Access to Post—High School Services: Transition Assessment and the Summary of Performance

• Published in: Career development for exceptional individuals 2006-10, Vol.29 (2), p.70-89
• Main Authors: Kochhar-Bryant, Carol A., Izzo, Margo Vreeburg
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access to education; Children & youth; Disability; Educational Environment; Educational services; Health services; No Child Left Behind Act 2001-US; Performance evaluation; Post High School Guidance; School environment; School psychologists; Secondary school students; Student Participation; Vocational rehabilitation
• ISSN: 0885-7288; 2165-1434; 1557-5047; 2165-1442
• DOI: 10.1177/08857288060290020601

IDEA 2004 has included a new requirement for youth transition— a Summary of Functional Performance (SOP)—documentation to assist in seeking eligibility for disability-related services after high school. However, minimal implementation guidance has been provided to states. The articles in this special series explain how the SOP can reduce longstanding barriers to transition and explore its implementation from perspectives of secondary, postsecondary, rehabilitation, employment, students, and families. In this article, the authors describe the work of the National Transition Documentation Summit in prompting a national dialog, responding to thorny questions from the field, and developing guidelines for field consideration. Finally, it presents a charge to the field to collaborate and continue conversation about bridging the documentation gap to strengthen the likelihood of successful transition for youth.