T2L – Transition Skills Curriculum

Transition 2 Life (T2L) is a self-directed program providing mild- to moderately-affected special needs students with the skills they need to transition into adulthood and you the curriculum you need to meet federal mandates and Indicator 13 requirements. It is highly appropriate for independent study and distance learning and provides a full-year or 3-year transition program covering all major aspects of transition requirements (including a portfolio that parents/students can use after graduation) in one handy notebook.

This 6th edition has been completely rewritten to meet the needs of today's students and offers 8 units of comprehensive transition education for students; an in-depth teacher's manual with ITP goals, pre/post-assessments, and tips on differentiation for teachers; and, a parent portfolio including parent letters and guidance to prepare families to take-over as their child's life-coach after graduation with a complete portfolio of assessments, scaffolded plans, and "next-steps" to help students successfully navigate the adult world.

This 278-page curriculum can be used to meet transition goals during an intensive school year or throughout the high school transition years. It has been used with students as young as fourteen and into the middle twenties with positive results. Using both the CA transition guide and the Texas Pathways guide--both written under the direction of the Department of Education, this curriculum provides a comprehensive approach to transition life skills.

The workbook is written on a high-third/low-fourth-grade level with lots of airy pages and short, direct lessons followed by a comprehension quiz or real-world activity, yet is still respectful of teenage maturity.

The units and suggested resources, including transcripts, IDEA laws, IEPs, voter registration cards, and ATM cards, etc., provide students with an individual resource portfolio that will guide them through college, employment, or young adulthood while meeting federal standards for transition services and you with undisputable evidence that you have provided comprehensive transition education. Certain lessons begin with examples based on California resources but then ask students to find similar resources for their particular town or state. This is done so that students may be secure in their ability to understand the use of the resource and then obtain the skill of locating their own pertinent resources.

ITP goals have been provided for each unit. This starting point gives you a basis on which to write unique individualized goals and use them in annual IEPs to meet transition goals. Parent verification letters are provided with each unit to keep parents apprised of your efforts to meet transition goals, and suggestions are provided to parents to help them enhance their child’s life skills learning and support them as they begin providing help to their child as a life coach. Grading sheets are included with each unit, and an answer guide for all units is provided in the teacher’s manual.

Units include:

Transition Planning: Defining my Dream Life; What Life Skills do I Have?; Briggs-Myers; Career Aptitude; Career Theory; Analyzing my Data; Where do I Fit?

My Rights and Responsibilities: Voting; Self-Advocacy; Knowing How to Get What I Need; Learning to Ask; My Responsibilities as an Adult; Decision-Making; Goal-Setting; What if I Can't?; Documenting my Disability

College & Post-Secondary Education: Types of Schools; Paying for College; Applying for FAFSA; How to get Scholarships; Understanding ABLE Accounts

Obtaining my Transcripts

Careers: First Impressions; Answering the Phone; Writing a Resume; References; Cover Letters; Addressing Envelopes; Completing Job Applications; Passing Computer Honesty Tests; Interviewing; Job Shadowing; Internet Presence

Community Resources and Adult Living: What to Carry; Emergency Numbers; Emergency SOS; Safe Location Sharing; Interacting with my Social Squares; Lures; Safe Words; 3 Steps to Stay Safe; Services Offered at Community Resources; My Service Needs

Financial Literacy: Bank Accounts; ATM Cards; Writing a Check; Budgets; How to Pay Bills; Wants vs. Needs; Buying Insurance; Other Money Issues; Credit Cards; Your FICO Score

Health and Welfare: Protecting Health Information; HIPAA; My Health Team; Home Remedies; Using Websites; Talk to a Nurse; Is it Serious?--How to Tell; Mental Health Issues; Drug and Alcohol Issues

Next Steps: Provides a portfolio of documents from all the previous units for students to use as a reference after graduation and for parents to use as a guide as they take over as "life-coach."

An introductory PowerPoint presentation is also available on the site for use with students, parents, and/or staff.

Subscribe to Susan's transition Newsletter at susan.traugh@gmail.com. Weekly blog posts with free lesson plans are also provided on her website at: www.transition2lifedailylivingskills.com or explore her professional development videos on transition (coming soon on her website.)