As with other parts of the IEP, the transition requirements are not just mere technicalities. One court found that a school that only provided for the vocational needs of the student failed to meet its transition obligations to him. It did not develop a plan to help the student “survive an adult life.” The court noted that the school:

1. Did not identify any goals for the student after he left school;
2. Did not perform any transition evaluations, other than a vocational evaluation;
3. Did not provide “the full panoply of services that transition planning envisions” to prepare him for life outside of school in such areas as personal needs, getting around the community and recreation; and
4. Failed to meet his individual, unique needs and instead placed him in an existing generic program with minor adaptations.

[East Penn School District v. Scott B., 1999 WL 178363 (E.D. Pa. 1999).]

The transition IEP should be “outcome oriented.” This means that the coordinated set of transition activities developed by the IEP team includes goals that prepare your child for as independent a life as possible. For example, the outcome for a student might be employment in a retail store. The services for that student should focus on seeking and maintaining a position with the necessary supports, solidifying basic work habits, punctuality and grooming, and developing supported and/or independent living skills.