Transition Tidbits

Governor Josh Shapiro recently announced the appointment of the inaugural members of Pennsylvania's new Governor's Advisory Commission on People with Disabilities. The Commission, established through an Executive Order earlier this year, includes 28 members representing individuals with intellectual, developmental, physical, sensory, and other disabilities from across the Commonwealth.

The Commission will advise the Governor on policies affecting Pennsylvanians with disabilities, identify barriers to community participation, strengthen collaboration across state and local agencies, and help connect individuals and families with available programs, funding, and resources. The Commission reflects the principle of "Nothing About Us Without Us," ensuring that people with disabilities have a meaningful voice in shaping policies that impact their lives.

Transition Takeaway: For transition teams, this reinforces the importance of student voice and self-determination. Just as the Commission elevates the perspectives of individuals with disabilities in state policymaking, effective transition planning begins by ensuring students are active participants in planning their own futures.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Office of the Governor. (2026, July 8). Gov. Shapiro makes appointments to new Governor's Advisory Commission on People with Disabilities.

Read more here.

PEAL Center: Resources to Strengthen Transition Planning

Looking for resources to help students and families become more active participants in the IEP and transition-planning process? The PEAL Center offers a variety of resources, trainings, and supports for Pennsylvania families, youth, and young adults with disabilities.

🌟 IEP Online Academy – A self-paced course designed to help families understand the IEP process and their role in shaping their student's education and future.

🌟 PA Planning for the Future Checklist – A practical resource for students, families, schools, and agency partners to support planning for education/training, employment, independent living, and life after high school.

🌟 Youth & Young Adult Resources – PEAL supports youth in developing self-advocacy, self-determination, leadership, and transition-planning skills.

Learn more: PEAL Center
Explore the IEP Online Academy: PEAL IEP Online Academy

Effective transition planning begins by ensuring students have meaningful opportunities to participate in planning their future.

Consider:

• Teaching students how to introduce themselves at their IEP meeting. Check out the Student-Led IEP Process resources on the PA Secondary Transition website!
• Using interest inventories and preference surveys early in the year. Explore more about interest inventories on PA Secondary Transition.
• Embedding self-advocacy instruction into classroom activities. Find resources to support self-advocacy instruction on the PA Secondary Transition website.
• Providing students opportunities to practice decision-making and goal setting throughout the year. Charting the Life Course (TM) tools can be great resources for supporting this process.

Reflection Challenge:

If your student missed tomorrow's IEP meeting, would their voice still be reflected throughout the transition plan?

Your future. Your voice. Your plan.

Transition planning is about more than graduating from high school. It is about figuring out what you want your life to look like after high school and making a plan to help you get there. Your transition plan should be about you, your strengths, interests, goals, dreams, and the supports you need to succeed.

A good transition plan starts with getting to know yourself. What are you good at? What do you enjoy? What kind of job would you like? Do you want to go to college or job training? Where do you want to live? What do you want your life to look like? What support will you need to reach your goals? PaTTAN has Transition Assessment Resources that can help you and your team learn more about your interests, strengths, preferences, and goals. Your transition plan should start with who you are, not what someone else thinks you should be.

You are an important member of your IEP team. You do not have to sit quietly while adults talk about your future. You can share your ideas, ask questions, talk about your strengths, explain what support you need, and tell your team what goals are important to you. You can participate in your IEP in different ways. You might speak during the meeting, create a presentation, write down your ideas, use technology or communication supports, or have someone help you share your thoughts.

PaTTAN's Student Led IEP Resources can help you become more involved in your IEP and take a bigger role in planning for your future. Your voice does not have to sound like everyone else's. What matters is that your voice is heard.

Your transition plan should connect to real life. This might mean exploring careers, visiting colleges or training programs, getting a job or internship, learning how to get around your community, practicing money skills, learning how to speak up for yourself, building independent living skills, or connecting with people and agencies that can support you. You learn a lot by actually trying things.

You might discover something you love or something you definitely do not want to do. Both are valuable information when planning your future.

