Transition
From an early age children and young people will experience a number of transitions, from pre-school through to post school destinations. For some, a change of school or class is viewed as an exciting opportunity, but for others transition can be a less than positive experience.
The universal planning provided by schools to support positive transitions is often enough to meet the needs of the majority of our children and young people. However for those with Autism, a targeted level of planning and support is required to allow for smoother transitions.
In Stirling and Clackmannanshire, assessment and planning is provided through the Staged Intervention process, other agencies such as Health and Social Care may be involved to provide additional support. Transition Guidelines for Schools and Educational Staff in Stirling and Clackmannanshire provide detailed information on support for all children with identified Additional Support Needs, including Autism. The guidelines also contain information on the process of transition during school years:
- Transition from Home to Early Years
- Transition from Early Years to Primary
- Transition from Primary to Secondary school
- Transition from Secondary to Post School including Adult Services
Effective Transition Planning should include; the young person, their parent(s)/carers, guidance teachers, and other professionals as appropriate (e.g. Health, Social Services, Skills Development Scotland) in order to support a smooth and seamless transition from each stage of school into adulthood.
Effective Transition Planning should support a smooth and seamless transition from each stage of school into adulthood and should link with other initiatives e.g. GIRFEC (Getting it Right for Every Child), Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), Opportunities for All, More Chances
To read more about the principles of good transition, please read here
Within our local strategy we recognise there is a need to better support people across all transition stages, particularly from child to adult servicesThe Transition Workstream in partnership with the University of Stirling are developing an Autism App Transition Passport. The App has been developed as a proof of concept on an Android platform and is specifically designed to support smooth transitions for individuals with ASD. It will also be suitable for building a profile information page to assist individuals with ASD share key information about themselves; for example to facilitate a hospital stay, or to ensure they are as prepared as possible for an interview or meeting. More about the Autism Transition App here.