Did you know that in order for your child to access adult services that there needs to be a recent assessment done to determine if they are eligible for services? Did you know that this needs to be done prior to your child turning 18? Did you also know that schools should start to discuss transitional services once your child turns 16? Have you thought about guardianship once your child turns 18? This is important information that you need to be aware of as your child begins their high school years.
Like everything in Special Education, some districts are well-versed in the requirements for adult services and other’s not as much. One district that I spoke to ensures that students are administered the WISC (Wechsler Intelligent Scale for Children for 16 under) or WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligent Scale over 16) when having their 3 year re-evaluation. These assessments are necessary for adult services.
Discussion of transitional services should focus on what your child wants to do after high school. Do they want to work, volunteer, or go to a higher educational setting? Their IEP goals should be centered around what they want to do after high school. Also, sometimes it’s helpful to integrate other service providers at this time.
Finally, once your child turns 18 they are legally an adult. They can attend their IEP meetings by themselves, decide their goals, sign the IEP, etc. And they would need to invite you to their IEP meeting. If this is something that you feel your child will not be able to do independently, you will want to look into guardianship.
I did not realize the gateway to adult services until a Director of Special Educator filled me in on all the requirements and best practice for students in high school. I realize that these topics can be difficult to talk about but it’s important information for families to have.
For more information on adult services click here.