Transition is moving from one situation or experience to another. As an example, transition could be the process of moving from a high school student to an adult member of the community.

Your child is entering middle or high school. This is a transition for both you and your child. You can look at it as a joint venture. Get all the information you can. Meet the teachers, principal and vice principal. Visit the school and locate classrooms, lunch room, gym, auditorium, and office. Sometimes teens are reluctant to have family members tag along on a school visit. Approach it as if your child is giving you a guided tour, so he or she is in control. If your child doesn’t know the way around, you’ll both learn.

Discuss in advance possible situations, involving peers, classroom behavior, or school work, where you would be concerned. Ask your child how he or she would deal with these situations. Tell your child your expectations of him or her given the situation. If possible, pair up with another parent to talk over the changes. The support of others going through a similar situation often helps relieve anxiety.

This video from the Utah Parent Center addresses one of the more sensitive issues in the journey to adulthood.

Haga clic aquí para ver este video en español.

We have information regarding transition to preschool, to elementary school, to junior/middle school, to high school as well as transition into higher education.

More and more students with disabilities are applying for and being accepted into colleges and universities across the country. The key to a successful post-secondary education is that students become knowledgeable about their own accommodation needs and their post-secondary education responsibilities, as well as their educational rights.

When a student applies to a college they do not have to identify themselves as a student with a disability. The entrance policy is not discriminatory.

After exiting high school students become their own advocate under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 regulations apply to all colleges and universities that receive Federal funding. The law states that it is the college’s or university’s obligation to provide accommodations to qualified students with disabilities in a timely manner to ensure effective participation by students with disabilities.

The student is obligated to advise the college or university of the need for accommodations and supports. The student may be asked to provide diagnostic tests and/or professional documentation for accommodations to support their request.

Public Colleges and Universities will have a Disability Center or Support Center to process and assist with requests for accommodations. Colleges or universities provide needed accommodations and support on a case by case basis. The student is not required to pay for the cost of the accommodations. College bound students have the right to receive the same services offered to their nondisabled peers.

Click here to see a list of some Nevada-based College and University Disability Resource Centers

A sample of accommodations under Section 504 that students may require are:

• Audio Tapes of Texts
• Note Takers
• Interpreters
• Readers
• Student Tutors
• Text Enlargers
• Modified Calculators
• Braille
• Computer Adaptations