by Napoleon Broughton

Created on: November 13, 2009

What will you do? Your child has graduated high school, yet his or her developmental disability is still in tact. In our society, this dilemma affects so many parents who have special needs children. Your journey to discovering supports and available resources is not as limited as it may seem. Follow me!

The key is to begin by knowing that all processes and viable options have to be researched and facilitated. The primary starting point should always be where it all ended, the previous school attended. What were your child's IEP goals? What were his or her strengths and weaknesses relative to attempted mastery of those objectives? The IDEA, Individual Disability Education Act, is the federal law that governs the special education process. The mission of IDEA is to ensure that all children with disabilities have access to free appropriate education to meet their unique needs. The primary goal is to prepare special needs individuals for further education, employment, and independent living once they have graduated high school. The planning process fails if the following does not occur.

Keep in mind that schools are generally reactive instead of proactive. They are purposefully structured to indicate progress and performance of mastery level rather than the opposite. What does this imply? It essentially means that the school that your special needs child attended may have lied about his or her actual potential and performance level. Don't be misled. Once the child graduates, the options for supports and resources change altogether. The only way to know what's best for your child with regard to future planning is to receive an accurate barometer of his or her potential before graduation.

Parents should always take extensive notes during the school ARD meetings and pay very close attention to the goals that the child is working on. Be very involved during the schooling process, because it will better prepare you and your child for what is suitable and available once graduation requirements are completed. Disagree with documented mastery of goals if actual progress has not been witnessed. You must be honest with yourself and clear with school staff to ensure that successful future transitioning takes place. This will solely depend on your child receiving the proper training and education before graduation. Be proactive with regard to your expectations. Also, parents be cognizant of the fact that schools often encourage special needs students to graduate at the

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