Preparing Students with Disabilities for Graduation

Spring brings senioritis, a phenomenon so real that Microsoft Word apparently recognizes it as a legitimate word. For graduating seniors, the anticipation has been building for months, if not years. As the weather gets warmer and the date can be counted in terms of weeks, the reality of graduation begins to alter perspectives. Seniors get swept up in the excitement of finishing school. Of course as high school is ending, adulthood is poised to begin. Graduation ceremonies are called commencements, after all.

The pomp and circumstance can mean something different for students with disabilities. High school comes with a safety net for many of these students in the form of special education services. Supports after high school can vary dramatically. Students with disabilities might be staring at a dearth of meaningful opportunities for after high school. Too often, the end of high school can mark the beginning of a long stretch of inactivity for these students.

Policy makers have been aware of this for decades. As a result, the law dictates that post-secondary planning has to begin as early as middle school for many students with disabilities. The nature of this planning depends on the degree and type of disability. It must be individually designed for each student. The idea is that with sufficient consideration and coordination, supports can be in place to facilitate a transition into an appropriate and productive post-secondary setting. Some students have highly involved transition programs that involve the cooperation of agencies and social workers. Others are less sophisticated. For any student receiving special education services, some degree of planning beyond the ordinary will be needed.

Transition plans can be quite formal, involving assessments, training, and measurable goals. Teams should give such dignity to the design of these plans. The plans might effectively cover practical arrangements, but not every consideration will be so practical. Along with all of this planning, these students need to be prepared to accept the actual end of school. Students who struggle with adaptive behavior might have difficulty with this. Everything that has been familiar to them will be coming to a close. In some cases, counselors might need to be involved to help students cope. Students might need assistance coming to terms with everything that leaving a familiar environment entails, including ending long established routines. Parents and teachers might need to facilitate what would occur more naturally for students without disabilities, such as staying in touch with peers.

Acceptance of the end of high school is one matter. The more challenging matter might be the acceptance of what comes after high school. This can be nuanced and delicate. Having grown up immersed in messages about following their dreams and being able to be whatever they want to be, many students with disabilities can end up being sorely disappointed by what actual prospects are available. College might not be a realistic option. Even having a competitive job might not be possible. Circumstance might determine that some of these students either don’t have employment options, or only have options within somewhat contrived settings. Sometimes parents and school officials differ strongly about what these options will be. They owe it to the students to come to an understanding though, as they should work together to prepare students as early as possible for accepting the available options. Teams should be frank with students regarding post-secondary opportunities. High school juniors with first grade reading levels and little ability to complete basic arithmetic shouldn’t be led to believe they’ll be able to pursue Bachelor’s degrees. The responsible adults in their lives must help them understand that some options won’t be available, but those that will be available are indeed positive and appropriate.

The scope of everything a transition plan should entail is fodder for an article of its own. Parents and teachers have some softer, less formal considerations to make regarding how to get students with disabilities to accept the changes that come with graduation. Teams need to consider each student’s emotional reaction to leaving the comfort and familiarity of high school. They need to help students understand that the same options aren’t available to all students and that this is okay. Formal transition plans can include provisions for such considerations, but the team members must be ready for reactions not necessarily covered in the plans. With a consistent team approach that begins early enough, parents and teachers can make the transition from high school as smooth as it can be for students with disabilities.

Written by Jeff Hartman