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High School and the Transition to Adulthood
Children and adolescents in special education continue to be protected by IDEA until they are 21 years old or until they graduate from high school, whichever comes first. As children with
fragile X reach middle school and high school, their programming and least restrictive environment may change, but they are still to have annual reviews, three year reevaluations, and IEPs in place.
The multidisciplinary evaluations and staffings continue to take place, with annual staffings and reevaluations every three years. Vocational assessment is a related service that should be part
of the IEP from the middle school or early high school level. Such assessment is provided to students in middle or high school who are beginning to plan their lives after graduation. Vocational assessment is designed to assess
the adolescent's aptitudes and interests as they relate to careers. Some schools provide the assessments at the school; others rely on the local vocational rehabilitation agency. Vocational assessment usually consists of: work
samples, standardized testing, and behavioral observation.
Once an adolescent has graduated from high school, there is no guaranteed program that takes up where IDEA leaves off. States and communities provide a variety of programs, and they are not consistent from state to state.
How Does the Law Help With the Transition From One Level of Schooling to the Next?
IDEA requires transition plans as children in special education move from one level of programming to the next. This includes the transition from early intervention to
early childhood, and from early childhood to elementary school.
At the high school level, IDEA requires a coordinated set of activities based upon the individual student's needs and interests. These activities are designed to help determine what
vocational education or post-secondary education is appropriate for the adolescent, what supported employment might be needed, and what level of independence the adolescence might have for living arrangements and community
participation.
The law requires that these plans be in place by the time the adolescent is 16, or as early as 14, when appropriate. Students must be invited to any meeting where transition plans are discussed.
Parents and school personnel, including a transition coordinator, also attend the meetings.
How Might a High School Program be Designed for an Adolescent with Fragile X Syndrome?
The high school program for the adolescent with fragile X must still comply with the law's requirements for an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. The program might
consist of a mixture of "regular" high school classes and specialized programs, designed to foster future independence.
Parents and team members must decide at this age level what academic skills should continue to be a focus and what functional living skills should be emphasized. For example, a high school
boy with fragile X syndrome might take gym and art with the regular high school program, and continue with reading and math curriculum in a special education class, but also be enrolled in a work/study program, where he is in the
community at a job for part of the day. Students receive high school credit for jobs in the community, under supervision. Such jobs might be as varied as in-hospital mail delivery, landscaping, assisting at the zoo,
working in a grocery store, preparing food, assisting in a nursing home, or cleaning and doing janitorial work.
Students in such programs also receive specific vocational training at the school to educate them about important job-related behaviors, such as punctuality, grooming and communicating. Some
boys with fragile X might also benefit from independent living classes. These might include skills such as handling cooking, laundry, housekeeping and public transportation.
Girls with fragile X syndrome, who may have learning disabilities in math and pragmatic skills, also qualify for special education services at the middle and high school level. They should
also receive vocational assessment and guidance that would lead to college programs, post-high school vocational training, and/or community employment.
What Rights do Parents and School Personnel Have if They Disagree with Each Other Regarding Assessment, Placement, or Services?
As with all levels of education covered under IDEA, both parents and school district personnel have the right to seek mediation or due process if they do not agree with each other regarding
placement or IEP goals and services. Each state has specific policies to follow to request mediation, a process in which an impartial, trained third party reviews all records and interviews relevant personnel in order to find an
agreeable solution to the disagreement. The mediator works with both the family and the school personnel to encourage their communication with each other. Mediation is usually quicker and less costly than a due process hearing.
If mediation is not successful, then families or school personnel may call for a due process hearing. IDEA describes the due process hearing procedure for resolving conflicts regarding
special education. It also describes the specific conflicts that may be resolved by this process. A due process hearing officer, chosen by both parties from a list provided by the state board of education, conducts the
hearing. Parents and school districts may have lawyers and other witnesses present. Each state has its own rules and regulations regarding how a due process hearing is to proceed. Parents should request copies of
these regulations from the school or the state board of education.
If parents and schools continue to disagree after a ruling is made by the hearing officer, then either side may appeal to the state board of education. The decision at this appeal level is
final, unless either the parents or the school system bring a civil action in court.
Gail Harris-Schmidt, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Saint Xavier University
Chicago, Illinois
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