My most recent educational endeavor completed! (Read my last entry)

Master of Education (Special Education)
Certificate in Education and Health Care Transition

No time to relax, as now I’m re-reading my textbooks related to the topic I focused my studies on, my passion. Reading them slowly, getting much out of them now that I’m not hurrying to get all my assignments completed. 🙂
My aim and my goal with this degree was to increase my knowledge related to education (specifically special education) and my knowledge regarding how to use my role as the Occupational Therapist at the secondary schools where I work, to assist students and families in their planning and preparation for what each student wants to do after he or she graduates and what is most beneficial for each student in his or her post-graduation role in life: post-secondary education, vocational training, joining the workforce, and/or becoming an active member of their community.
My current role in the schools includes working with students that have educationally relevant Occupational Therapy (OT) needs: Individualized Education Program (IEP) goal or goals that need the support of OT as a related service to improve his or her ability to achieve that goal. When a student is in secondary schools (age 14 or 16, depending on one’s location), his or her IEP includes a transition planning portion and establishes measurable postsecondary goals-

Measurable postsecondary goals specify the student’s plans for life after high school. They reflect the student’s current thinking and may change over time as the student matures. The IEP contains a measurable postsecondary goal or goals for the student in education/training, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills. (Next Steps NH, 2015)

So that indicates that a student’s measurable postsecondary goal is as educationally relevant as his or her annual long term goals established on the IEP. Therefore, students that receive Occupational Therapy services benefit from support to address that measurable postsecondary goal. My goal is to work with the student and the rest of the IEP team to address every goal (that is relevant to Occupational Therapy) to increase my students’ success in the educational setting and his or her postsecondary planning.

These are the textbooks I am currently re-reading:

Flexer, R., Baer, R., Luft, P. & Simmons, T. (2013). Transition planning for secondary students with disabilities (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Lollar, D. (2010). Launching into adulthood. Baltimore, MD: Brooks Publication.

Sitlington, P., Neubert, D., Clark, G. (2010). Transition Education and Services. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson 5th Edition.

As I work in my schools and then return home to read my books, I am frequently reminded of  ideas that I need to use in my work with students, I need to share with professional colleagues, or I need to include in my documentation. All for the good of my students.
I look forward to sharing discoveries I locate in my textbooks. I also welcome any recommended reading and/or ideas others would like to share.
Talk soon!
Reference:

Next Steps NH. (2015). Measureable postsecondary goals. Retrieved from http://nextsteps-nh.org/transition-iep-requirements/measurable-postsecondary-goals/