The arrival of Spring brings a lot of things. There is an excitement of change and growth. The school year is winding down and people with disabilities and their families are planning for a major life transition. “Transition” is the process when someone with a disability graduates from high school and moves into adulthood. This usually occurs around a person’s 21st birthday. The process can often be intimidating. It begins with asking people and their families a lot of questions that they haven’t dealt with yet.
Transition Fairs are one of the biggest resources when planning to transition into adulthood. These fairs are typically held throughout the Spring ahead of graduation dates. Most fairs are hosted by school districts and led by their Transition Coordinator or team. You can expect to see a variety of community organizations in attendance who will have all sorts of information to share. You can interact with organizational staff who provide information and guidance.
During the Spring Season, it’s a great idea to attend a local Transition or Resource Fair. You’ll be able to gather lots of information and make connections with organizations in your community. You can often find out about these fairs through the DDD website or your school district. Change can be hard. Being well informed can really help make it all easier.
Choosing a Support Coordination Agency
As you get ready to take on adulthood, a big decision needs to be made. That decision is about who to choose as a Support Coordination Agency. Your Support Coordinator will assist in developing your initial Support Plan. Your Support Coordinator also helps you to coordinate what types of services you will access in adulthood. A Support Coordinator can be your greatest resource and supporter in adulthood. A Support Coordinator’s job is to help you flourish.
Choosing a Support Coordination agency can feel overwhelming. If you have never met with a Support Coordinator or had any guidance on that choice, it could be tough to know what questions to ask. A great resource to help you make this choice is the Boggs Center on Disability and Human Development. They have developed a Selecting a Support Coordination Agency guide. It is available on their website. The guide provides you with basic information on what a Support Coordinator does. It also offers questions you can ask when meeting with a Support Coordination Agency. The Boggs Center website is a great place to find and review lots of resources to help throughout your life.
It’s important to know that you can change your Support Coordinator if your first choice isn’t a match. The guide is just as helpful when looking to make a change from one agency to another.
We understand that this is an important time in your life and aim to be helpful on your journey. Members of our team will be sharing information at several fairs this Spring. Come by and say hi!