Published by Va Department of Education in Spring 2021.
Broadcast on May 14, 2021, this FFF webinar reviewed data on youth with special needs in foster, adoptive and kinship families and their outcomes. Content includes a review of special education transition planning requirements and a number of post-secondary programs and other resources for youth and young adults with disabilities and who have been in foster care.
Webinar recording
Presentation slides
From PEATC, several booklet guides from the Transition to Adulthood Series.
Is Guardianship My Only Option? – This short 16-page guide reviews guardianship arrangements for adults with disabilities and presents options for supported decision making.
Supported Decision-Making in Special Education Programs – This guide reviews options for supported decision making in schools, related to special education planning and services.
Is Guardianship My Only Option?
Supported Decision Making in Special Education
From Formed Families Forward, this tip sheet covers 10 tips for helping to keep children and youth safe online.
From the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research, these TEST tip sheets are designed for youth and young adults who have individualized education programs (IEPs). One focuses on preparing for an IEP meeting and another focused on identifying community partners to participate in IEP meetings and transition planning.
You Got This: Taking a Leadership Role in Your IEP Meeting
I've Got my Crew: Inviting Community Partners to your IEP Meeting
A 35 minute discussion about transitioning from high school to college and post-high school settings, with expert guest Annie Tulkin and hosted by FFF.
A website produced by the Department of Defense with data from the Departments of Commerce, Education and Labor. Site offers information and tools on post-high school career, education and military options.
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), through grant funding provided by the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD) and assistance provided by the Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) at James Madison University has developed five web-based training modules for parents, school professionals, and other community stakeholders that work with families whom have a child with a disability. Parents and caregivers have certain goals in mind when their children go to school. Regardless of whether or not their children have disabilities, all parents want their children to learn, explore, and experience as much as they possibly can. Parents strive for their children to complete their public education, obtain a diploma, and be fully prepared to move on toward their chosen path, whether that is immediate employment, higher education, or something else. In order for children to achieve these goals, there are certain decisions that will have to be made along the way. The modules created relate to the Critical Decision Points for Families of Children with Disabilities curriculum and are designed to assist participants in understanding four things as they prepare to make these decisions:
There are a total of five modules that range in length from three to five minutes, which can be completed in a single viewing or broken up over time to meet individual time constraints.
The curriculum for these modules is also available in print and online. A fully accessible online version is located at the following web link: Virginia Department of Education’s Special Education – Parents Section. To obtain a printed copy of the curriculum or to ask questions about the module training opportunities, please contact Tracy Lee, Family Engagement Specialist, via email, at Tracy.Lee@doe.virginia.gov, or by phone, at (804) 225-3492.
Resources from a Translating Evidence to Support Transitions (TEST) grant is to increase the use and adoption of research-based best practices in transition planning services for high school students with emotional and behavioral disorders receiving special education services.
Scroll down page to find Practice Guides, Presentations and other resources.
A great one page comparison table for families and professionals from the Center for Transition Innovations at VCU.
The road to adulthood for youth with disabilities is filled with opportunity, and parents play a key role. PACER’s National Parent Center on Transition and Employment is ready with the information families want, presented in a way families can use. The site features a wide array of transition-related resources for families and youth.
At Portland State University, the Pathways to Positive Futures center aims to improve the lives of youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions through rigorous research and effective training and dissemination. Our work is guided by the perspectives of young people and their families, and based in a positive development framework.
These resources from the Virginia State Bar help young adults and their families understand what rights and responsibilities occur at age 18 in the state.
A downloadable and hard copy Guide is available. There is also a So You’re 18 website.
In Virginia, 18 is the age of majority, when a person is no longer a legal minor and now has full legal responsibility. These resources help youth and families understand some of the rights and obligations as an adult and to help avoid some of the pitfalls facing young adults as you take on legal responsibilities.
Info about the Guide
Link to the So You're 18 website
From the Virginia I’m Determined project, the Pathways to Success is a series of online learning modules for parents and caregivers.
The Pathways to Success are set up for you, at your own pace, to learn about how to support your child in becoming more self-determined. If you are just beginning, you can follow the Parent Path in the order it has been created, and if you just want to learn more about a certain aspect, you can simply skip to that part and grab the information you need
This fact sheet reviews key eligibility and services provided under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). It focuses on the supports for youth and young adults with psychiatric disabilities.
This Guide from Virginia Family Special Education Connection offers families and professionals links to state- and local-specific resources for enrolling students, education, medical care, mental health, transitioning students to post-secondary settings, courts, and other areas.
Updated Summer 2023
Website resource
Flyer
From the Va Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), this site helps consumers understand and navigate long term care waivers for persons with developmental and other disabilities.
From the site: Commonwealth’s system of services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities is undergoing significant transformation as Virginia redesigns its waiver system under the My Life, My Community initiative. The term My Life, My Community encompasses an overarching vision whereby people with developmental disabilities live, work, play and thrive in their communities, just as others do, with the support they need.
The site features a publication Navigating the Developmental Disability Waivers: A Guide for Self -Advocates, Families and Support Partners.
Navigating the Developmental Disability Waivers: A Guide for Self -Advocates, Families and Support Partners.
This fact sheet from the Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC) provides families and students an overview of the 5 C’s of what skills a Virginia graduate should have.
This webinar offers timely information about the federal WIOA (Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act) provisions that apply to to school-age students with disabilities.
WIOA for students with disabilities webinar