Transition Services
Advancing Opportunities’ Transition Specialists provide tools, services and community resources to help school districts and families prepare students with disabilities for the future.
Our staff takes a "person-centered" approach in getting students ready for the next phase of life. We create and follow a plan of action based on a student’s abilities and interests. We help young men and women prepare for and meet the challenges that lie ahead.
We understand the importance of setting goals and achieving them. Our Transition Services are available to public and private schools throughout the state of New Jersey.
What Happens Next?
This is an important question for young men and women with disabilities and their families to consider when they think about what will happen after graduation or when the student turns 21 and is no longer eligible for services through the local school district.
Our services begin with an Initial Assessment to determine a student’s abilities and interests. During this meeting, we identify the supports that will be needed and the resources that are available.
Whether a young adult is planning for to further his or her education, enter the workforce or begin living independently, Advancing Opportunities can help create a smooth transition.
Exploring Employment Possibilities
Our Transition Specialists can help a student research and explore his or her interests and experiences, in order to identify career values, and match these values to job or occupational characteristics. We can work with the school district to establish structured learning agreements and to develop job sites for them.
We can also provide work site support to the student in learning job-related tasks, becoming familiar with the work site culture, developing safety skills as needed and maintaining employment.
College is an Option
Many students with disabilities are discovering that continuing their education is a possibility. We have helped students still in high school enroll in classes at their local community college to get an idea of what to expect.
Since there are no IEPs at the college level, helping these students develop solid self-advocacy skills is an important part of the transition process. For college-bound students we can help with:
- Selecting a program
- Finding supports on campus
- Considering assistive technology
