SEFB 420

Transition Plan: John Smith

Fall 2015

Transition Reflection
Developing a transition plan for a high school student was a great learning experience. It
helped me grow both as a student and as a future educator. Throughout the semester I have
learned about the process of creating a transition plan, the difficulties of working with a family,
the process of implementing critical thinking skills and the importance of collaboration.
Throughout the process of interacting with families from diverse backgrounds, I have
learned that it is not always easy to get in contact with the families. I struggled with
communication with my students mom because she is a single mother of four teenagers, works
full time, and goes to school at night. Struggling with communication made the transition
process difficult because I had to rely on emailing and phone calls in order to get in contact with
my students mom. I have learned that even if a family is supportive of their child, the family
may have obstacles that make it difficult for them to actively participate in all aspects of the
transition planning process. Not all families are the same and I know that every experience with
every family I work with will be different.
I used critical thinking while I was working with my student because I had to find ways
to explain words and concepts that are simple to most people, but were confusing to my student.
I also used critical thinking while I was choosing the assessments I was going to administer to
my student. This required critical thinking because I had to make sure the assessments I was
going to administer were relevant and appropriate for my students age and disability.
This project strengthened my collaboration skills because I had to collaborate with
teachers, parents, and my student throughout the transition planning process. I had to figure out
different ways to communicate with all of the parties involved and I had to keep everyones
thoughts in consideration during planning, while also keeping the best interest of my student in

mind. I feel that this project also strengthened my collaboration because it showed me that it is
not always easy to collaborate with families when the parents and the students have different
things in mind as far as outcomes for the students future. I had to find ways to talk to both the
parent and the student and find a middle ground that would satisfy both parties during certain
parts of the planning process.
After completing this project, I realized that there are still many aspects of transition I
need to continue to develop skills in. I need to continue to developing my knowledge of the
different agencies that are available and what each agencys job is and how they can help
students after graduation. I also need to develop my knowledge of the assessments available to
administer to students going through the transition process. This is important knowledge to
develop because I know there are a wide variety of very beneficial assessments that will assist in
the transition planning process.
Overall this process has shown me the importance of having a transition plan in place for
high school students for their post high school education, career, recreation and leisure, and
independent living. This project helped me grow as a special education teacher, and it has
expanded my knowledge about transition and all of its components.

Student Summary: John Smith

John Smith is a 17-year-old Hispanic junior at John Doe High School. He currently lives
with his mom. John also has three brothers and one sister who live at home with him. Johns
records state that he qualifies for special education services through the category of learning
disability and speech impairment. Johns disability has affected his progress in the general
education curriculum in all subjects. Due to this, John has been placed in resource classes for all
subjects. Even though John is in resource classes, he still is able to be in regular education
elective classes.
John displays a number of strengths at school. He likes to work with his hands, play
baseball, do puzzles, play video games, and listen to music. John mentioned he would like to
possibly be a DJ or mechanic after he graduates. At school, Johns teachers say he is very good
at advocating for himself, asking a lot of questions, and is great at problem solving. His teacher
Mrs. Poe stated that John struggles with motivation and turning his work in. He is characterized
by his kind and quiet personality. She also said he loves hands-on activities and really enjoys his
floral design class. Johns records showed that he was diagnosed with a specific learning
disability and a speech impairment in May of 2013. His records contained information only
from his time at College Station ISD, which began in 2013. There were no records from his time
at Lerado ISD.
Currently, John lives in a duplex with his mom, three brothers who are 19, 16, and 14 and
one sister who is 12 years old. According to John, his mother works as a manicurist. His mother
is excited and happy that someone is working with her son on his transition plan. John attended
another local ISD from Kindergarten until the beginning of 8th grade. He moved to College
Station in 2012 and completed 8th grade here.

John has a goal of becoming a mechanic after high school. He is interested in attending a
technical school to learn how to become a mechanic. John also wants to be a DJ or a voice actor
in the future. John has never had a job but said he does chores around the house to help his mom.
He is in charge of cleaning his room and the kitchen. John looks forward to moving away home
after high school and living on his own while attending college and moving toward having a
successful career.

