CURRICULAR IMPLICATIONS OF TRANSITION - LIFE SKILLS INSTRUCTION AS ANINTEGRAL-PART OF TRANSITION EDUCATION

THE IMPORTANCE OF SYSTEMATIC AND COMPREHENSIVE TRANSITION PLANNING IS PROMOTED BY A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD OF SPEC IAL EDUCATION AND UNDERSCORED BY FEDERAL MANDATE. SOMETIMES LOST IN TH E MULTIFACETED PROCESS OF TRANSITION ARE THE CURRICULAR FEATURES THAT ENSURE THAT IMPORTANT KNOWLEDGE IS COVERED AND REQUISITE SKILLS ARE TA UGHT. THE KEY POINT EMBEDDED IN THE TRANSITION PLANNING PROCESS IS THA T AREAS OF NEED WILL BE ADDRESSED BEFORE THE STUDENT EXITS FROM THE SC HOOL SYSTEM. THIS PROCESS FUNCTIONS ON A REACTIVE BASIS: NEEDS ARE IDE NTIFIED, TRANSITION GOALS ARE DEVELOPED, AND ACTION IS TAKEN. A WELL-G ROUNDED UNDERSTANDING OF STUDENTS' TRANSITION NEEDS CAN LEAD TO A MORE PROACTIVE APPROACH TO TEACHING THE LIFE SKILLS THAT ARE CRITICAL TO F UNCTIONING SUCCESSFULLY IN ADULTHOOD. A VARIETY OF WAYS TO TEACH TRANS ITION-RELATED TOPICS ARE DISCUSSED, AND EXAMPLES ARE PROVIDED. HOWEVER , THE OPTION MOST APPROPRIATE FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS WILL DEPEND ON THE SETTINGS IN WHICH THEY RECEIVE THEIR EDUCATION.