Having a goal is a great start, but you also need to know how you are going to reach it. Instead of just saying, “I want to get a job,” think about what kind of job you want, what skills you need, where you can get experience, who can help you, and what you need to do next. Pennsylvania's Transition Systems Framework (TSF) can help schools and teams look at what is working, identify what needs to improve, and create action steps to better support students. Big goals become easier when you break them into smaller steps.

You do not have to figure everything out by yourself. Your transition team might include your family, teachers, counselors, school staff, vocational rehabilitation, community organizations, employers, or people from colleges and training programs. Each person can bring something different to the table, but you are at the center of the team. The question should not just be, “What can the adults do?” It should also be, “What do I want, and who can help me get there?” PaTTAN's Secondary Transition Resources include tools such as the Pennsylvania Secondary Transition Roadmap, Person Driven Planning resources, and the Planning for the Future Checklist.

Most importantly, remember that you do not have to have your whole future figured out right now. Your interests can change. Your goals can change. You might discover a new career, decide you want more training, or realize that you need a different kind of support. That is okay. Your transition plan should grow and change with you. Keep asking yourself, “Is what I am doing today helping me get where I want to go tomorrow?”

A strong transition plan is not just paperwork for your IEP. It is a chance to think about your future, your goals, and the life you want to build. You deserve to be heard. You deserve to have choices. You deserve to have support. And you deserve a plan that is about you.

Do not just plan for graduation. Plan for what comes next.

Finding the right supports for students and families can be challenging, but it doesn't have to be. The Pennsylvania Interactive State Resource Map is a free, searchable tool that helps educators, families, youth, and agency partners locate transition-related services and supports across the Commonwealth. Users can filter resources by region, service type, and audience to quickly identify local and statewide programs that support successful post-school outcomes.

Why it matters for transition planning: Meaningful transition planning extends beyond the IEP meeting and requires strong connections to community resources. The Interactive State Resource Map can help transition teams identify agencies to invite to IEP meetings, locate work-based learning and community-based instruction opportunities, connect families with advocacy and support organizations, and build partnerships that align with students' postsecondary goals. It's a practical tool for turning transition plans into action by linking students and families with the people, programs, and services that can support them before and after graduation.

Try It! During your next transition planning meeting, use the Interactive State Resource Map to identify at least one new community partner or service that aligns with the student's postsecondary goals. Exploring available resources together can help students and families build connections that continue long after high school.

The Institute on Disabilities at Temple University is offering individualized healthy relationship and sexuality education for adults 18 and up with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Sessions are available in person or via Zoom. A trained sexuality educator will customize the lessons and learning experience to meet each client's needs. Topics covered may include online safety, healthy relationships, personal health, and more. All sessions are free of charge. Email iodhsp@temple.edu to learn more.

Looking for a place where you can Connect, Collect, & Contribute

to all things secondary transition?

Connect with people from across our state to collect

resources, share events and contribute stories about positive post-school outcomes!

Click here to create an account and login to join our PA Secondary Transition- Public Square.

Effective transition planning requires more than compliant IEPs, it requires systems that consistently support students in achieving their postsecondary goals. The Transition Systems Framework (TSF) provides a structured, evidence-based approach for examining, strengthening, and sustaining the practices, partnerships, and policies that lead to improved post-school outcomes for youth with disabilities.

This session will introduce participants to the Transition Systems Framework and its role in supporting both high quality transition planning and continuous systems improvement. Participants will explore the 13 evidence based predictors of post-school success and discover how teams can use data-driven processes that are youth- and family-centered to improve post-school outcomes at the individual student and systems-level. Whether you are a school leader, educator, transition specialist, parent/caregiver, student, or agency partner, this session will provide practical tools for building stronger transition systems that result in better plans and better outcomes for students.

Join us for the DHH Hour with the Expert series, an opportunity to learn directly from experts and gain practical insights related to supporting students who are deaf or hard of hearing across educational and transition settings.

