The last post showed the variety of assessments that I find useful for different populations or situations. This can, unfortunately, still be a little overwhelming if you are just learning about transition assessment. Below you will find the assessments I actually use to create plans that meet compliance requirements but still yield quality transition plans.
Data Review
What are the student’s strengths and weaknesses based on past evaluation measures (e.g., cognitive, academic achievement, adaptive)? What do current levels of academic achievement and functional performance tell you?
Interests & Preferences
I use the Future Planning Inventory, which can be found free online from the publishers. This has teacher, student, and parent forms. It will collect information on all major areas (employment, education, and independent living). The big plus is that it gives you information on preferences such as tasks and chores that can guide you to creating goals when the student says “I don’t know” to postsecondary education and employment dreams. For high school kids, I may add the Career Interest Survey (also free online) or the TPI-3 or TAGG if my district has purchased it.
Skills
Here I use the Self-Determination and Self-Advocacy Skills Questionnaire. This, too, is free online. It looks at soft skills that are needed to be successful in postsecondary education and employment (and to a degree, independent living). Don’t overlook the importance of this step. If students do not know what accommodations they have, how to use them, or how to ask for them (among other skills), then they are step up to fail in education and employment after high school.
Parent Involvement
All assessments I use have parent forms. Please send these home and include them in the transition plan. Not only does this meet the requirement of parent involvement, it will also help you create a meaningful plan for those 4’5″ students who say they want to be the next Shaq.
Nonverbal
Parent forms are crucial for students who are nonverbal, as well as teacher forms. I also like to use the Personal Preference Indicators. This can be found through Zarrow Center, but it is a little out dated. I created my own form for my school district. I find updating Vinelands regularly also help.
Renewals
I will reuse everything mentioned above on a yearly basis. I like to add the TAGG or TPI-3 if I can in high school, or the SIS-C or SIS-A for those with high support needs. If the student has SLD or ID, and plans to attend college 2.5 years after graduation (and is on track to graduate), then it is good to update cognitive and academic testing so they don’t have to pay for that their freshman year of college.
I hope you have found this helpful. For individual cases, I am available for consultation through email at: alex.w.wheatley@outlook.com
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