Interview Assignment SPED 517
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Old Dominion University *
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517
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Industrial Engineering
Date
Jan 9, 2024
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docx
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Uploaded by PrivateKoupreyMaster2805
Talanna Golden
SPED 517
Professor Erin
20 November 2023
Transition Diversity Resource Interview
One thing I have learned about the special education field is how important the job of a transition specialist is. This semester main focus has been on transition from high school to life after high school. Recently, I had a phone interview with Tyson Peterson who is a transition specialist at Highland Park High School. Although I have been given a lot of information about the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) during this course, hearing a different perspective and experience strengthened my understanding of how important transition planning is.
The first question I asked was “What is your name, position/title, and background
and experience in transition planning?”
He introduced himself as Tyson Peterson and he is a transition specialist at Highland Park High School. He has been working for Highland Park ISD since 2012 and has been the Transition Specialist ever since he started at HPISD. He also student taught in Houston for Aldine ISD before moving to Dallas. He starts planning from Kindergarten all the way up until they age out which is the age of twenty-two. He meets with students towards the end of high school, talks about the resources available to them after high school. Additionally, he also discusses colleges and disability services available to students before and after graduation.
The next question I asked was “Have you seen a case or cases where a transition IEP has made a difference in the probable life trajectory of a student with a disability who was transitioning into adulthood?”
Mr. Peterson answered yes, almost all of the students, he provided an example of a student who was unable to communicate or was nonverbal and given the necessary tools needed for them to learn how to communicate the student eventually able to communicate with their employers. The students that relied on a communication device eventually were able to communicate without it or were able to communicate in their
own way, whether that was sign language or pointing to the materials needed. He also said that the students who were once in modified classrooms were able to expand on their skills and be involved in a regular classroom. The students were also either relieved of their accommodations or were not restricted to so many accommodations.
I had to bring up our IEP for this next question, “Will you look at this transition IEP template from VDOE? Does this look similar to the transition IEP you use in the actual school setting? Overall, he thought the IEP we have developed in this class was a good start. He informed me that if it were here, it would be more detailed. The way his team has the goals it would look more like a list. He mentioned that an IEP should be organized into paragraphs and read less like a list because it allows for the members of the team to add additional information if need be. Additionally, he informed me that the more information provided in the IEP allows for the team to suggest resources and tools that will help the student succeed beyond high school.
Moving on, I asked “What do you think is the most crucial part or parts of the transition IEP?” He said the biggest component is the student input and making sure that student’s voice is being heard. He also emphasized on the importance of collaboration with the parents, and teachers making sure that everyone gets together and is on the same page when it comes to what is best for the student. It is also important that parents, teachers, and the transition specialist advocate for the students who may not be able to advocate for themselves.
Next question I asked, “What or who are some outside agencies that could help my student in transitioning to adulthood? Have you had outside agencies attend and actively participate in your transition planning for students?”
Tyson mentioned the Texas workforce Commission which is the state agency charged with overseeing and providing workforce development services to employers and job seekers of Texas. The Texas Workforce Commission meets with the parent and student,
every spring another agency known as 29 acres which is a residential facility for children with autism, Dallas local community college. Students are taken to the disability
services and given a tour of the campus. They used to invite agencies but when covid hit no longer do calls.
The next question asked, “If you are a member of an outside agency that supports students with disabilities who are transitioning to adulthood can you explain what you do
for students and their families?”
Tyson is not connected to any other agencies but can be connected to other agencies if a part of the school.
Moving on, “Do you have any suggestions for assistive technology resources that could support a student with a reading disability (i.e., dyslexia) whose goal is to attend a two-
or four-year college?
Yes, co-writer or google read-and-write allows for students to be able to finish the statements. Words that pop up similar to stories, learning ally audio books, all books are
on learning ally, speech-to-text this is a little icon located on an iPad or keyboard that allows students to type out their sentences.
The next question, “Now that you’ve created many transition IEPs for students, how long does it take you to create one? Do you create a draft transition IEP before the IEP meeting, or does the committee create the transition IEP all together at the IEP meeting?
A draft is created before the meeting and most of the time a lot of things ae the same and addressed at the meeting kind of like a checklist. Each grade level has a different checklist, at one meeting a student had applied for accommodations for the SAT.
Next, “What is one of the most important things you think I need to know about transition IEPs or transition planning?” The biggest thing is that every school does their transition IEP differently. Their IEPs transition planning is more intense the plan should start at 16 but in the state of Texas it is 14. Tyson recommends starting transition planning early, and to have an open line of communication with parents, teachers, and the student. It is also important to make sure
that the student is being heard and that their feelings are taken into consideration.
The interview that I had with Tyson was very informative and gave me a better picture of
the life of a transition specialist. After this interview I realized how important and vital special education is and how important it is to always advocate for students. I think I have gained valuable tools on how to handle students with an IEP and it has also made
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me realize how important my role is as a teacher. I also learned the importance of staying organized as teachers and transition specialist can have a lot of caseloads for many different students.