The Most Critical Goals for Teens
One of the most important goals for education in teens is the transition to high school and adulthood which officially starts at age 14. Milestones Autism Resources and other national autism experts recommend starting to plan as early as possible. While the official transition to adulthood is defined as ages 14 to 22, transitions happen throughout life.
Before your teen starts high school, discuss what the high school environment is like and how it is different and the same as middle school. If possible, meet with the high school interventionist and staff in the spring of your teen’s last year in middle school to discuss the transition plan. Include your teen in these discussions so they can feel part of the process and learn to advocate for themselves, even if it is just to watch you do it.
Share your teen’s strengths and challenges including sensory needs and discuss the accommodations in their Individualized Education Program (IEP). Ask how your teen will get oriented to the staff, building and how things are done at the high school. This transition might include a tour of the building, so when they start the school year things will look familiar. Bonus points if your child has a chance to "walk their schedule" to practice their daily route through the building. Discuss when their IEP and accommodations will be adjusted for the high school environment and your teen’s needs.
If your teen does not have a diagnosis yet, an important step in ensuring their best education is to get a diagnosis and start intervention. To learn more about IEPs, 504 plans and diagnosis for teens, visit this related article in the Milestones Autism Planning (MAP) Tool.
Vocational Planning
An important goal is building skills for employment and exploring their interests, which is called vocational planning and preparation. Vocational preparation goals should be included in your teen’s IEP in the Future Planning Statement and goals section. Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI) provides Examples of Postsecondary Goals. Click here to see how vocational goals can be included in IEPs.
At 14 years old, students can be referred to your state’s agency that helps people with disabilities start developing skills to find competitive work. In Ohio that agency is Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD). The Rehabilitation Services Administration provides this gateway to the various state agencies.
At 16 years old, your teen needs a more in-depth transition plan in their IEP that is connected to their transition statement and future planning outcomes. Most high schools have a Transition Coordinator who will start being part of your school team. That person will usually be your link to the assessments for skills and interests for employment, internships or in school work experiences, connections to external agencies and extended time on college tests if appropriate.
In addition, at 16 they can start travel training with most transit authorities like the RTA in Cleveland and get a disability fare card. If appropriate they can work towards getting their driver’s license and use specific disability agencies to help them.
Age Appropriate Transition Assessments (AATAs) should be occurring throughout all years in high school to help determine needed services to achieve desired goals as an adult. This is typically done in school but can also happen in other therapeutic settings. This information from OCALI provides information and a video about AATA. The Ohio AATA Library offers a variety of assessments and transition and employment resources that may be helpful to parents.
This is the time to think about what time of job training and education they will need beyond high school to get the kinds of jobs they are interested in and their skills and abilities. Everyone’s situation is unique. This could be an on-the-job training program, internship, a trade school, community college or university. Ask about the kinds of job accommodations such as having a job coach that might help your teen be successful.
The Job Accommodation Network provides information about different potential accommodations. Job training, internships or shadowing someone whose job they might be interested in, can be part of the high school experience. Some locations like Ohio may have free college credit plus programs available in which students may be able to earn college credits by attending a local community college after applying to the program.
If your teen will be continuing their education after they graduate from high school, the Milestones Postsecondary/College Tool Kit provides detailed information, strategies and questions to think about in considering different schools and programs, applying and planning for the transition.
It is also good to start thinking about housing which you’ll find more information about in the Housing section of the MAP Tool.
Encouraging Self-Advocacy and Decision Making
Part of parenting your teen is starting to let go and give them more independence. It’s important to respect boundaries, encourage their decision making and choices. It can be difficult but letting your teen make mistakes helps them. They need to work through how to handle a situation and experience what happens next.
This skill building relates to self-determination which is an idea that includes people choosing and setting their own goals, being involved in making life decisions, self-advocating and working to reach their goals. Making your own decision includes when I’m in a situation how would I fix it and do I want to fix it.
Teens need to develop their confidence and competence to be able to live as independently as is right for them. Whether your child is going to college or a day program, an internship or training program, independent living skills is what cuts across all. It is important for them to learn self-advocacy, the skills to advocate for themselves. Check out the Self-Advocacy article in the MAP Tool.
The way we feel better about reducing our anxiety in letting go is by giving our teens a safe place to experience mistakes and consequences. This also gives them the space to learn how to develop resilience and strategies for coping. Parents and teens often feel anxious about transition. Working on this together can reassure you both that you have the tools to learn how to do it.
Milestones has developed this Adult Independent Living Skills checklist across main functioning areas from food and nutrition to safety at home and in the community. Check out the details and a handy downloadable checklist to help you build these skills.
The Milestones free autism Helpdesk or Family Consultations can assist you in finding resources and making a plan to help your teen develop the skills they need.
Additional Resources
Transition to Adulthood Guidelines from OCALI
Future Planning Chapter in the OCALI Parent Guide to ASD
A Guide for Transition to Adulthood from Organization for Autism Research (OAR)
Self-Determination Tool Kit - Supporting Teens and Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum: Setting and Pursuing Self-Determined Goals from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, its Treatment and Research Institute on Autism Spectrum Disorders (VKC TRIAD), and the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation. Read more about the tool kit and other information from Vanderbilt here.
