Lesson 1: It’s Time for the Talk: Transition

Dear Family,

Graduation from high school for your teen is on the horizon and we need to work together to prepare your teenager for transitioning into his or her journey beyond high school. I’d like us to partner together to establish an open method of communication to discuss your teen’s plans for after high school. My goal is for you to be an active participant in your teen’s planning for the future and for us to collaborate with your teen about his or her options. Your teen needs to lead the way by choosing a goal that will result in successful employment and/or independent living. We need to support your teen by guiding his or her planning and overseeing the acquisition of the skills needed to succeed the selected goal.

Over the next several months, I will send home packets that will include activities for you to complete independently or with your teen (at home or in the community). You will need access to a computer and the Internet to use the American Foundation for the Blind FamilyConnect website. If you do not have access to the necessary resources, please let me know. Return your completed activities to me so I can share the information with your teen’s team as well as use it to enhance and inform my instruction with your teen.

I value you as a partner in your teen’s education and am looking forward to learning more about your dreams for your teen’s future.

Sincerely,
(Teacher Name/Contact information)

Activities

Directions

Complete the activities and return your responses to your teen’s professional to review and respond to.

Activity 1: Join the FamilyConnect Community

Joining the FamilyConnect community will allow you to connect with other families of teens with vision loss. You can also choose to receive email alerts, announcements regarding local events, and information on topics of your choice.

Activity 2: Thinking about Transition

Read Transition from High School to Adult Life. Answer the following questions:

What options have you considered for your teen after high school? For instance, do you want him to go to college, tech school, find employment, and/or live independently?
If college or technical school is the desired option, does he have the skills needed to be successful in these programs? If not, what skills does he need to acquire?
How will he pay for furthering his education?
If your teen will go right to work after high school, what kind of work will he do?
Do you have the same plan for your teen for after high school as your teen has for himself? If your teen has a different goal, what is it?
If your teen has expressed an interest in pursuing a part-time job during high school, what type of job would he like to hold?
Would you allow your teen to work while in high school?
What are your teen’s strengths?
What are his values (family, fame, independence, money, etc.)? What skills does he have?
What type of long-term career(s) is your teen interested in pursuing? Do his values match this career? Does he have the skills to be successful in this career?
What opportunities for responsibility are you giving your teen at home?
Does your teen have chores? If so, list them. Does he get paid?
How do you provide your teen with feedback about his performance with chores, homework, and the like?
Does your teen volunteer? Would you be interested in learning about volunteer opportunities he could pursue?
What is the Expanded Core Curriculum for students with Visual Impairments?
How does your teen participate in his Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings?
Would you like to connect with other families of teens with vision loss? Would you like to share your experiences about preparing your teen for transition with other families?
What are your expectations of the professional(s) working with your teen to prepare him for transition?
What are your concerns for your teen’s future?
What is the most important thing your teen needs to learn to be ready to transition from high school into his postsecondary option?
Where do you see your teen in 5 years? 10 years?

Reflection

From completing this activity, I learned….
I would like more information on….
I have the following questions for my teen’s professional….
I am going to do the following things to prepare my teen for transition….