The Transition Center

Last night was open house at the Transition Center my youngest daughter attends.  For those of you that don't know what a Transition Center is it's a vocational/occupational training school for kids that have some type of disability.  The disability could be physical or mental, a learning disability or an emotional disability.  Besides offering vocational/occupational training, they also help the students transition from high school way of life into becoming a productive, valued, job-trained member of the community, and they give them the tools they will need to become a happy, successful, independent young adult. 

My daughter has a learning disability due to complications at birth.  She is a Senior in high school this year and will be graduating in June.  Her resource teacher at the high school suggested she attend the Transition Center for half a day this year along with spending half a day at her high school.  At the Transition Center she is learning skills she will need and use in her everyday life.  They are currently working on filling out job applications, mock interviews, writing resumes and cover letters, along with practicing basic math skills and handling money.  They also have her in what they call a Work Based Learning program.  In this program, they take her to different retail businesses in our area and she performs job duties such as stocking shelves, arranging clothing on display racks, and pricing items.  Right now this is unpaid work experience, but it is teaching her job skills and giving her a general idea of what it's like to have a job.

Last night her teachers told me that they have chosen her, along with 5 other students, to join their Job Club over the summer.  Job Club will provide her with a paid job, 20 hours per week, during the summer months.  She will be working in food service at one of our local hospitals.  They chose her because of her leadership qualities, her willingness to try new things without complaint, and her ability to follow directions with minimal supervision.  I must say this was the first time I saw my daughter actually proud of something she has accomplished on her own. 

Ever since Kindergarten my daughter has struggled in school every day.   Each year brought new challenges, new struggles.  In elementary school, reading, writing, and spelling were very difficult for her to master; but after lots of practice and with help from a Resource teacher she did it.  In high school, Algebra I, Algebra II, Biology, and Physics caused her nothing but frustration.  Writing college level essays and papers were extremely hard for her.  She has been picked on and ridiculed by her peers because she gets Resource help through the Special Ed. department.  Certain teachers have made her feel like she's a failure and have caused her great anxiety by telling her she will never pass their class.  Some haven't wanted to adhere to her IEP (Individualized Education Program) and have become kind of hostile when they are forced to do so.  She has only had a few friendships during her school years because when kids find out she receives Special Ed. help they ostracize her and/or make fun of her. But through all of this, day after day and year after year, my daughter has always tried to do the best she can do, no matter how hard the material was for her. Yet she never had a single teacher recognize her efforts.

All of this changed this year when she started attending the Transition Center.  She finally has recognition from her teachers; they tell her what a great job she's doing and how proud they are of her when she succeeds. She is finally attending a school where she isn't made to feel that she's different, and she isn't getting picked on or ridiculed by other kids. She finally has friends at school that like her and treat her the way all kids want to be treated....as an equal.  But more importantly, she finally has confidence in herself and her abilities; something she's never had since she began school.   She's only been attending the center since September, but already I can see a huge change in her....a change in the way she feels about herself and a knowing within herself that she is accepted and liked by others.

Last night the teachers at the Transition Center told us that after she graduates from high school in June she can continue attending the transition center for as long as she wants until she reaches the age of 26.  It will remain free of charge for her and she will be allowed to work on any skills she feels she needs more time to learn.  They will continue to give her job training, will continue to provide transportation to and from the job sites, they will pick her up at home in the mornings and drop her off at home every day, and they will set up job shadows for her in whatever field she's interested in. They will offer her life skills such as learning how to cook, learning about loans and credit cards, how to manage a checking account, how to use public transportation, where to go for resources if she needs them; anything that she would like help with while learning how to do for herself.. Basically they will continue to offer as much support, help, and resources as they can until she feels she's ready to go out on her own.

I am so thankful for the Transition Center and all of the help, support, and work they do for their students.   This has been a godsend for my daughter.  She is finally happy to attend school.  She finally has something to look forward to.  She finally feels successful. And she finally knows that she fits in with the rest of society.  Thank you Transition Center!  I don't know what we would do without you!