1. Exceptional Lives
  2. Massachusetts Guides
  3. Transition to Adulthood
  4. The IEP and monitoring progress

Start with a strong Vision Statement

You have probably been writing a Vision Statement on your child's IEP every year.

Now you will write a Post Secondary Vision Statement to describe your child's goals and hopes for the future beyond the school years.

* Post-Secondary means after high school, or after the age of 22, whichever comes first.

The Vision Statement should guide the goals and supports that you and the IEP team write into the Transition Plan.

Here's the exact language from the Transition Planning Form:

Consider the student's preferences and interests, and the desired outcomes for post-secondary education/training, employment, and adult living. This section should correspond with the vision statement on p. 1 of the IEP.

Here's what you can do:

  • Think carefully about the questions on the last screen.

  • Read this short article: Writing a Strong Vision Statement. (Click on the title to open it in a new tab.)

  • Write down your thoughts on the form below. Be as specific as you can. Then you can print it out and use it to help you write your Vision Statement.

    1. My child's name:

    2. My child's strengths:

    3. The support my child needs to succeed to the best of their abilities in school:

    4. My child's dream for adult living: (living on their own? with a group? with family?)

    5. My child's dream for working:

    6. The kinds of jobs my child would enjoy and do successfully:

    7. My child's vision of their typical day as an adult:

    8. My child's dream for community activities:

If you prefer, you can click the link below to download the form and write in the answers. (It will open in a new tab or appear in the bottom corner of your screen.)