Transition Survival 101- How and When to Create a Transition Plan

For preparing an adolescent with autism for the move from school into adult services, Michele LaMarche's recorded session examines what a transition plan needs to contain. She walks through the transition team, assessment domains, goals, responsibilities, and review timelines, with attention to family preferences and supports available in the person's everyday environment.

Presenter biographies: Michele LaMarche.

MANDATORY DISCLAIMER: The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (“BACB”) does not sponsor, approve, or endorse Special Learning, the materials, information, or sessions identified herein.

LaMarche describes the loss of school-based supports at adulthood and the barriers families encounter across separate service systems.

The assessment walkthrough covers personal and family history, life goals, living arrangements, adaptive skills, interests, and vocational readiness. A hanger example illustrates the importance of checking whether home routines can support a skill taught elsewhere.

The plan discussion brings together service needs, goals, a timeline with benchmarks, and a responsibility checklist, followed by review arrangements and the roles of the individual, family, school, and adult-service providers.

What does this recording cover?

• The plan assigns responsibilities across the individual, family, school staff, and adult-service team.
• The assessment covers personal history, preferences, living arrangements, adaptive skills, and vocational readiness.
• The natural-environment example examines whether everyday supports can maintain a taught skill.
• The planning discussion connects goals, services, timelines, benchmarks, and follow-up reviews.

Recording context: Recorded June 21, 2012, this session discusses U.S. laws and services as presented at that time and does not establish current requirements or availability.

Three selected learner comments

The six-item evaluation mean was 4.08/5 across 36 complete responses, from 260 recorded rating responses. This mean includes only complete six-score responses. Source: Special Learning's course evaluation records, snapshot October 11, 2026.

Three selected anonymous responses appear below, with the wording and spelling retained. They describe learners' experiences and requests; they are not a guarantee of results or a claim that these comments represent every learner.

I loved this straight forward presentation

Course evaluation response, 2023

it was boring and was not engaging - better as a pod cast than a video.

Course evaluation response, 2023

Switch between speaker and PowerPoint presentation

Course evaluation response, 2024

Explore related recorded discussions

• Transition Survival 102: Principal Skills to Assess & Learn for Successful Transition
• Transition Survival 104: Vocational Topics & Job Coaching
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