Assessing Students with Significant
Disabilities for Supported Adulthood:
Exploring Appropriate Transition
Assessments
Dr. Mary E. Morningstar
University of Kansas
[email protected]National Center on Secondary and Transition Technical
Assistance
Charlotte NC May 2009
Adapted from: Morningstar, M.E. & Pearson, M (2008, October). Assessing students with significant
disabilities for supported adulthood: Exploring appropriate transition assessments. Presentation at Division
of Career Development and Transition Regional Conference, Milwaukee: MN
Preparing for Adulthood
The more hands there to catch him when he falls the better. We
firmly believe that the more deeply embedded Ian is in the life of his
neighborhood, workplace and the city in general, the more people
there will be who will notice if he is not there and who will work to
keep him there as a member of the community (Ferguson &
Ferguson, 2001, p. 659)
Think about the Transition to Supported
Adulthood!
Supported Employment
Supported Living
Supported Membership in the Community
Supported Self-Determination
What to Assess: Skills & Supports
Functional Academics
Adaptive Skills
Career Interests,
Awareness, Skills
Physical/Mobility
Behavior Across Multiple Assistive Technology
Life Settings
Sensory Needs
Leisure & Social Skills
Communication
Medical & Health
Supported SelfDetermination
Special Skills/Interests
Questions to Consider when Planning Assessment
1. Can
the young adult express his or her interests? If not,
obtain as much information from parents and support
providers as possible to develop the transition plan.
2. What are special health care needs that must be
addressed?
3. Describe needs or challenges that will prevent the young
adult from working outside of the home?
4. Who can provide the education/training activities to
assist the young adult?
5. What can the young adult accomplish without
assistance?
6. What else could the young adult accomplish if supports
were provided by a job coach, personal care attendant,
or others in their support network (including natural
supports)?
Adapted From: Oklahoma Workgroup (1/29/2008)
How to Assess
Standardized
Norm-referenced
Criterion-referenced
Informal
Analysis of background info.
Interviews (Parent & others)
Curriculum-based
assessments
Observations & situational
assessments
Career interest inventories
Alternative assessments
Assessing Environments
Ecological Inventories
Community Supports
Vocational Integration
Person-Centered
Planning
MAPS
Personal Futures Planning
PATH Plans
Show-n-Tell
Person-centered Plans
Supports Intensity Scale
Youth Employment
Selection
Functional Independent
Skills Handbook (FISH)
COACH
Behavior States
Assessment &
Communication
Assistive Technology
Career Interest
Inventories
Leisure Inventory
Transition assessments
(TPI, ES, TBS)
TPI Modified
Assessing Environments
& Natural Supports
Features of Person-Centered Planning
Focus on and driven by the students strengths,
interests and preferences
Focus on capabilities and opportunities
developing a vision for the future
Process is flexible, dynamic and informal
Requires collaborative team work with
commitment to action
Requires an effective facilitator
K.B. Flannery, R. Slovic, &D. McLean (1994)
MAKING ACTION PLANS (MAPS)
1. What is the individuals history?
2. Who is the individual?
3. What are the dreams?
4. What are the nightmares?
5. What are the needs?
6. What are the individual strengths?
7. What would an ideal school day look
like?
ESSENTIAL LIFESTYLES PLANNING
1. Non-negotables
2. Strong preferences (Needs)
3. Highly desirables (Wants/enjoy)
PLANNING ALTERNATIVE TOMORROWS
WITH HOPE
1. Identify the North Star
2. Identify the GOAL
3. Look at life NOW & identify differences
between NOW and GOAL
4. Identify steps to move person from NOW to
GOAL
5. Identify FIRST STEP
PERSONAL FUTURES PLANNING
1. Create a personal profile
Persons background and history
Relationships
Places
Choices
Preferences
Focus on the future
4. Persons positive reputation
2. Review Trends in Environment
5. Things we need to do to help person stay
healthy
3. Find desirable images of the future
6. Things we need to do to be successful in
supporting the person
5. Identify strategies
4. Identify obstacles and opportunities
7. Unresolved Issues/Questions
6. Getting started (Action Planning)
8. How the person communicates with us
7. Identify the need for systems change
PCP details
8. Create a network/Circle of Friends
Supports Intensity Scale
http://www.siswebsite.org/
Functional Independence Skills Handbook (FISH)
http://www.functionalability.com/fish/index.html
F.I.S.H.
