Education

To locate educational services in your community, click here to search the Pathfinder database. On the database search page, select your county and a service category then click on "Search."

You may be interested in these Pathfinder service categories related to Education: Advocacy Services, Developmental and/or Psychological Assessment, Early Intervention Program for Young Children, IDEA Information and/or Training, Learning Disability Resources, Special Education Program. Click here to look up service definitions.

General Transition Information (Tennessee)

Transition refers to the process of working through changes in services at key points across a person’s life. Important transitions include early intervention services to school-age services (at 3 years), entry into kindergarten (5 years), transitions from elementary to middle to high school. Youth and adult transitions are from secondary education to higher education or work, and finally transitions to services for seniors. What information you need varies according to the transition point.

Transition from Early Intervention Services to School-Age Services

Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS)
TEIS offers a range of services from which an individualized program can be designed to meet the unique needs of each child and family. Through this comprehensive system of early intervention, interested persons can:

• find information on how a child grows and learns
• learn about early intervention and what it means to a child with special needs,
• find out how different therapies can help a child learn to move or speak,
• develop ideas for how a family can expand learning opportunities for their child at home and within the community,
• access counseling to benefit each child’s unique style of learning and growing

For information about and access to TEIS services, contact your TEIS District Office.

Transition from School-Age Services to Adult Life

Transition from school to adult life refers to educational programs that prepare students with disabilities for college or work following graduation from high school.

Because of his/her disability, your child may need to attend school longer than the usual twelve years. Your child is entitled to receive special education and related services until the end of the school year in which he/she becomes 22 years of age. You and your child should begin planning early for the time your child will leave the school program. Early planning helps make the transition smoother from school into adult life. The IEP (Individualized Education Plan) must begin to address those issues during the secondary school years.

Transition Manual: a booklet of the Tennessee Department of Education.

You may also be interested in these Pathfinder pages: Community College, College, and University; Adult Education; Employment .

General Transition Information (National)

Family Village

Pacer Center Employment Strategies for Youth and Adults with Disabilities

National Center on Secondary Education and Transition

Paving the Way to Work
This guide was developed by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) specifically to address the needs of youth with disabilities during their transition from school to work.

The Iris Center offers resources and information on transition-related issues.

Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students With Disabilities , from the U.S. Department of Education.

Transition resources from the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY)