INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION TRANSITION SUBCOMMITTEE

Develop and put into action an interagency plan that establishes the movement of transitioning youth with ASD into an adult life of choice by developing individualized supports and services that maximize opportunities for participation in lifelong learning, employment experiences and community participation.

Identify best (effective) practices in transition programming for youth with ASD between the ages of 16 to 24 years old.

Identify the opportunities and strategies to enhance effectiveness through collaboration between K-12 education and adult services, employment and continuing education.

Create an interagency plan that identifies the barriers and aligns solutions for a successful coordinated transition of youth with ASD from the K-12 educational settings to adult services, employment and education.

Develop practical standards for collaboration with providers of services for transition age youth with ASD.

Increase the awareness of transition processes and opportunities for youth with ASD by professionals, families, and youth.

Identify strategies to measure progress over time.

Limited Social Competence, Social Cognition, and Community Participation.

Lack of knowledge of effective practices by all stakeholders.

Time to teach functional skills along with academic skills during their high school careers.

Lack of seamless/collaborative transition from high school entitlements to eligibility based adult services.

Will my child have..?◦ Skills for successful independence and community

living;◦ Access to future services and supports;◦ Successful social and communication strategies;◦ Receive specific transition instruction related to

the unique needs for someone on the Spectrum; And, can I maintain an effective relationship

with professionals when..?◦ I feel I am not being heard, criticized or blamed; ◦ I am so afraid about the future.

Start early: Begin when the student is between 10 and 13 with more serious planning occurring as the child enters the early to middle teen years. (Hendrickson, Wehman, 2009)

Quality annual IEP goals Course of Study Transition Assessment(s) Post Secondary Goals Transition Services Coordinated Services with Adult Agencies

Students with ASD and their families are informed early about transition processes, effective practices and opportunities.

Children and families will be informed of Transition services beginning in the 5th grade year at a Team meeting.

Adopt a process for disseminating information to individuals with ASD at three key points, and could include providing student and family with “Transition Roadmap” or standardized information packet at the 3 key points.

Point A. Initial notification about Transition during the student’s 5th grade year. Introduce information on transition services and options so the student and family are becoming aware at the earliest possible time. A person centered futures discussion, sharing written information with the student and family, such as a brochure or handbook targeted to individuals with ASD.

Point B. During 8th grade year. The goal is to make sure the transition into high school transition services is smooth and that the student, family, and school staff (or any other agencies involved) are all on the same page. More in depth conversation around transition related activities, including:

1. confirmation of modified diploma path, 2. person centered planning around future/post high interests

and goals, 3. Development of class schedule/class registration for

Freshman year. Point C. Propose the first year of high school is when the active

transition planning should be starting, if not the actual process if one considers planning part of the “process”. This permits the student and family ability to better identify classes and supports needed to help attain the post high goals.

Professionals are informed and trained on transition processes, effective practices and opportunities, specifically as they apply to youth with ASD.

Required and recommended trainings reflecting currently recognized effective practices are available to professionals who are providing transition services to individuals with ASD.

Autism Specialists and Transition Specialists, and other associated professionals receive specific training on effective transition practices for individuals on the Autism Spectrum.

Transition Specialists and Autism Specialists work collaboratively to improve the transition outcomes for youth with ASD.

Case managers, personal agents, counselors and service providers receive training and information to increase their capacity to effectively support individuals across the Spectrum.

A statewide Interagency Transition Advisory Committee comprised of cooperating state agencies, key stakeholders, individuals with ASD, and families will monitor, recommend, and advise on standards for collaboration,

performance expectations, student outcomes, and transition effective practices.

The Interagency Transition Advisory Committee for individuals with ASD include reviewing, recommending and advising on:

Practical standards for collaboration with providers of services for transition age youth with ASD,

Performance expectations as outlined in the Interagency Agreement for Transition of individuals with ASD,

Outcomes of transition services for individuals with ASD,

Transition best practices, publications and tools for professionals and students with ASD and their families.

The Interagency Transition Advisory Committee is a stand alone committee and not housed under any particular agency.

Advisory Committee may provide technical assistance to local transition advisory committees.

Advisory Committee will seek some form of funding or in-kind resources to support the activities of the Local Advisory Committees that are formed.

A local Interagency Transition Advisory Committees for individuals with ASD is established within each County or Region and to the degree possible mirrors membership and responsibilities of the State Committee but operating the local level.

Each local committee may review, recommend and advise on practical standards for collaboration with local providers of services and other local community stakeholders for transition age youth with ASD, optional transition effective practices, additional publications and tools for professionals and students with ASD and their families beyond what is recommended or required statewide.

