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Thursday, August 2, 2012

Transition Toolbox—Why You Need It



JobTips Transition Toolbox is soon to be released! We have spent months sharing insight into how Do2Learn and it's team of wonderful professionals have built this fantastic web-based curriculum. Now we are going to share some facts about how Transition Toolbox is needed in your school district, county, system, etc.

These are facts that can be used when you go to administration to let them know how EVERYONE in your school system (students, teachers, administration, etc.) will benefit from utilizing Transition Toolbox.
  • 1 in 88 individuals in the U.S. are now diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • As of Fall 2011, there were about 370,000 U.S. Special Education students ages 6-21 identified for Special Education in the Autism category
  • From 1997-2006 (this is the most recent federal data available), autism was one of only two disability areas (2 out of 14) where there was a significant increase in the number of students served under that disability category. U.S. Department of Education reports that Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability category.
  • From 1997-2006, there has been a significant increase on the number of students identified as having Autism in the U.S. who graduated with a regular high school diploma (33.6% increased to 57.1%).
  • Approximately 50,000 adolescents with ASD will be turning 18 this year (2012).
  • The number of individuals with Autism who were served by Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) in the U.S. has increased substantially. For example, between 2002-2006, the number of consumers with Autism increased by 121%.
  • When individuals with Autism served by VR were compared to persons with other conditions, on a per capita basis, individuals with Autism are among the most costly to serve.
  • Up to 90% of job losses in individuals with disabilities are due to problems within occupational soft skills areas such as social communication and self-regulation.
  • Youth with an ASD seem to be uniquely at risk for negative post-school outcomes, as compared to those with other types of disabilities. While only 55% of those with an ASD are employed in the six years beyond high school, 86% of those with a speech or language impairment, 94% of those with a learning disability, and 69% of those with an intellectual disability have found employment.
  • There are interventions for those with ASD that have been identified as “best practice” and “evidence-based practices”. These have been identified by the National Autism Center and the National Research Council. Some of these practices are also identified as evidence-based interventions for individuals with other learning needs (e.g. intellectual disability, emotional disability).
  • Transition Planning, as mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is designed to be within a results-oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the individual with a disability to facilitate the individual's movement from school to post-school activities, including vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), etc.
  • Students who graduate with a regular high school diploma follow the Standard Course of Study/the Common Core State Standards. Within the curriculum, we have identified explicit links between the majority of our intervention topics and specific curriculum standards.
So take time to review our previous blogs look at how Transition Toolbox will assist you and your students with Autism in preparing for success after high school!