Transition Assessment Results Summary

Assessment 1
Name: Student Interest Inventory
Source: Dr. Lynchs Ecampus site. Retrieved September 8, 2015
Details: This assessment was created for high school students. It asks questions about the
students school involvement, interests, social life, likes and dislikes, hobbies, and future plans.
Rationale: The interest inventory was conducted in order to learn more information about John.
The interest inventory also provided an idea of what types of activities and things John likes and
dislikes. The interest inventory also acted as an icebreaker for the first meeting that was held
with John. This inventory assists with making connections between activities John enjoys and
types of jobs that he will be successful in after graduation.
Results: After John completed the interest inventory, it was learned that John enjoys math,
music, and solving puzzles. John spends most of his free time hanging out with his friends and
his siblings. He enjoys watching movies but does not go to the movies often. After graduation,
John wants to get a full time job. He is interested in mechanics and hopes to obtain a job being a
mechanic. This information will help when creating goals for Johns future education,
employment, independent living, and recreation and leisure.

Assessment 2
Name: Student Interview Vocational Assessment
Source: Dr. Lynchs Ecampus site. Retrieved September 17, 2015
Details: This assessment asks questions about what the student does in his or her spare time. It
also asks about special skills and talents, jobs he or she does at home, jobs he or she has had
away from home, and what type of job the student hopes to obtain after high school.
Rationale: The vocational assessment was given to gain more information about Johns skills
and talents, his work history, and what type of job he plans to obtain after he graduates from high
school.
Results: The results from performing this assessment showed that John enjoys playing
videogames and listening to music in his spare time. Some of the special skills and talents John
has are drawing, floral design, doing stunts, and jumping off of things (parkour). At home, John
does chores such as cleaning the house. John has never had a job before, but he hopes to obtain a
part-time job at Target. When he finishes high school John hopes to attend either a community
college or a technical or trade school to become a mechanic.

Assessment 3
Name: Family Partners Training Soft Spots Activity
Source: Hartley, C. 2001. A Strengths-Based Communications Model. Interpersonal Skills for
the Helping Relationship. Family Partners Training Curriculum. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
Details: The soft spots assessment was created to help students understand their weaknesses and
what problems they encounter.
Rationale: This test was given to determine what weaknesses John feels he encompasses.
Results: This assessment helped determine what John sees as his weaknesses. During this
assessment, a lot of the answers John gave were related to school being his weakness, in
particular his English classes. John struggles with working in groups because he says he does
not know what to do. He said he feels negatively towards the way he dresses and the way he
interacts with people. The assessment also revealed that John gets anxious when he is trying to
do his schoolwork.

Assessment 5
Name: Life Skills for Effective Living Activity
Source: Hartley, C. 2001. A Strengths-Based Communications Model. Interpersonal Skills for
the Helping Relationship. Family Partners Training Curriculum. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
Details: This assessments purpose is to help students get in touch with their abilities and deficits
related to everyday living.
Rationale: This test was given to assess the level of specific skills John may or may not have
and to assess the importance of those skills.
Results: This assessment showed more about the types of skills John feels he has and how
important each skill and topic is to him. John rated most of the skills under the body-related skill
section with an average level of four and an average importance of three. He rated most of the
skills under learninghow-to-learn-skills with an average level of three and an average
importance of two. John rated the skills under skills related to values with an average level of
two and an average importance of two. Under-self management-skill John rated an average level
four and an average importance of three. In the communication skills section, John rated the
skills with an average level of three and an average importance of three. Lastly, John rated the
skills under skills related to small groups with an average level of two and an average importance
of two. Throughout this assessment, John only awarded one five in the level category and one
five in the importance category. This shows how challenging and unimportant John finds these
skills and activities.

Assessment 6
Name: Family Partners Assessment of Strengths Activity
Source: Hartley, C. 2001. A Strengths-Based Communications Model. Interpersonal Skills for
the Helping Relationship. Family Partners Training Curriculum. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
Details: This assessments purpose is to help students determine his or her general strengths,
how well he or she handles situations, and identify nice things other people have done for or said
to the student.
Rationale: This test was given to help determine what strengths John feels he encompasses.
Results: This assessment helped determine what John sees as his strengths. It was determined
that John is confident about the way he looks and acts around other people. He enjoys finding
and solving all types of problems and fixing things when they break. John really cares about
other people and their feelings. He feels he still needs to work on overcoming talking to new
people. John feels he interacts the best when he is with people who are discussing something that
he is interested in. When asked about a time someone praised him for doing a great job, John
said no one has ever told him that he did a great job. John really enjoyed this assessment and he
was very quick to answer all of the questions when asked.

