A Collaborative Approach to Transition Planning for Students With Disabilities

by JoAnn M. Rae

Overview

The book’s framework is specially designed to advance students’ involvement and participation in their lives, not only in the presence of the most severe sensory and intellectual disabilities, but also in the case of multiple disabilities. Unique scenarios not typically seen in other textbooks, such as IEP team disagreements, students with terminal illnesses, students with ill or overworked parents, or students living in poverty are also explored.

This updated edition also includes:

• Descriptions of research-based practices to maximize students’ self-determination, autonomy, goal setting, and ability to have successful life experiences
• Opportunities to integrate knowledge with practice by providing strategies that relate to the real-life difficulties students and transition planning specialists may encounter
• Easy-to-replicate communication tools, such as letters to students and parents, as examples to enhance collaboration
• Methods for teachers to effectively promote and increase student involvement and collaboration by using structured and interactive interviews
• Guidance aligned with the most up-to-date special education law

A Collaborative Approach to Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities reflects the universal challenges that teachers, families, and finally, the students themselves face, as they progress through school with a disability. For students with disabilities, the key component to successful transition planning is creating a collaborative atmosphere that allows them to be successful. This book promises to serve as an essential resource to all who are dedicated to that goal.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781638221647
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	05/15/2025
Series:	Evidence-Based Instruction in Special Education
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	466
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

JoAnn M. Rae, EdD, teaches special education classes at the graduate school level and develops early childhood books for children with autism and delayed language acquisition. For over 25 years, she has worked with children and students with disabilities, supervising early intervention, school-age programs, and inclusion classes, and developing transition plans. Dr. Rae’s work reflects her expertise in collaborating within school communities to develop effective transition plans grounded in research-based practices. Her education and practical experience working directly with students, their families, school personnel, and district administrators makes her uniquely qualified to write this text.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Introduction to Transition Planning;  1. Transition Planning and Special Education Law;  Part 2: Transition Planning Practices;  2. An Interactive Framework of Activities Focusing on Community Access, Student Engagement and Post-School Goals Selection;  3. Collaborating With Families During the Transition Planning Process;  Part 3: Assessments;  4. Medical Conditions, Assessment, and Transition: Implications of Disability and Medical Conditions on Work-Seeking Activities and Educational Progress;  5. Assessment Tools;  Part 4: Transition Plan Development;  6. Transition Plan Frameworks: Creating the Transition Plan;  7. Career and Employment-Based Learning: Supporting Entry Into the Workforce and Postsecondary Education;  Part 5: Special Education Programs: Responsibilities and Resources of Transition Team Members and Community and Governmental Agencies;  8. School Leadership and Transition Planning;  9. Roles of the Secondary Special Education Team and Community Agencies;  Part 6: Special Considerations: Working With Diverse Groups of Students;  10. Students With Specific Learning Disabilities and Speech and Language Impairments;  11. Students With Emotional, Behavioral, and Severe Mental Health Disorders;  12. Students Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Deaf-Blind;  13. Students With Autism Without Accompanying Language or Intellectual Impairment;  14. Students With Other Health Impairments, Chronic Medical and Orthopedic Impairments, and Traumatic Brain Injury;  15. Students With Mild, Moderate, Severe, Multiple, and Profound Intellectual Disabilities;  16. Students With Autism and Accompanying Language and Intellectual Impairment;  Part 7: Special Education Transitions;  17. The Effectiveness of Transition Planning: Monitoring the Practices of the Special Education Team;  18. Special Education Transitions From Birth to Age 21

Editorial Reviews

Preservice teachers struggle with the complex concepts and aspects of special education transition planning, and as an instructor in a special educator teacher preparation program, I struggled to find just the perfect textbook to support my teachings in transition planning to my preservice teachers. That is until I found A Collaborative Approach to Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities by Dr. JoAnn Rae. Throughout the text, Dr. Rae’s decades of experience are apparent in the breadth and depth of her coverage of the legislation and implementation of transition planning, the goals and methods of transition planning, how to support our students in their self-advocacy and decision-making, and how to collaborate with families and special education professionals. The textual framework has been specially designed to support preservice students’ understanding and participation in transition planning meetings through research-based practices that help to maximize special education students’ self-determination, goal setting, and agency for successful life experiences. I have found Dr. Rae’s inclusion of student scenarios an excellent tool to teach my preservice teachers about students with low incidence disabilities, severe sensory and intellectual disabilities, and also students with health impairments, and multiple disabilities. Her unique scenarios are comprehensive and an extremely effective tool to demonstrate complexities not found in other textbooks, such as IEP team disagreements, students with a myriad of illnesses, students with complex family needs, and students living in poverty. These well-thought-out scenarios were perfect for group engagement and provided my preservice teachers with opportunities to work together to problem-solve and integrate knowledge with practice and provide strategies that help them understand the real-life challenges students, their families, and transition planning specialists encounter day-to-day. This book will serve as an excellent resource to any instructor supporting preservice or in-service teachers and transition specialists in understanding the complex concepts and aspects of special education transition planning, and postsecondary success for students with disabilities.

Patricia R. Huskin, PhD, Retired Associate Professor, Department of Teacher & Bilingual Education, College of Education & Human Performance, Texas A&M University, Kingsville

From the Publisher