Many of us have struggled with changes in our routine and the uncertainty COVID-19 has brought to us this year. While this is a stressful time for students, families of students receiving transition services are also greatly impacted.
Many students with developmental disabilities receive services through their school district until the age of twenty-one. School-based services that typically serve students from ages eighteen to twenty-one are often referred to as transition services. Transition services often aim to provide students with daily living skills and job coaching.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, students in transition services and their families are facing challenges and uncertainty, as others are. Some students, for example, will be receiving transition services either partially or entirely remotely through platforms such as Zoom. Services offered via Zoom may make teaching daily living skills more difficult, since materials students may need may not be as readily available.
Further, many students in general education services have reported difficulty sustaining attention to lessons provided remotely, and students with developmental disabilities may also find remote learning difficult since receiving one-to-one support from teachers and paraprofessionals may not be possible. Students in transition services also often receive job training and job coaching at job sites across the greater Omaha area, but many businesses students previously trained at my not be open this semester or may have limited need for additional assistance from students.
Some students who receive transition services rely heavily on routine, and changes in routine can become significantly distressing to many students. Most school districts are trying their hardest to implement a re-opening plan that works best for their district, as well as the students and families receiving services. However, we are unable to predict how this school year will play out and how COVID-19 will continue to impact the school year, making further changes probable.
While we can’t predict the impact COVID-19 may continue to have on transition services this year, providing as much of a consistent routine as possible for students working from home or partially attending school in person may help combat changes in mood and behavior related to uncertainty. Providing consistent start and end times for remote learning, providing students with daily visual schedules, working with students to engage in safe and healthy community inclusion such as outdoor activities and providing students with clear expectations for learning all can help relieve stress and uncertainty.
At MMI, we are continuing to provide services for transition-aged adults to help them cope with the challenges and uncertainties of the current situation. It is a time of transition for all of us, and it now is clearer than ever how important support and understanding become during times of uncertainty and change.