IEP Transition and Post-Secondary Planning

Planning for life after high school doesn’t start at graduation. Transition planning should begin early and be intentional, coordinated, and centered on the student’s strengths, preferences, and goals.

This section covers practical guidance for navigating the IEP transition process, including post-secondary goals, vocational planning, independent living skills, community access, and preparing for adulthood. You’ll find advice on timelines, legal requirements, transition meetings, agency involvement, and how to make sure planning goes beyond paperwork and actually prepares a student for real life.

If you’re unsure where to begin, start with understanding how measurable post-secondary goals connect to services, skills, and real-world outcomes — then work backward to build a plan that makes sense.