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Debbie Wilkes, M.Ed.
Topic: Secondary Transition
How old should students be before the
"community" becomes part of their IEP?
What obligation does a school system have
to a student with a disability after age 18? The obligation usually ends if a student
graduates from high school. However, there are various ways this gets played out.
Are sheltered workshops a good choice for a
work experience?
Q. How old
should students be before the "community" becomes part of their IEP?
A. This question as with all questions which involve an IEP, the key word is
individual. The second key word is community. This definition should follow
developmentally appropriate expectations for peers with typical developmental
expectations. For primary aged students community can be the general education classroom
or the school cafeteria. In that case the student's IEP should address access to these
communities. As children begin to move through the elementary grades, the definition may
expand to include other parts of the school, as well as extracurricular events and
community recreation. How students will access the larger community should enter the IEP
discussion at age appropriate times, as for example when peers are entering part time
employment, etc.
All efforts should be made to assure that students have
equal access to the community throughout their lifes. Skills to accomplish this should be
part of every IEP discussion.
Q. What obligation does a school system have
to a student with a disability after age 18? The obligation usually ends if a student
graduates from high school. However, there are various ways this gets played out.
A. In Texas, for example,
this question is partially answered based on the manner in which the student will graduate
from high school. There is a competency test which general education students must
pass to graduate. These students must earn the required credits for graduation and pass
the exit exam. If the student with a disability is able to pass this test and take the
required classes, he or she would graduate and the school would not be required to provide
services.
If the student does not pass the exit test than the
student should continue to receive services through the school district until they have
earned their appropriate credits and done one of the following:
a. exhibit skills necessary to become employed and have
self help skills and no longer need on going support
b. have a full time job
c. have access to services which are not part of the school districts responsibility. This
might include access to a community college or other post secondary training.
Q. Are sheltered workshops a good choice for
a work experience?
A. I do not consider
sheltered workshops a work experience. If anything they might be considered a training
environment in order to get skills to participate in work experience. In my opinon work
experience is defined as work that other people do in settings where people without
disabilities work. A sheltered workshop is not a place that people without disabilities
are working unless those workers are basically teachers or care takers.
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