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Transition Checklist

This checklist is designed to give family members an easy to use list of topics that should be taken into consideration when discussing transition from high school to college.  (Adapted with permission from Jerri Roach Ostergard, Transition Specialist, Worcester MA Public Schools)

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Click HERE for the Think College Family Brief on Transition

  • Help your student know what choices they have. Visit programs, talk to other students, families, watch videos, etc.
  • Set postsecondary education & career goals through the use of person-centered planning.
  • Ensure that your son/daughter is enrolled in academic courses throughout high school, which will prepare him/her for college courses. While not a requirement, experience tells us that students with more inclusive academic experiences in high school do better once in college.
  • Know the difference between the laws that govern education at the secondary level (IDEA = entitlement) and at the college level (ADA = otherwise qualified). (See the Differences Between HS and College on this site).
  • Encourage your daughter/son to participate in and, if possible, lead  their own Individual Education Plan. Participation means planning the meeting, working with a teacher to identify their own goals and supports, presenting about their goals at the meeting, welcoming the team, learning about the forms.
  • Help your son/daughter learn to advocate for him/herself while in high school, which will prepare him/her for when it needs to be done in college.
  • Obtain college catalogue(s) and review them carefully with your son/daughter and with support from high school staff (e.g., guidance counselor, transition coordinator), as needed. Visit campus activities while in middle or high school, sports, recreational, entertainment activities. Have a currently enrolled student get involved in the campus visit or activity.
  • Ensure that documentation of your son or daughter’s disability is up-to-date. This may be required by the college.
  • Discuss with your son/daughter the nature of their disability and how it affects their school work. Practice how they refer to their disability and identify what supports they need.
  • Encourage teachers to document what accommodations and technology your son/daughter uses now and what they may need in college (e.g., reader, note taker, scribe, books-on-tape, speech-to-text software, screen reader, tape recorder, PDA, etc.). Create a list of these accommodations and supports.
  • Visit college(s) together so that your son/daughter has good information to make a final choice.
  • Your son/daughter should meet with college Disability Services Office (DSO) staff to talk about documentation and learn about how accommodations in college are different from high school.
  • If there is a specific program on the campus for students with intellectual disabilities, arrange to meet with the staff. Find out how participants in the program participate in general college life and academics.
  • Discuss goals, learning needs, and how to access specific accommodations, including academic supports that are available for all students (e.g., tutoring, writing support) with your son/daughter and DSO staff before classes begin.
  • Figure out and set-up transportation prior to the start of school (e.g., driving, car-pooling, learning to use public transport, travel vouchers).
  • Be aware of financial aid resources available to your family and make sure that funding for all costs is arranged before school starts (e.g., tuition, books, fees, transportation).
  • Identify how financial support your child may receive impacts other benefits (e.g., SSI, SSDI).
  • Know what services are available through adult human service agencies (e.g., vocational rehabilitation - tuition, books, transportation, employment supports; One-Stop Career Centers - Individual Training Accounts, Development Disability agencies). Representatives from these groups should be at the transition IEP, PCP, etc. Your son/daughter should have the phone numbers for relevant agencies in their cell phone.
  • Be prepared for the fact that you, the family member, need written consent from the student to obtain access to their records at the college level.