Life Beyond the Classroom From Middle School through High School: Developing Effective Transition Strategies

To prepare students with disabilities for success in a rapidly changing world, transition planning must start as early as possible. Get teachers ready to conduct intentional, meaningful transition planning in middle through high school with this practical textbook, ideal for undergraduate and graduate courses on special education and transition.

To better meet the needs of faculty and students, the sixth edition of Life Beyond the Classroom is now two books: one focused on middle and high school, another focused on employment. Developed by renowned transition authority Paul Wehman and a new team of distinguished experts, this reimagined classic fully prepares preservice teachers to meet the legal requirement that transition planning start in middle school, with evidence-based strategies and sample plans developed specifically for school settings.

Enhanced with updated faculty materials, practical tools, video clips, and more, this important text will help educators lay the groundwork for their students' long-term success in today's increasingly complex digital world.

Future teachers will learn how to:

• Develop person-centered IEPs that foster independence and self-determination
• Ensure that student goals align with their strengths and aspirations
• Engage both students and families in the process of transition planning
• Support successful transitions from middle to high school
• Better understand the student perspective through candid accounts from self-advocates
• Individualize transition plans for students with varying support needs
• Advance equity and inclusion within transition planning and academic instruction
• Improve transition outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse youth with disabilities
• Start preparing students for postsecondary education and competitive employment

WHAT'S NEW: More in-depth exploration of transition planning for younger students * First-person accounts from self-advocates * The latest evidence-based strategies for IDEA-mandated transition planning * New and expanded faculty materials

FACULTY MATERIALS: Updated PowerPoints, sample transition plans, chapter introduction videos, applied assessment activities, and more tools to support learning (checklists, tip sheets, lesson plans, case studies, and more).

Dr. Wehman is Professor of Physical Medicine with joint appointments in the Departments of Rehabilitation Counseling and also Special Education and Disability Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University. He serves as Chairman of the Division of Rehabilitation Research in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Wehman has his Ph.D. in Behavioral Disabilities from University of Wisconsin-Madison.

As one of the original founders of supported employment, he has worked closely with business and industry since 1980 and has published over 200 articles and authored or edited more than 40 books primarily in transition, severe disabilities, autism, traumatic brain injury and employment for persons with disabilities. He has been the Principal Investigator on 41 million dollars in grants during his career.

As the father of two young adults with disabilities, he brings a strong parental as well as business perspective to his work. He is highly active in speaking to professionals, parents, advocates and businesses on transition and employment for people with autism, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and other developmental disabilities. On a daily basis he works with individuals with disabilities, communicates regularly with professionals in the world of business related to disability and diversity, and is active in teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, and doctoral students in rehabilitation medicine, special education, rehabilitation and psychology. A major focus of Dr. Wehman's work is on expanding the partnerships with businesses of all sizes so that more persons with disabilities can gain entrance into the workplace and retain employment successfully.

He is a recipient of the Kennedy Foundation Award in Mental Retardation in 1990 and President's Committee on Employment for Persons with Disabilities in 1992. Dr. Wehman was recognized as one of the 50 most influential special educators of the millennium by the Remedial and Special Education journal in December, 2000. He is also Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Holly N. Whittenburg, M.A. Ed., M.Ed., works as Research Site Coordinator at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)'s Rehabilitation Research and Training Center. She is also a doctoral student at VCU's School of Education. Her research interests include transition policy and social skills interventions for young adults with autism spectrum disorder. Ms. Whittenburg has also worked as an employment specialist, a special education teacher, and a special education administrator.

Joshua Taylor, M.Ed., is a Training and Technical Assistance Associate for the Virginia Commonwealth University Autism Center for Excellence and a Research Associate for the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center. He develops training, provides technical support, and conducts research into best practices for promoting lifelong success for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in school, work, and community settings. Mr. Taylor has more than 10 years of experience in public schools. His research interests include autism spectrum disorder, transition to adulthood, inclusive education, employment, postsecondary education, community integration, universal design for learning, learning sciences, and disability policy.