I loved this resource! This is a user friendly workbook that is useful for students of many different abilities including lower functioning students.There is a personal profileworksheetthat can be filled outby the student orsomeone in their life. There is also a relationship worksheet that physically depicts the student and the people closest to themin their life. This can help with knowing who to call on for help and who is just an acquaintance. There are worksheets on setting appropriate goals and benchmarks to reach those goals as well as how to appropriately address obstacles. This workbook helps the user think about what they want, like and need and how to get it. This was a very well-rounded resource addressing the students academic, social-emotional and daily living needs.

This is another great, and free, yay, resource! It literally produces a roadmap for writing first rate transition and action plans. Starting with a personal description of the student, it proceeds with a detailed vision for the student's future, then allows for a discussion of transition goals, and obstacles that may impede achieving the goals. The next section provides an in dept analysis of how the obstacles can be overcome. Resources listed include physical, people, community and social services. Then the student is asked to prioritize his/her options and resources. All this analysis leads to the development of a transition action plan. I believe this assessment could be used by students in personal portfolios and certainly to help them develop their transition IEPs.

I have not used this assessment tool to date however, after looking it over it looks great. It inlcudes people or supports that are close to the transition student. This is important as these kids need support system. It also includes li=ooking at hte future which sometimes is easier if there are guiding questions or ideas. Looking at the obstacles is the logical way to develop a plan of action to overcome. In looking at the obstacles, naturally a list of resources develops. Another great point with this assessment is it's free.....

Planning for the Future Workbook

This workbook is divided into 8 tools (Personal Profile, Relationship Map, Envision the future, Goal, Obstacles, Available resources to overcome obstacles, Prioritizing options and resources, and then development of an action plan).

This guide is a positive tool for the student, helping them work through the achievement of their goal. I liked the different tools so much that I am using some of this guide for delegates attending the Oklahoma Youth Leadership Forum.

I was not a huge fan of this particular resource. I'm sure that it has a particular audience that it would work really well with however, with many of the kids and parents that I work with a survey with nothing but fill in the blanks would be very intimidating. I believe that the questions that are asked are very appropriate questions that need to be addressed, but I think they would be better addressed in the form of an interview so you could explain what they were asking. I feel as though many parents would not know the information, and many would simply not complete the questionaire because of that fact. However, it is a nice screening tool to address background knowlege and it is a nice feature that it asks you to prioritize your options.

Any resource that I can use for Transition planning, I am all for. Especially those that are free, even better. We use something similar with our students on Transtion planning. We have a survey that they use and have the students fill out. I really like this plan, because it explains how to develop an action plan, then it attaces the plan form along with it. I think anything that helps me within the classroom, and makes my life a little easier on top of it, is a great idea. I like examples and free sites.

I have used this resource with students in the 9th grade that don't yet need to have a transition plan as part of their IEP. It is a good resource to introduce me to the students and it also gives the student an opportunity to start thinking about life after high school. I do like that it is like a road map and it clearly outlines supports, strengths and weaknesses. It also gives the opportunity for the student to be introduced to local resources within the community. The only negative I found about this resource is that the cover and the set up of the workbook are almost juvenile.

I really like this transition assessment because it gives me a better picture of the student and it also gives the student a place to begin their planning for the next few years. As a high school special educator I would suggest giving this assessment to the students when they are in middle school before they transition to high school. This would give everyone a jump start on the transition planning process.

Planning For The Future appears to be a good tool for a student and their team to start thinking about their future. I would leave off the cover page; high school students may think it too juvenile. I would also change the Personal Profile and the Envision the Future pages so that the questions are directed at the student. The last three pages ask good questions for the student to start reflecting on. It would be a good idea to periodically check in with the student to check the status of where they are in relation to their action plan and to see if goals have changed.

There are some good questions in this, however, the packet seems to immature for the students I serve(mostly 17-22yrs old). I really like the Resources to Overcome Obstacles page. Our students have difficulty being specific and rely too heavily on thinking 911 or the emergency room as the only resources they need. I appreciate the fact that it is free and would be able to site the source when using pieces of the plan! Thank you.

"Planning For The Future" is a great tool to get kids and their families involved in the transition planning process. It allows the students to voice what their interests are and not what someone thinks their interests are. Likewise it allows for the student to write down what their overall goal is and helps them to develop a plan to get to that goal. This assessment also breaks it down for the student as to what obstacles they may have in reaching their goal and then what resources they may need to utilize to overcome the obstacles. I especially like how the assessment helps students to prioritize their needs to get to their overall goal. I also like the piece where students can answer the questions of where they can begin their work towards meeting their goals, how they will do it, who will help them, and how will they know when they have accomplished it. Lastly it ends with an action plan form that students can keep visible so they know where they are headed in the next few weeks and then over the next few months.