Adolescent Transition

The journey to adulthood for a child with special health care needs or disability is filled with joys and challenges -- as it is for any child, just more so. From the day the special health care need is known and onward, family members must learn new vocabulary, new techniques and procedures. They meet doctors and other health providers they may never have known even existed. They learn about and become connected to organizations, programs and people in their community whose path they had never crossed before. They even learn about laws unknown to them earlier.

Life can become more than busy as families work to get the best for all their members. As these full days unfold, our children are entering their adulthood -- an adulthood that should offer them the opportunities, pleasures, and challenges available to anyone.

The transition to adult life is not easy for any child! Adulthood does not happen overnight, nor does preparing for adulthood. Transition is a process, and includes many different aspects. This includes transitioning from pediatric to adult medical care, and moving from school to work and other aspects of adult life and increased independence. Planning for transition should begin early. Several resources have been developed to help families, teens and health care providers through this process.

Click on the links below for fact sheets, handouts, and other resources on transition!

Information for Teens and Families

Federation for Children with Special Needs

http://fcsn.org/pti/topics/transition/index.html

Work-related Information

• Ease-to-read information about Social Security benefits

Going To Work booklet

http://www.communityinclusion.org/article.php?article_id=211

• Flexible funding for job success

http://www.communityinclusion.org/article.php?article_id=150

For more information on adolescent transition or to ask about the next LADDER OF SUCCESS workshop for teens and young adults, call your Family TIES Coordinator at 1-800-905-TIES.