matthew segall, ph.d. emory autism center...

ASD TRANSITION PLANNING:5 WS AND HOW!

MATTHEW SEGALL, PH.D.EMORY AUTISM CENTER, EMORY UNIVERSITY

2020 Autism Conference and Expo of Georgia, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, May 2020

Outcomes for young adults with ASD?

ASD symptoms and features tend to persist into adulthood

Few adults with ASD live independently

Limited social participation after high school

Many do not attempt post-secondary education and many do not find employment

Access to services is reduced after high school

Segall, 2020

Transition to Adulthood

5/13/2020 3

Segall, 2020

Student with ASD

School Team

Vocational Supports

Community Partners

Families

Segall, 2020

Social Skills

Self-Awareness

Executive Functioning

Daily Living/”Hard”

Skills

These are the skills

that help me interact

with you in a safe

and positive (and

successful) way

These are the

skills that help

me interact with

me, so that I can

be safe,

successful and

self-determined.

These are the

tools and

strategies that I

possess so that I

can be

productive,

reliable, well

managed and

engaged.

These are the “hard

skills” applied to

whatever setting

makes sense –

these are typically

concrete and more

easily observable

Segall, 2020

School: Applying transition skills and abilities so that I can be an active and engaged lifelong learner, and so that I can acquire the knowledge and training I need to be as interdependent as possible

Job:Applying transition skills and

abilities so that I can be employed and earn a living and continue to

grow towards a career

Home: Applying transition skills and abilities so that I can be healthy and experience a level of wellness that fits my goals and values

Community:Applying transition skills and

abilities so that I can be safe, productive, engaged, and included

and feel rooted in a community that shares my values and interests

Segall, 2020

Segall, 2020

Early Years

Early Elementary

Late Elementary & Middle

School

Early High School

Emphasis should be on

traditional early intervention

targets: communication,

verbal speech, imitation,

self-help skills,

engagement, shared

attention and play skills

- Build upon communication and

engagement skills

- Increase social engagement and

participation

- Develop early self-awareness, self-

advocacy and self determination skills

- Practice early responsibility skills and

classroom social skills

- Continue to prioritize communication and

engagement; add (if ready) behavior regulation (self-

management)

- Increase focus on academics (participation in

group work, comprehension of abstract concepts)

- What behavior and social skills are needed to

participate as fully as possible?

- In 8th grade, conduct a robust transition

assessment that will help develop the initial IEP

Transition Plan

- Based on the post-secondary trajectory, what

skills (and in what contexts) will the student

need to acquire in order to be successful in that

environment

Person-centered planning

Listen

Don’t be a “dream crusher”

Be positive!

Student involved IEPs

“Dignity of risk”

Fade supports – teach self-management

Create mentor networks

Put the student first

Segall, 2020

Robust transition assessments

IEP Transition Plan: all 6 domains

Emphasis on functional life skills

Start early

Stay long

More transition programs and supports

Big picture

Segall, 2020

Emory Oaks: College Autism Program

Academic Support

Academic coaching, academic advising,

accommodations, communication with faculty

members (as needed)

Social-Emotional Support

Mental health assessment/counseling, regular

social and volunteer activities, peer mentorship

Adult-Living Support

Direct instruction of adult-living skills, collaboration with Residence Life,

dorm/apartment check-ins, executive functioning skills

Vocational Support

Collaboration with Career Center, direct instruction of vocational skills, access to

volunteer/internship/job opportunities

Segall & Bohlke, 2020

ASD Evidence based practices

Assistive technology

Vocational learning opportunities

Authentic inclusion

Differentiation

Evidence Based Practices

Segall, 2020

The T

rans

itio

n Pro

cess

Seaman (2018) Emory Autism Center

1. Transition assessment

2. Write transition goals

3. Develop IEP

4. Effective instruction

5. Progress monitoring and evaluation

Resources

Emory Autism Center’s Individualized

Transition to Adulthood Plan (ITAP)

Transition assessments and recommendations

Transition IEP support and goal setting

Resource sharing

Healthcare transition

Technical assistance

Professional training

Family partnerships

State agency partnerships

Autism Plan for Georgia: Transition

Quality Indicators

1. Professionals, parents, and students work together in planning transitions

from one program or service to another with consideration of the

individual’s gifts, talents, and abilities.

2. Youth with autism between the ages of 14 and 22, after career and

interest assessments, are provided with a variety of vocational,

educational, recreational, opportunities that

reflect personal preferences in preparing for

the transition to adulthood.

3. Youth with autism transition to adult medical

services provided by primary care providers

knowledgeable about autism.

Thank yous

EAC ITAP Team

QUESTIONS?

CONTACT INFORMATION

Matt Segall, Ph.D.

mattsegall@emory.edu

Emory Autism Center

404-727-8350

Key Messages

1. Start early, stay long

2. Student centered IEP development

3. “Dignity of risk”

4. Thorough IEP development

5. Thoughtful transition assessments

6. Vocational learning experiences

7. Interagency collaboration

8. Family education, engagement and empowerment

9. Robust program structure

10. Differentiation

Segall, 2020