least one vocational prep class offered in the high

school

Rationale:

John has expressed that he is unsure of what his plans are after graduating from

high school. Additionally, John indicated that he does not have a variety of

successful community based work experiences. By adding a vocational prep class

to his schedule, the student will be able to build on new job skills that he will need

after he graduates from high school. Based on the Enderle- Severson Transition

Rating Scale, John shows that he does not yet understand that different jobs

require varying levels of training. Therefore, before graduating from high school

and applying for a job, he should participate in a vocational prep class that will

help him build the skills he lacks.

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Employment:

Outcome:
After graduating from high school, John will obtain employment with appropriate

support in the area of his interest/choice (working with computers).

IEP goal:
Given different options where the student can work with computers, John will

choose one in which he will start shadowing starting in June, 2017.

Timeline:
January 2017: Look at different job shadowing opportunities working behind a

computer in the Bryan area

February 2017: Read job shadowing responsibilities descriptions and determine

whether to pursue it or not

March 2017: Work on mastering skills needed to better computing abilities
June 2017: Apply to at least two places to shadow someone who works behind a

computer
March 2018: Look for jobs that provide mentors in Bryan
April- May 2018: Apply to three places of interest
June 2018: Begin working

Rationale:
John has expressed that one of the areas he is most interested in regarding future

employment is working with technology or computers. Additionally, his mother

and teacher have mentioned that he enjoys using technology. John has shown that

he has learned some computing skills at home. However, the student specifically

lacks appropriate communication and behavior management skills. To obtain

them, he will look for programs where he can observe and learn these new skills.
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Independent Living:

Outcome:
After graduating high school, John will continue living with his mother with the

ultimate goal of being able to be independent when his mother is not around.
IEP goals:
o Given a list of chores to complete around his house, John will complete them with

100% accuracy by March 2017.

o By the end of May 2017, given money to buy groceries, John will be able to

purchase everything on the list from Walmart/HEB.

Timeline:
o January 2017: Will complete chores around the house with 80% accuracy
o February 2017: Will complete chores around the house with 90% accuracy
o March 2017: Will complete chores around the house with 100% accuracy
o April 2017: Practice going to Walmart/HEB to buy groceries with mother
o May 2017: Will go to Walmart/HEB to buy groceries alone

Rationale:

After graduation, Johns mother has explained that she plans for him to live with

her. Before being able to live by himself, his mother understands that her son still

needs to work on independent living skills. She has explained that John needs to

work on independently doing chores around the house. However, if he were to be

given a list of things to do, he will more likely get the job done. Therefore, when

it comes to cleaning the house, John will receive a list to use of chores he must

complete. Since he does very well when he is given lists, the student will also

receive a list of items he must buy whenever he goes grocery shopping.

Recreation and Leisure

Outcome:
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As of the second semester of his junior year in high school, John will play any

sport of his choosing. In addition, John will show appropriate behavior when he is

in public.
IEP goals:
o Given several options, John will be able to choose one physical activity to do by

the end of April 2017.

o By the end of May 2017, given two opportunities a week to interact with his peers

and adults, John will be able to properly and respectfully engage in conversations.
Timeline:
o February 2017: Determine which sports are of interest
o February 2017: Will be taught the importance of having boundaries
o March 2017: Will be taught how to play the sport of choice
o March 2017: Practice having appropriate boundaries while having a conversation

with teacher
o April 2017: Begin playing sport
o April 2017: Practice having appropriate boundaries while having a conversation

with peers and adults

o May 2017: While keeping own boundaries, appropriately engage in conversations

with peers and adults

Rationale:
Johns teacher has expressed that one of her main concerns about the student is his

boundaries. She has explained that John can sometimes be inappropriate. The

ESTR Scale also shows that he should work on improving how to appropriately

act in public. In addition, in order to maintain good health, the student needs to

become involved in a physical activity. To build both those skills, it would be best

to help him interact with people and motivate him to play some type of sport.
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Job Analysis

John, as well as his mother, have expressed in interviews that he is interested in

computers. His last IEP states that he has some interest in working with food. However, after

speaking to his teacher, mother, and John, it seems as if his interests have shifted towards

working with computer programs. The job being analyzed is a computer programmer assistant.

John would have to assist a computer programmer with entry level computer encoding

development. This includes helping with designing websites and testing computer programs.

Through analysis, some aspects of this job are fitting for John. However, some major aspects do

not fit. For example, at times, John has a hard time orally sharing his ideas and thoughts. This

can be an issue since he would have to communicate with his employer about different ideas he

may have. The company, Walmart that was evaluated as a potential employer for John does not

locally hire any computer programmer assistants. However, it was said that most of the computer

programmers are based off in Arkansas and some travel to different cities and states to fix local

computer programs. If this is something John is very serious about, more research needs to be

done in order to find places that will locally hire computer programming assistants. If he is

unable to find a job in this field, he will need to explore other interests.
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Student Progress

Over the course of the semester, John has made some major progress in transition

planning. Since he is a junior in high school, his mother has decided that John will not need to

work until after graduation. In order for the student to learn job skills, the student will be

provided with vocational training. Rather than working as a masseur, one new piece of

information that John presented was his desire to work with computers. He shared that

massaging people is something he enjoys doing at home. However, getting to work with

computers is something that he has always enjoyed because he is able to search for facts and he

can figure out problems. This shows that John could benefit from being enrolled in some type of

computing class next year. This way, he will be able to learn new skills that he can use in future

potential jobs. Since his last report card, the student has been passing all of his classes. There has

been no information over summer school yet. One of the most important goals that John has

recently been made is asking to be enrolled in a vocational prep class to work on job skills

needed for employment. After speaking to John and his mother, it was determined that the

student has never been enrolled in any vocational prep courses. By adding a vocational prep class

to his schedule, John will be able to build on new job skills that he will need after he graduates

from high school. After a job analysis was performed on a computer programmer assistant, it was

found that it would not be a proper fit. The particular company we worked with did not hire any

assistants in the Bryan/ College Station area. John will need to continue to explore his interest
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and research places of employment. Several goals have been established and clarified to the

student. The goals have not yet been completed due to the fact that most of his goals are for next

semester. As far as his recreation and leisure goals, John is still part of the ROTC team in his

high school which keeps him active and helps him develop his communication skills. As for his

educational goals, John has not yet spoken to his case manager about adding him to vocational

prep courses for his senior year. The next step the student needs to take in order to achieve his

transition goals is talking to his case manager about getting him enrolled in a vocational prep

course. If the school provides more than one vocational prep class, John will choose at least three

that interest him. After this, John will register to at least one vocational prep class offered by his

high school.
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Citations

Enderle, J. L., & Severson, S. J. (1991). Enderle-Severson transition rating scale: Third edition

(ESTR III) [Assessment instrument]. Moorhead, MN; Practical Press.

No author. (2001). O*net, Interest Profiler- Instrument [Assessment instrument]. Washington,

D.C.; U.S. Dept. of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.