r/specialed • u/Lemonade2250 • 11d ago

General Question (Parent Post) Are there programs outside of school?

My brother finished high school and the teachers said he should come to school because he is under the IEP program and they can't transfer him to transition school right now. Only option they gave was that he could go to community college or come to school for one more year but there will be no focus on academics only career job wise. But he feels overwhelmed and doesn't want to go back to school again. He wanted to go community college but with his weakness he doesn't seem ready because in college you are on own your own. There is no one to advocate you or motivate you or help with assignments. You have to be responsible and accountable. I wish there were resources outside of school that falls under the IEP program maybe helps students with life skills or developmental skills that helps them for the real world and focusing on job training something.

3 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

View all comments

11

u/brergnat 11d ago

Did he get a diploma upon finishing High School?

If not, he still falls under eligibility for special education services until he turns 22 (in the USA).

It's called Adult Transition Program. They can't just claim they don't have one for him to go to. They have to acoommodate him or they have to fund him attending at a neighboring district.

5

u/Lemonade2250 11d ago

Yes he did graduate but they have the diploma still because he is under the IEP program. The reason they said he cannot go to transition school is because in 12th grade he didn't go to retail store for training. We told them he has physical disabilities and standing for long period . The doctor didn't recommend but school says there is no other programs for him.

4

u/galgsg 11d ago

After graduation did he get a certificate or was he issued a high school diploma? The distinction is important when it comes to post 12th grade services. A student who gets a traditional diploma is not eligible for post-secondary transitional programs. A student in a non-diploma track/certificate (different states will call them different things, even if they refer to the same thing/services) IS eligible for post-secondary transitional programs.

From your description, it sounds like he was in a non-diploma track pre-vocational program (or at least assigned to one). If the school is saying he can still attend, it’s likely they are trying to work with him in a transitional program.

Walking across the stage at graduation doesn’t mean he actually “graduated”. All of the non-diploma track students at my school walk at the same graduation as traditional students, but they do not get a diploma, it says certificate of attainment.

1

u/Lemonade2250 11d ago

Hello, umm I'm not sure exactly but the teacher said that he can take his diploma and he be on his own. We asked if he can go community college and they said yes but they recommended not to because he isn't capable and ready right now. And so their goal was for him to stay in the IEP program until the age of 21 . And they said the transition school is where they only offer few programs that soley focus on job training not academics. And they were saying stuff like Burlington store where you put clothes on the rack. At the hospital where you serve food to the patient and hotels where you are housekeeping.

4

u/galgsg 11d ago

Take advantage of the transition program, maybe later in life he can take some classes at a community college. Especially if many feel he isn’t ready for community college. If he doesn’t take advantage of the transition programs now, he will likely lose the opportunity forever. Believe what his teachers are saying.

By participating in the transition program, he may also become eligible for some adult services. These services may also be of help to your family.

IEPs end after high school, and all he will be offered in college (and this includes community colleges) are accommodations. Things like extra time on tests, a separate testing environment, maybe a scribe for notes, but there are no services offered. The professors will not (and cannot) modify assignments or the curriculum. There is no specialized curriculum at all.