Transition to Adulthood
Life after school guide
The transition from high school to adulthood can be overwhelming. Students and families often aren’t sure what transition encompasses, where to go for help, or what their rights are. Life After School brings these answers together in one easy-to-use guide.
South Carolina High School Credential
The purpose of the SC High School Credential is to provide equitable job-readiness opportunities for these students throughout the state, ensure they have evidence of employability skills, and honor the work they have undertaken in our public schools. Learn more
Secondary transition goals are addressed in the student’s Individual Education Plan. Goal planning should be based on the individual student’s needs while taking into account the student’s strengths, preferences, and interests, and may include classes (course of study) and services to help student become ready for adult life.
Services
Examples of transition services include:
• Teaching the student how to write a resume.
• Counseling or therapy to help student be ready to work
• Visiting a job site
• Teaching daily living skills
• Explaining how to understand work evaluations
• Guidance on how to request disability accommodations at college or tech school
The IEP will also address roles of the planning team (who is responsible for doing what). Both parents and students should actively participate. It is important for students to share their needs, goals and dreams with the team. This is a vital step in helping them gain self-determination and self-advocacy skills. DHHS has developed tools to help students and parents.
Transition to Adulthood
Topics to consider when working with student on transitions:
• Transition assessment
• Involving student in planning
• Independent living options
• Post-secondary education
• Vocational training/Employment
Outside agencies may be invited to IEP meetings to help with planning. These may include Department of Mental Health, Vocational Rehabilitation, Commission for the Blind, DDSN/DSN boards, etc.
Transition Assessment
A transition plan should be implemented by age 14. The plan should include measurable post-secondary goals based on age-related transition assessments related to training, education, employment and if appropriate, independent living.
My Child is Turning 18. What do I do?
Turning 18 is a big deal. Your child becomes an adult at 18 and all the privileges and responsibilities of adulthood transfer to them. This includes the authority to make decisions for themselves. This is a good thing. It is the gateway to adult life. But it can also be a scary time if you and/or your child believe they are not ready or able to make their own decisions. Thankfully, there are options available.
Everyone needs some help making decisions. Some people may ask others their opinion on whether to take a job, or they may have someone who helps them with their taxes or understand a contract. But some people with disabilities may need more or different kinds of supports. They may need help in making important decisions or if they have a significant mental or cognitive disability, they may need someone to make decisions on their behalf. For example, individuals with significant intellectual disabilities or dementia may need a substitute decision-maker.
It is best to use the least restrictive option available to you and your adult child if they need help making decisions. That way your child’s rights as an adult will be preserved.
Here are important options from LEAST RESTRICTIVE to MOST RESTRICTIVE.
Supported Decision-Making Agreements (SDMAs)
Supported decision-making can be informal or formal. If formal, the person with the disability enters into an agreement with supporters they choose. It can be a written plan and is changed as needed. There is no court process involved. An SDMA can cover health, finance, education, employment, housing, and more. The person and their supporters talk about the types and levels of supports needed. Supporters help inform the individual, ask questions, and go over options, but the individual with the disability makes the decisions and maintains their rights.
Powers of Attorney (POA)
Powers of Attorney are a form of supported decision-making. Under a POA, the person with a disability authorizes another individual (parent, spouse, friend) to make decisions on their behalf in certain circumstances. There are educational POAs, healthcare POAs, financial POAs, and general POAs which are more global in their authority. Some POAs are in effect all the time; other POAs only go into effect if the person becomes incapable of making the decision (e.g., they were in a car accident and are not conscious.) For a POA to be legal, the person with a disability must be competent to sign it. This means they must know what they are signing and understand the authority they are granting under the POA.
Guardianship/Conservatorship
Guardianships and conservatorships are the most restrictive options. The individual with a disability is determined incapacitated (unable to make their own decisions) by a probate court and a guardian is appointed to make decisions on their behalf. There are full (plenary guardianships) in which the guardian makes all decisions, even up to the food the person can eat, the people they can see, where they live, etc. There are also limited guardianships in which a guardian is appointed for specific areas such as health care decisions. Under full guardianship, the individual is likely to lose some or all their civil rights, such as the right to vote, the right to enter contracts, and the right to marry. In South Carolina, an Attorney for the Alleged Incapacitate Individual is appointed to represent the individual’s desires. This is different from the Guardian Ad Litem who makes recommendations to the Court. Some people with significant disabilities need guardianship, but it is a decision that should be entered into carefully. Conservatorships can be costly and difficult to reverse. They are a separate court proceeding in South Carolina. In this process, the probate court appoints a conservator to manage the estate and financial affairs of the incapacitated individual.
Educational Representative
An educational representative is a competent adult authorized to make educational decisions on behalf of an adult student that is determined to NOT be competent to make their own educational decisions.
The process in South Carolina involves a medical professional, not employed by the school division, certifying in writing that the student is not able to adequately communicate their wishes, preferences, and needs concerning their education with or without reasonable accommodations. They must include the basis for the determination and whether the inability to communicate is likely to last until age 21.
The school district must notify the student in writing of the determination and that an educational representative will be appointed. The student can challenge the designation and during the challenge, the educational representative cannot be used.
University Life
Clemson LIFE is located at Clemson University in Clemson, SC. The ClemsonLIFE Program offers a two-year Basic Program that incorporates functional academics, independent living, employment, social/leisure skills, and health/wellness skills in a public university setting with the goal of producing self-sufficient young adults. Additionally, the ClemsonLIFE Program offers an additonal two-year Advanced Program for students that have demonstrated the ability to safely live independently, sustain employment, and socially integrate during the Basic Program. The Advanced Program progresses with an emphasis on workplace experience, community integration, and independent living with transitionally reduced supports. Students who successfully complete the Basic or Advanced program will receive a corresponding certificate of post-secondary education.
Coastal Carolina LIFE is located at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC. The Coastal Carolina University LIFE Program is a four-year, tuition-based, post-secondary education and transition program for young adults who have a mild to moderate intellectual and/or developmental disability as defined by AAIDD. The program enrolls 10-12 students each academic year. Throughout the four years of the LIFE Program, students engage in courses specifically designed to build independent living skills through experiential learning.
Charleston LIFE is a non-degree, inclusive postsecondary education program at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC. Designed for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Charleston LIFE provides a personalized educational experience focused on four key areas: academics, employment, independent living, and social engagement. The program emphasizes access to a traditional college experience through individualized supports, fostering self-determination, lifelong learning, and meaningful community participation.
Winthrop LIFE is a non-degree, inclusive postsecondary education program at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. Designed for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Winthrop LIFE offers a personalized college experience that emphasizes academic enrichment, career development, independent living, and social engagement. The program supports students in building self-advocacy and life skills through individualized instruction and full participation in campus and community life.
The Carolina LIFE program is located at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. CarolinaLIFE is an individualized, non-degree program for students with identified, diverse learning needs (e.g. intellectual disability). The program curriculum focuses on five core areas: academic instruction, career education and training, independent living, social and community engagement, and personal development. The program philosophy is founded on inclusion and individualization, based on each student’s interests and support needs.
USCA LIFE is a non-degree, inclusive postsecondary education program at the University of South Carolina Aiken in Aiken, SC. Designed for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the program offers a supportive and individualized college experience. USCA LIFE focuses on four key areas: academic and personal development, career preparation, independent living, and social engagement. The program is grounded in the values of inclusion, person-centered planning, and community participation, helping students develop the skills needed for meaningful adult lives. Review Programs.