September 1, 2017
Dear Parents,
The Connecticut State Board of Education (CSDE) recently approved the Transition Bill of Rights for Parents of Children Receiving Special Education Services. The Transition Bill of Rights is specifically for parents and children receiving special education services in grades 6 – 12 and in 18 – 21 Transition Programs.
Transition services are defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as a coordinated set of activities for a child with a disability. They are focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child to facilitate the child’s progress from school to post-school activities. Transition services include instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, and, if appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills.
The Transition Bill of Rights is designed to assist parents and students in understanding secondary transition and the transition services that may be requested through a PPT. Also included in this document is information about where parents and students may find technical assistance through the CSDE, related publications and federally-funded parent and training provided by the Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center, and links to the CSDE’s essential transition guidance documents and tools. These documents will also be linked on our website for your convenience in the special education section under transition.
In accordance with IDEA, transition services must begin no later than when the child turns 16, or sometimes younger if determined by the PPT and they must be updated each year. In Region 10, we start transition planning at the middle school level to provide us with more time to support our students’ transition needs. The Transition Bill of Rights will assist with this effort by providing you as parents with information on transition to work collaboratively with your child’s educational team to appropriately plan for life after high school.
We look forward to our continued collaboration with you and your child in preparing for your child’s successful post-secondary transition. Please contact your child’s case manager if you have any questions and if needed, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Linda Carabis
Director of Student Support Services
Secondary Transition: Including Building a Bridge: A Transition Manual for Students
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/DEPS/Special/BuildingABridge.pdf
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2626&q=322676
SBOE APPROVED Trans Bill of Rights 5-4-16 (3)[2].pdf
spanish_trans_bill_of_rights_for_parents_of_students_receiving__sped_services.pdf
Helpful CT Resources for Families.pdf
Parents Guide to Special Education in CT.pdf
www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/DEPS/Special/IEPManual.pdf
Bureau of Special Education Resources,
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?Q=320730&a=2678
https://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/transition-tool-kit
http://www.autismspeaks.org/docs/family_services_docs/transition.pdf
http://www.ct.gov/dds/cwp/view.asp?a=2042&q=519294
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/sites/default/files/411_Disability_Disclosure_complete.pdf
http://www.ctserc.org/index.php/transition/transition-spotlight
http://parentingspecialneeds.org/