Dates:

• October 6, 2026 | 4:00–5:00 p.m.
• November 20, 2026 | 4:00–5:00 p.m.
• December 8, 2026 | 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Target Audience: Teachers of Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH), Educational Audiologists, Families, and Secondary Transition Partners

Register here:
https://www.pattan.net/Events/Webinar/Course-3729/Events/Session-43225

This professional learning series supports educators, transition specialists, and workforce partners in designing inclusive work-based learning experiences and transition pathways. Participants will explore how UDL and accessibility principles can remove barriers, strengthen partnerships, and improve outcomes for students with disabilities.

Target Audience:

Transition Coordinators, Work-Based Learning Coordinators, Special Educators, Regular Educators, School Counselors, Administrators, Job Coaches, VR Staff, Employers, Career Tech Education Staff

This webinar series helps families understand how Universal Design for Learning can support students' transition from school to adulthood. Participants will explore practical strategies to promote independence, problem-solving, self-advocacy, and successful transitions at home, school, and work.

October 21, 2026 | 6:00–7:00 PM ET

Title: What is UDL? Supporting Learning, Independence, and Transition at Home
Presenter: Amanda Bastoni

Description:
This introductory session explores the core principles of Universal Design for Learning and how families can apply them in everyday life. Participants will learn practical ways to support learner variability, foster independence, and build skills that prepare students for successful transitions to adulthood and employment.

January 20, 2027 | 6:00–7:00 PM ET

Title: Accessibility Matters: Supporting Successful Transitions at Home, School, and Work
Presenter: Luis Perez

Description:
What does accessibility really mean, and why is it essential for successful transitions? This session will introduce key concepts of accessibility and demonstrate how accessible environments, tools, and supports can remove barriers and increase opportunities for students with disabilities.

April 14, 2027 | 6:00–7:00 PM ET

Title: Planning for Success: Using UDL and Journey Mapping to Support Transition Goals
Presenter: Sam Johnston

Description:
This interactive session introduces journey mapping as a practical strategy for supporting transition planning. Families will explore how UDL principles can help identify strengths, anticipate barriers, and develop personalized pathways toward postsecondary education, employment, and independent living goals.

Date: 11/18/2026

Time: 6:00 - 7:30 PM

Virtual Training: Once registration is verified as complete, participants will receive a ZOOM link at the email address(es) provided during registration to access the training session.

Description:

Your voice is one of your most powerful tools for self-advocacy! In Mic Check: Using Your Voice for Self-Advocacy, participants will hear directly from PaTTAN Youth Engagement Specialists as they share their personal disability journeys, experiences with self-advocacy, and how they learned to use their voices to communicate what they need, want, and value.

Participants will explore what self-advocacy means and learn practical strategies for developing self-advocacy skills in school, work, relationships, and everyday life. Through personal stories, discussion, and interactive activities, participants will have opportunities to reflect on their own strengths, practice communicating their needs, and identify ways to become more confident advocates for themselves.

Presenters:

Hunter Steintiz/Natasha Fletcher - PaTTAN Youth Engagement Specialists

Youth and Families/Caregivers Register Here

Professionals Register Here

Grant Acknowledgment:

These trainings are developed under Grant Number H421E230004 from the U.S. Department of Education. The contents of this training do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. (Authority: 20 U.S.C §§ 1221e-3 and 3474).

Are you looking for transition events across PA?

The Pennsylvania Community on Transition is a group of various stakeholders from across Pennsylvania who work collaboratively to ensure appropriate transition outcomes for Pennsylvania youth and young adults.

The Pennsylvania Community on Transition is a state leadership team consisting of representative from: the State Departments of Education, Health, Labor and Industry, and Human Services; Various Serving Agencies, Young Adults, Parent Organizations, Advocates, Higher Education, and Employers.

The shared vision and common goals of the Pennsylvania Community on Transition is achieved when all PA youth and young adults with disabilities:

• Successfully transition to the role of productive and participating adult citizens
• Are empowered to recognize their talents, strengths, and voice
• Have equal access to resources that will promote their full participation in the communities of their choice.

Email: pasecondarytransition@gmail.com
Website: https://www.pasecondarytransition.com/
Phone: 4128266878
Twitter: @hmangiskuntz