Local committee be responsible for developing an annual plan that specifies the local activities, goals and recommendations the committee will adopt for the fiscal year, including how it will engage both publically funded and non publically funded resources.

By July 2011, an explicit Interagency agreement between the Department of Human Services, Oregon Department of Education, and Oregon Health Authority establishes explicit standards for collaboration, communication, consistency, clear performance standards and expected outcomes.

Reflects a common agreement of mission, values, goals and outcomes for transitioning individuals with ASD;

Includes explicit language about definition of transition, transition process and transition services in order to ensure common understanding and consistency with regard to application;

Defines roles and responsibilities of the participating State agencies, including performance expectations of each agency and performance outcome.

Agreement will be renewed each biennium, including reviewing areas of confusion and common conflict and clarifying roles and responsibilities of each participating Agency.

All Agencies will work together to develop a body of consistent information about transition processes and opportunities for Students and their families.

Whenever possible, agencies will collaborate on trainings regarding transition processes, effective practices and opportunities, including agencies will encourage staff to attend.

Agencies will commit to a shared responsibility in supporting a statewide central Interagency Transition Advisory Committee comprised of cooperating state agencies, key stakeholders, students who qualify for or have experienced transition services and families, will oversee, review, recommend, and advise on collaboration, performance expectations, student outcomes, and transition effective practices.

State Agencies will encourage local agencies to establish or participate in, a local Interagency Transition Advisory Committees, or similar committee that would serve similar purpose within each County or Region and to the degree possible mirrors membership and responsibilities of the State Committee but focused at the local level.

Agencies will establish mutually agreed upon quality assurance processes to evaluate identified outcomes, evaluate the effectiveness of strategies, and provide continuous quality improvement for effective practices, professional standards, awareness activities.

Agencies will include or invite participation of each partnering agency in the development or revision of relevant rules.

Agencies will develop, share and agree to follow the “Interagency Collaborative Guide” (guide that would be the day to day operational guide for partnering agencies).

Agencies will reflect this Interagency Agreement in respective agency’s policies and procedures, including notifying the professionals in the field of the agreement and the expectation to partner with named agencies/divisions.

Implementation of recommended processes and effective practices in the education setting result in more seamless and successful transition outcomes for youth with ASD.

Oregon Department of Education and Local School Districts provide incentives and opportunities for students with ASD who want and need to participate in transition activities.

The transition IEP format specifically includes the areas of transition identified in IDEA.

The Summary of Performance format is expanded to reflect effective practices.

Every student with ASD should have IEP goals and objectives that reflect the PINS in the unique academic and functional skills required to effectively transition into adult life. For example: Social Competence/Social Cognition; Self determination/self advocacy; management of stereotyped patterns of behavior, etc.

The Student will have his/her needed supports identified in his/her IEP, including supports for medical/health, housing, and transportation.

Students and families who leave with an Exit Packet that may include the documentation (or their file) that facilitates entry into adult services, continuing education, etc. leave with most recent testing information, vocational evaluation, present level of performances, etc.

There would be meaningful quality assurance processes to evaluate the identified outcomes, evaluate the effectiveness of strategies, and provide continuous quality improvement for best practices, professional standards, awareness activities.

Department of Human Services, Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Health Authority will agree on common outcomes and share data.

Stake holders set rigorous and measurable benchmarks to track over 5 year period.

Specific data would be identified to pull related to identified outcomes, reports provided and information analyzed.

The Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Department of Education, and the Oregon Health Authority shall on a biennial basis negotiate and sign an interagency agreement on the coordination of transition services for youth 16 through 21 receiving services through IDEA and Section 504. The agreement will establish explicit agency roles and responsibilities, agreed upon activities, strategies for collaboration, communication, consistency, clear performance standards and expected outcomes.

Transition Services: Means a coordinated set of activities for a youth with a disability that (a) is designed to be within a results-orientated process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the student with a disability to facilitate the student’s movement from school to post- school activities , including postsecondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation; (b) is based on the individual student’s needs, taking into account the student’s strengths, preferences, and interests.

David AbramowitzTransition Consultant

Jackie Burr,Oregon Dept. of Ed.

Jonathan ChaseIndividual with ASD

  Victor Cummings

 Portland Public Schools

Larry DealSupport Services (Brokerage)

  Kathy Eckert-Mason (Salem)

Vocationll Rehabilitation

Kirby EricksonAutism Specialist and Commission Member

  

 

Peter FitzGerald

Transition Contractor

Sue Hayes (Bend)

ASD Regional Program

Corissa Neufeldt (Chair)

Seniors and People with Disabilities

Randy Phelps

Health Care Provider

Clayton Rees (co-Chair)

Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Kathryn Weit

Autism Commission Staff