Do you know what your child wants to do after high school? Do you know how to help them plan for the future? Parents are an essential part of the growth and development of any student. They also play a vital role in the transition planning and preparation for their child.

It is very important for you to be as involved as possible in the transition planning of your child, but you might have lots of questions. Wrightslaw is a great way to find answers to lots of questions. One way to get involved is to attend your child's IEP meeting and to make sure your child attends the meeting also. Check out this list of parental involvement activities. We know it can be overwhelming sometimes--maybe you don't know all the lingo or the abbreviations. Sometimes it's hard to communicate effectively with everyone you need to--try writing a letter using this resource, "Advocating through Letter Writing." You can find a lot of helpful information on our website. Some might be resources from other states, but they can still be helpful to you.

There are lots of simple things you can do at home that can help prepare your child for the future. Take a look at these Parent Tips and try one or two. You might be surprised at the results. There are also inventories you can complete and give to your child's teacher. This will help in writing an effective transition plan for your child. Your input is essential and it's required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

So go exploring--not just the parent section, but all the sections within our website. We hope you will discover a wealth of information!

Drivers License Study Guide: Student Manual - This guide will help students preparing for the Arkansas Driver's License Test. This guide is aligned with Volume 1, Edition 4, of the AR Driver's License Test Study Guide published by the AR State Police.

Driver_License_Study Guide: Teachers_Manual - This guide will help teachers and parents of students preparing for the AR Driver's License Test (aligned with Volume 1, Edition 4 of the AR Driver's License Test Study Guide published by the AR State Police).

Glossary of Terms - this list provides definitions of terms found in the areas of Employment/Post Secondary Education, Domestic, Community Functioning, Transportation and Recreation which are all areas of Transition planning.

Parents As Advocates/Mentors - this article discusses the need for parents to learn to become advocates for their children and how to do just that.

Person Centered Planning - this brief provides important information on Person Centered Planning and how it can be beneficial to your child in the Transition Planning process.

Preparing for Employment - this brief explains how parents can help youth prepare for employment outside the school setting.

Parental Role in Drop-out Prevention - this brief explains risk factors of drop-out, why youth drop out and strategies parents can use to decrease drop-out rates.

Reaching the Age of Majority - this brief helps parents prepare their children for reaching the age of majority and gives assistance in teaching them how to make decisions.

Differences between High School and College - take a look at this side-by-side chart to see how life in high school compares with college life. 

Agency Brief - find a list of several state agencies with brief descriptions of the services they provide and the website addresses to get more information.

The Youthhood: Helping Teens Plan for the Future. The Youthhood is a free, interactive, and dynamic new Web site that young adults and their teachers, parents, and mentors can use to plan for life after high school.

Youth Rules
This is a site on the Department of Labor’s Website that talks about the hours and jobs that students can work.

Intervention Central
Intervention Central offers free tools and resources to help school staff and parents to promote positive classroom behaviors and foster effective learning for all children and youth.

National Center for Secondary Education and Transition
NCSET coordinates national resources, offers technical assistance and disseminates information related to secondary education and transition for youth with disabilities in order to create opportunities for youth to achieve successful futures.

The ARC
The ARC is a national organization of and for people with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities and their families. Services include: early intervention, health care, a free appropriate public education and supports for families. For adults, services and supports include preparation for employment, help in finding a job, independent living skill training, leisure and recreation activities.

Transition Coalition
The Transition Coalition provides on-line information, support, and professional development on topics focusing on the transition from school to adult life.

The Post-ITT
The Post-ITT website is a collection of resources and activities to aid educators students, parents, and Disability Service Coordinators in the task of planning for a student’s transition from secondary to post-secondary education.

The Person Centered Planning Education Site
Person Centered planning is an approach to empowering people with disabilities to define the direction for their own lives through development of methods and resources. The focus is on people and their needs. This site provides on-line self-study courses to learn the basics of person-centered planning.

FREE is the one-stop website designed to help teachers, parents, & students find teaching & learning resources from more than 40 federal organizations & agencies.

Total Academics Student Services & Educational Learning (Tassel Time)
Counselors access this site free. The website provides information, resources and thousands of links for counselors, teachers, and parents. Also available is a tutorial for students. Tassel Time provides numerous resources to help provide career guidance including military links and extensive links to career information. Find out more from your counselor.

All Kinds of Minds - founded in 1995 to translate the latest research on how children learn into programs, products, and services that help students struggling in school become more successful learners. This website is full of tools and resources to help parents, students and educators learn the different kinds of minds.

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities - a great souce of information on disabilities in infants, toddlers, children and youth, IDEA, No Child Left Behind, and research-based information on effective educational practices.

Bureau of Labor Statistics
A place where kids can find information on job opportunities related to the arts, math, science, physical education and outdoors, reading, and social studies. The site also offers resources for teachers, including a link to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. (Department of Labor).

Career Voyages
Online videos depicting different jobs and apprenticeship programs (zip/state to locate in your area)

Casey Life Skills
Teachers and families, here you will find free and easy to use tools to help young people prepare for adulthood. The life skills assessments provide instant feedback. Customized learning plans provide a clear outline of next steps, and the accompanying teaching resources are available free or at a minimal cost.