Assessment 7
Name: O*Net Interest Profiler
Source: O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2015, from
http://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip
Details: The purpose of this assessment is to determine what types of jobs are the most
appropriate for a person based on their interests.
Rationale: This assessment was given to determine what type of job best fits Johns interests.
Results: The results of this assessment revealed that Johns top interests are realistic,
investigative and artistic interests. Realistic interests are interests related to working with real
world materials such as wood, machinery, and tools. Investigative interests are related to
searching for facts and figuring out problems. Artistic interests are related to creativity and work
that can be done without following a set of rules. Based on Johns interests and his choice of
obtaining a job that requires at least a college degree, it was determined that a job that deals with
mechanical engineering and mechanics is the best fit for John.

Self-Advocacy Plan
Introduction: John Smith is a junior at John Doe High School with a learning disability and
speech impairment. He struggles with reading and writing. John struggles with being motivated
and turning his work in on time. His ultimate goal is to become a mechanic. To achieve this goal,
he will receive training in mechanics and go to a community college or technical school. John
will live independently with a roommate. He lacks the ability to ask for support and help when
needed.
Post-secondary education: John will inform disability services of his learning disability and fill
out the necessary paperwork to receive accommodations. He will need to seek assistance in
finding the disability services office and in reading the paperwork. John will need to inform his
professors that he has a learning disability and that he struggles with reading and writing. John
will need to learn how to ask for assistance when he is confused, and he will need to go to office
hours.
Employment: John will inform his employer of his disability. John will need to schedule his
work hours and write his work hours down to make sure he keeps track of his work schedule.
John will look for a job that does not require a lot of reading and allows him to do hands-on
work.
Independent Living: John will communicate with his roommates and discuss a payment plan
for bills. John will also work with his mom to develop a budget.
Recreation and Leisure: John will research available art clubs and choose one he will enjoy. He
will participate in this club on a regular basis.

Motivation: Because John struggles with motivation, it will be helpful to create a selfmotivation plan. For example, John could watch a new YouTube video when he finishes an
English assignment, or John can buy himself art supplies when he receives his first paycheck.

Transition Outcomes and IEP Objectives

Employment:
Outcome: Within three years of completing high school, John will have a job as a mechanic.
How outcome was developed: This outcome was developed based on Johns preferences in his
career assessment results. John loves to do hands on activities and is very interested in a handson job with construction. While developing this outcome, Johns moms opinions were
considered. She wants John to obtain a job as an electrician or in construction, but Johns current
IEP and John both say he is more interested in being a mechanic.
IEP Goal: Given the correct applications, John will apply for a part-time job to gain experience
as a mechanic, working 2-4 days a week.
Timeline of Progress:
May 2019: Graduate from college and receive a degree involving mechanics
May 2019: Find and choose opportunities to volunteer or have a summer job as a
mechanic
May 2020: Research available jobs as a mechanic
June 2020: Prepare resume to submit to employers
June 2020: Apply for mechanic jobs
August 2020: Prepare for and attend job interviews
September 2020: Accept job offer as a mechanic

Education:
Outcome: Within one year of graduating from high school, John will attend a community college
or technical school to become a mechanic.
How outcome was developed: This outcome was developed based on Johns employment goals
in his IEP. Johns mom wants him to attend community college and then eventually move on to a
four-year university, but John does not want to attend any type of further education. Starting
John at a community college or technical school is a good compromise and it will give him more
job opportunities.
IEP Goal: Given 10 schools with mechanic programs, John will choose five to apply to by
August 2016.
Timeline of Progress:
January 2016: Research schools with degree programs for mechanic jobs
March 2016: Choose five schools to apply to and review all the application requirements
(SAT, ACT, resume, prior experience)
May 2016: Complete the tests necessary for application to the schools
August 2016: Apply to five schools
May 2017: Decide which school to attend in the Fall 2017
August 2017: Begin school for degree in mechanics
May 2019: Receive degree and prepare for job

