Education
Transition services are a coordinated set of activities for students with disabilities to help them successfully move from school to life as an adult. These services focus on improving academic and everyday skills so that students can be better prepared to take their next steps to college, career training, a job (including jobs with support), more education, adult services, living independently, and being involved in the community.
Transition services are always centered on the individual student and take into account each student’s needs, strengths, interests, and preferences.
Transition services can include:
- Instruction and classroom learning;
- Related services, like therapy or counseling;
- Community experiences;
- Career planning and goal setting for adult life; and
- When needed, daily living skills and having a functional vocational evaluation.
These supports may be considered special education or related services. Special education includes specially designed instruction, and related services help the student benefit from special education.
Read the federal regulations about transition services.
The Rhode Island Department of Education also has resources to help schools and families guide students with disabilities.
What resources are available to me in college?
Going to college, whether you’re commuting or living in a dorm on campus, is a major step toward your future. The transition to education after high school brings new freedoms and responsibilities, including greater ownership of your own learning. Your IEP or 504 plan from high school does not transfer to college. It’s important to learn about and understand who at the college you need to ask for help, what documentation you need to bring with you, and what accommodations and services you may be eligible for. When you check out and visit different colleges, research or ask about the disability services that are available. Knowing what works for you and which strategies have helped you succeed in the past will make it easier to communicate your needs. When you visit the campus, meet with the disability services center. They can help determine if you qualify for accommodations and can help you get the services you need. Some people wait to disclose their disability until after they have been accepted to the college, but that decision is up to the individual student.
Colleges do not have a responsibility to identify students with a disability, so that is why it is important for the student to identify their disability, provide documentation, and ask for assistance. Colleges cannot discriminate based on disability. Their programs must be accessible to students with disabilities. This includes providing building access, communication aids, and academic accommodations.
Possible accommodations on campus:
In the classroom
- Preferred seating (front of class)
- Accessible classroom furniture
- Breaks during class for self-care
- Recorded lectures
- Note-taker or copies of Professor’s notes
- Text and syllabus available in advance
- Accessible course materials
During exams
- Exams in accessible formats
- Extended time for test-taking
- Exams with a reader or scribe
- Breaks allowed during testing
- Testing in a room with reduced distractions
Completing assignments
- Extra time
- Advance notice of assignments
- Textbooks in different formats
- Assistive technology (learning software, etc.)
In general
- Reduced course load
- Early or priority registration for classes
- Single room or low-occupancy room in campus housing
Any student who is having a crisis or hardship can ask their school how to apply for a medical withdrawal, leave of absence, or an incomplete. Do not hesitate to talk to someone on campus and ask about your options.
Do not let your behavioral health condition prevent you from getting a college degree. State, federal, and local laws prohibit discrimination against students with disabilities, and this includes behavioral health conditions. Schools are required to provide accommodations and services to help your succeed.
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) restricts colleges from disclosing academic records and disability documentation without your written permission. If you register with disability services on campus, it will not appear on your transcript. Your records may be shared without your permission in extraordinary circumstances, like health and safety emergencies, court orders, or subpoenas. Ask your school about its confidentiality policy.
- Check your college or university's website to learn about its counseling center, health services, disability services, and office of student life. Most college counseling centers provide free therapy visits.
- Learn about BH Link or call 988.
- Active Minds is a student-run organization dedicated to increasing awareness about mental health among high school and college students. There are chapters if Active Minds at Brown University, Bryant University, Providence College, URI, and Mount Saint Charles Academy.
- Project Lets is a peer support model available at some schools, including Brown University and RIC.
- Jed Foundation mental health resources and help for youth and young adults. Text “Home” to 741-741
- Department of Human Services' Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS) provides services to eligible students.
- Brain Injury Association of Rhode Island for anyone with a traumatic brain injury
- Each semester, schedule a meeting with your school’s disability services center/access center/office of accommodations. Bring a trusted family member or friend with you.
- Bring documentation from a recent evaluation from your doctor or psychiatrist about your behavioral health condition.
- Be prepared to talk about your strengths and needs as a student and any accommodations you might need.
- Each semester, your school’s disability services center needs to approve the accommodations that both you and the school agree that you need. The school will send you a letter that confirms the approval.
- You must give a copy of your accommodations approval letter to each professor every semester to be sure you get the accommodations you need.
- If you need to change or update your accommodations, work with your school’s disability services to do that.