COACH
COACH
Communication Assessments
Communication Dictionary
Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative
http://www.wati.org/
WAIT Functional
Vocational Evaluation
WAIT SelfDetermination & AT
WAIT AT Checklist
Picture Based Vocational Assessments:
PICS
R-FII: 2
COPS-PIC
Your Employment Selection: YES
http://www.yesjobsearch.com/index.cfm
Your Employment Selections (YES!)
is motion-video, Internet-based job
preference program for youth and
adults with disabilities. This program
allows youth and adult participants
with limited or no reading skills to
watch videos of jobs, listen as a
narrator describes key tasks in each
job, and select preferred ones. The
program shows motion video for 120
different jobs. When 2-3 preferred
jobs are selected, a facilitator (such
as a teacher) rates the job seeker on
various work dimensions based on
the job seeker's skill levels. The
result is identification of the bestmatched job, strengths and
weaknesses, and training priorities.
Personal Data Wizard
http://www.hrop.org/wizard/
Assessing the Environment
Ecological inventories
Supports Inventory
Vocational Integration Index
E-Jam
Transition Assessments
Transition Planning Inventory
Modified
Transition Behavior Scale 2nd Ed.
Enderle-Severson Transition
Rating Scales
TPI Planning Areas
Employment
Postschool
Training
Daily Living
Leisure
Community
Participation
Source: Clark & Patton (2008)
Health
SelfDetermination
Communication
Interpersonal
Relationships
Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scales
ESTR-J designed for mild disabilities of any age
ESTR--III designed for moderate to severe and
multiple disability groups of any age
Rating scales format, completed by school and parent
jointly or separately
47 items rated on a two point scale (Yes, performs
skill independently or consistently; No, does not
perform skills or does not perform skills
independently or consistently
Enderle-Severson Transition Rating Scales,
A worksheet for indicating student preferences
and interests across the five subscale areas
Subscales include:
9 Employment
9 Home Living
9 Recreation and Leisure
9 Community Participation
9 Post Secondary Education
Transition Behavior Scale
(2nd ed.)
Designed for any disability group, ages 14 through
postsecondary age; mild to severe levels of
disability
Two versions (Student self-report version and
School version completed by one or more teachers
Subscales include Work-Related Behaviors,
Interpersonal Relations, Social/Community
Expectations
Adapted Interview
Adapted Interview
Picture & Visual Scan Adaptations
www.do2learn.org
Adapt Informal Assessments
What to Assess: Skills & Supports
Functional Academics: Functional
Adaptive/IL Skills: Need to update for
Reading/Math/Science (Syracuse
Curriculum; )
postschool focus (FISH; TPI Modified)
Career Interests, Awareness, Skills:
Physical/Mobility: Positioning for job
Interested in outside jobs (RFVII-2, YES,
functional voc evaluation)
tasks (PT/OT)
Behavior Across Multiple Life Settings:
(Transition Behavior Scale)
Assistive Technology: for job,
Sensory Needs: Poor visual range? Test
Leisure & Social Skills: Need expanded
vision and hearing (Refer for AT
assess/audiologist/school nurse)
ideas from family (adapted leisure
inventories, interview family/others);
communication, social interactions (Refer for
AT assess; WAIT)
Communication: Receptive skills (Refer to Medical & Health: Review health records;
SLP; AAC evaluation); reciprocal social
interactions (observation, OECS)
cumulative folder (school nurse); interview
family/others
Supported Self-Determination: ability to
Special Skills/Interests: Personal Future
make choices (task analysis
Planning to identify positive profile and
contributions
