Transition For Youth with Disabilities

Fast numbers counting down from 3 minutes to zero and a kitchen timer rings. Voice over says “Three questions under three minutes” and a number three falls from the top of the screen and the words minutes under questions trade places to reveal the title 3 questions under 3 minutes.

Dana: Hi everyone. Today we're here with Renee Sansom Briscoe, the DRS Coordinator and she's here to answer three questions under, three minutes. Hey Renee how are you doing?

Renee: I'm doing great Dana, thank you for having me today.

Dana: What is Transition?

Renee: Wow Transition is so many things. And I just want you to know that it is a passion of mine, but let me start by saying that Transition is a process that students and families take a dive into for life after high school, to identify their desired outcomes and to plan their community and school experiences, assuring that the students have the acquired.... have acquired the knowledge and skills they have to live outside of the high school years and their, you know, desired goals.  The idea of Transition is very simple but it is a very complex, daunting task and you know, we are here, with the Department of Education and DHS and DDS and OU Pre-Employment Services contract. We're here to weave together the appropriate combination of education services and social services for our clients.

We also have summer programs throughout the summers.

We have multiple programs throughout the year for different students.

They can ... some of those programs you can be a potentially eligible client, you can be a DRS client. There's so many things that we can offer for students to help them navigate that life after high school decision.

So it's super exciting. Transition is exciting

Dana: For a student to join Transition, what age do they have to be?

Renee: So a student can receive pre-employment Transition services, which is Pre-ETS at the age of 14 and they can also be potentially eligible, which also means they can be under the age of 22 and the age of 14 and have some kind of documented disability and be attending some kind of educational program, whether that be high school, vo-tech, college.

Now at DRS, for DRS services age 15 1/2 is how ... is what age we actually start the application process and at 16 is where services usually get involved because at that age you're able to legally go to work.

Dana: Are all students in special education courses automatically in the Transition program?

Renee: No, they're not automatically eligible you must provide some kind of documented disability to the counselor; however, we do work with our social security. You can be presumed eligible if you if you're getting Social Security and then at some point, you would need to provide medical documentation to your counselor so that they can update your group of disability. So no one's actually like automatically in the program. There are steps you have to go through.

(Kitchen timer starts ticking and rings.)

Dana: Very good. Well thank you Renee and that's 3 Questions Under 3 Minutes.

Renee: Thank you, bye.

Pop style theme music, voice over saying “three questions under three minutes.” DRS logo comes in piece by piece, with 2021 at the bottom.