Title

Family Workshops: Transition Services in Special Education

Author

Judy Sowada, Concordia University, St. Paul

Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Non Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education

Department

Education

Capstone Instructor

David Bredehoft

Second Reader

David Brusehoff

Keywords

special education, transition services, students with disabilities

Abstract

Parents, whose roles include providing for and protecting their children, often find themselves at odds with the teen who wants to experience life, develop individual values, and achieve independence (Tempke, 1994). When a child is vulnerable, families may view control as a responsibility to ensure safety. Families may have extensive fear of how the world will treat their children, or they may hesitate to give up their primary role as protector and advocate. In spite of this, teens with disabilities want and need to experience and obtain the same things that all adolescents want and need no matter how significant their disability (Peterson, 2004). Federal laws mandate schools to start providing transition services for the child with developmental disabilities to start once the student reaches 14 years or ninth grade (What is transition planning?, 2005). There are few opportunities available to families which provide them with information on transition services. Therefore, the main goal of this project is to develop a series of workshops and materials to educate and support families regarding transition services.

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