1. THE PROBLEM-SOLVING MODEL OF TRANSITION SERVICES Tom Laign Transition Services Coordinator Socorro ISD

2. Shared Responsibility Between the School and Family Two Predictable Results

3. Transition Services helps students problem solve the challenges of growing up and becoming an adult. Teaching problem-solving is something that is done everyday in education. We Solve Problems

4. o Math o Science o Reading o English o Social Studies Examples from Education

5. o 1 + 1= __ o 1 + __ = 2 o 1 + x = 2 Examples from Education Math

6. o Ask a Question o Do Background Research o Construct a Hypothesis o Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment o Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion o Communicate Your Results Examples from Education Science

7. o Survey o Question o Read o Recite o Review Examples from Education Reading

8. o Identify your topic o Find background information o Use catalogs to find books and media o Use indexes to find periodical articles o Find additional internet resources o Evaluate what you find o Cite what you find using a standard format Examples from Education English

9. o Understand that people are different o Discover different places o See how people live in different places o Observe the culture and practices of different places o Connect what we do to these different places Examples from Education Social Studies

10. What is the connection to these processes within education?

11. They are all problem-solving models

12. What problem does Transition Services solve?

13. Transition Services gets the student from where they are now to where they want to be.

14. What problems do we solve? Move to life beyond high school including o Post-Secondary Education o Vocational Education o Integrated Employment o Continuing and Adult Education o Adult Services o Independent Living o Community Participation

15. What problems do we solve? Movement to life beyond high school in these areas:  Post-Secondary Education  Vocational Education  Integrated Employment  Continuing and Adult Education  Adult Services  Independent Living  Community Participation

16. What problems might be encountered by a person with a disability in Post-Secondary Education? o Learning barriers that require classroom accommodations, such as note-taking assistance o Learning materials presented in formats not accessible by the student, such as printed text for a student who is blind, or oral lectures without the assistance of a sign-language interpreter for a person who is deaf o Testing barriers that require accommodations, such as extended-time o Physical barriers that require accommodations, such as moving a class to a different lecture hall so that a student can navigate a wheelchair to the lecture hall, or a desk/table that is at the height needed for the wheelchair o Unstructured facilities and time such as the Student Union and time between classes may be a problem for students with autism or a mental illness o Lack of accessible transportation o Attitudinal barriers such as lowered expectations

17. What problems might be encountered by a person with a disability in Post-Secondary Education? o Learning barriers that require classroom accommodations, such as note-taking assistance o Learning materials presented in formats not accessible by the student, such as printed text for a student who is blind, or oral lectures without the assistance of a sign-language interpreter for a person who is deaf o Testing barriers that require accommodations, such as extended-time o Physical barriers that require accommodations, such as moving a class to a different lecture hall so that a student can navigate a wheelchair to the lecture hall, or a desk/table that is at the height needed for the wheelchair o Unstructured facilities and time such as the Student Union and time between classes may be a problem for students with autism or a mental illness o Lack of accessible transportation o Attitudinal barriers such as lowered expectations

18. Common problems encountered by people with a disabilities in life o Accommodations o Accessibility o Physical barriers o Unstructured facilities and time o Accessible transportation o Attitudinal barriers

19. Within subject matter, we teach students to solve problems. How do we teach students to solve problems they will face as they transition from high school to adult living?

20. Self-Determination and Self-Advocacy

21. Future results are determined by

22. actions taken now.

23. Areas to Focus o Behavior o Dress and Grooming o Choice-Making o Natural Consequences o Stamina and Endurance o Post-Secondary Goals

24. Behavior Most individuals with and without disabilities lose employment, status, and societal connections due to behaviors that are offensive to others. o Any behavior that is not acceptable in settings such as post-secondary education, employment, and community settings require use of strategies to minimize and eliminate these behaviors o The biggest mistake staff make is to equate behaviors such as biting, hitting, spitting, and sexual acting out as a function of the disability. o All behaviors serve a purpose. What need is being served? (Think basic rather than complex.)

25. Dress and Grooming o Needed for employment o Consistent with what other workers are wearing o Meet minimum legal standard

26. Choice-making Choice-making can be used to teach self- determination and self-advocacy  Provide limited and acceptable choices from which to choose  Insist that a choice is made to access an option  Only use choice-making when selection of any choice is acceptable  Have a fall-back plan when there is non- compliance to a request to make a choice

27. Natural Consequences  Some of our older students have discovered that if you miss a city bus, you have to wait for the next one, and sometimes that means a long wait

28. Stamina and Endurance o Most paid-employment is done in periods of 2 hours or 4 hours between breaks and many jobs require frequent or long-term standing o Manage student weight o Exercise by practice walking, such as to nearest city bus stop, and encourage parents to do the same

29. Post-Secondary Goals The foundation can be laid for future transition planning prior to age 13. o Allow students to dream o Focus dreams in reality without negating the dream o Visit area colleges/universities o Visit offices at colleges that provide accommodations for students with disabilities o Visit employers of interest to students o Visit employers who are likely to hire o Visit your center for independent living o Practice riding city bus

30. Tom Laign Transition Services Coordinator Special Education Department Socorro Independent School District 12300 Eastlake El Paso, Texas 79928 (915) 937-1888 tolaign@sisd.net