Independent Living:
Outcome: Within one year of graduating high school, John will live with at least one roommate
in an apartment.
How outcome was developed: This outcome was developed based on the results of Johns
student interview. He is capable of basic life skills such as dressing, hygiene, feeding, and
transportation. Although Johns mom wants him to live at home, John wants to live on his own
and he possesses all of the skills to successfully live independently.
IEP Goal: By January of 2016, John will complete an online budgeting course to help him
understand how to budget his money while he is living on his own.
Timeline of Progress:
December 2016: Begin researching apartment complexes around the five schools he
applied to.
January 2017: Find resources available to find a compatible roommate/roommates.
May 2017: After accepting a school, choose an apartment to live in while at school.
June 2017: Select a roommate to live with in the fall.
August 2017: Move in apartment with roommate/roommates.
Recreation and Leisure:
Outcome: While attending community college or technical school, John will take weekly piano
lessons.
How outcome was developed: This outcome was developed based on Johns interest in learning
how to play the piano. He loves music and he is very interested in the piano. Taking piano
lessons would be an excellent way for John to get to know people who share the same interest as
he does.

IEP Goal: John will do research and find five different places that he can take piano lessons, by
August 2017.
Timeline of Progress:
August 2017: Look into various music clubs at school and in the community
September 2018: Begin piano lessons

Job Analysis: Auto Mechanic

Rationale for choosing this particular job
o The auto mechanic job was chosen because it meets Johns strengths and his
interests. John is good at working with his hands and is very interested in fixing
up cars. As an auto mechanic, John will be working on different types of cars,
making repairs, and replacing parts. Although John does not have any experience
in auto mechanics, he is motivated to learn as much as he can about it. This job
will meet his ultimate goal, which is to be an auto mechanic.
Brief summary of the job
o Auto mechanics replace and repair parts in cars. There are many different jobs
within being an auto mechanic. Each person has a specific job either in a specific
area or in a specific brand of car. Auto mechanics have knowledge to fix up many
different cars based on year it was made or the company it was made by. They
work to repair what is broken in order for people to get to their destinations.
Description of how well the job matches or does not match what your student wants in a
job
o The job matches Johns wants in most of the areas. There were nine matches and
seven non-matches. John could be very successful in this job because he will be
able to work with his hands at pretty much his own pace. This job does not
require a lot of writing, which is one of Johns weaknesses. John would enjoy
working in an auto mechanic shop because he would get to work around people
and learn more about working on cars.
Next steps (look for a different job or keep pursuing this field)

o John should continue pursuing this field. He would be successful in being an auto
mechanic and he will gain experience after he attends community college or
technical school. John needs to research schools that offer programs in mechanics
and look into learning more about auto mechanics before he goes to college.

Student Progress Summary

Throughout the semester, John and I have worked together to create a transition plan that
contains many goals for Johns life after high school. Currently John is a senior at John Doe
High School and is interested in becoming an auto mechanic. John loves to work with his hands,
which is reflected in his floral design class, and he is very interested in cars and how they work.
One of Johns goals was to obtain a part time job while he was still in High School.
Although he has not yet done this, John has decided that he wants to apply to work at Target
after Christmas break. John also plans on working over the summer in order to save up some
money that he can put toward an apartment. John plans on living in an apartment with a
roommate while he is attending either a technical school or a community college.
Initially, when I first met John, he was set on not attending college. Now, John is open to
and excited about attending a technical school or a community college that offers an auto
mechanic program. After he graduates high school, John plans to obtain a degree in auto
mechanics and fulfill his goal of becoming an auto mechanic.
John loves art but he is now very interested in taking piano lessons or taking voice acting
lessons. His goal is to find a location that offers piano lessons or voice acting lessons and attend
weekly lessons so he can learn to play the piano or learn how to be a voice actor. Locating piano
or voice acting lessons will help John achieve his recreation and leisure goal. John is very shy
and needs to develop more people skills in order to interact with future customers as a mechanic.
This is important for John because he will need to feel confident when he is working with his
customers and explaining the repairs he has made for them.
This transition plan will help John accomplish his goal of becoming a mechanic after he
graduates. It will also help give him guidance as he plans for his future after high school. John

will be successful in post-secondary education if he continues to be motivated about becoming a

mechanic. Johns positive outlook on his future will aid him in completing his goals and having a
successful future.