Transition Program
Helping students promote all skills needed to successfully transition into adulthood.
Collective Learning Academy opened its Transition Program in Fall 2022. We currently have three students enrolled in the tuition-based program. CLA was recently certified as a Medicaid provider of certain transition services for Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled (IDD) individuals holding NOW and COMP waivers. We can bill Medicaid for eligible services provided to help offset the tuition cost.
All program inquiries should be made directly to Rosemary Aybar, Head of School, by emailing her at rosemary.aybar@claoa.com or by phone at 404-721-0079. Raven Holmes is the program coordinator under the supervision of our Head of School. To learn more about Raven and her background in this speciality, please see her website.
Transition Program at CLA
At the age of 15, a student and their family should begin planning for transition. The purpose of a transition program is to help students promote all skills needed to successfully transition into adulthood. These skills are broken down into 3 categories: education/training, employment, and independent living. As the student works on these skills with the help of all individuals on the IEP team, their primary goal is to strive for independence. They will promote skills such as: résumé building, job interviewing, career awareness, career exploration, career preparation, career placement, preparing for college, promoting self-advocacy, financial literacy, navigating a cellphone, navigating the internet, and more. Although the goal is to become as independent as possible for optimal post-school success, understanding the parent’s and student’s goals, dreams, strengths, needs, interests, and preferences are of most importance to us at CLA.
A day in the life of a transition student at CLA includes:
Academic Literacy
Digital Literacy
Financial Literacy
Adult Living Skills
Orientation and Mobility
Daily Living Skills
Curriculum-Based Instruction (with the goal of a obtaining part-time employment)
CLA acts as the bridge between the student’s goals and the parent’s concerns. Both parties are critical to the success of transitioning into adulthood and we assist in creating a positive, healthy environment with active family involvement and student-centered choices. We collaborate with community partners to individualize each student’s transition program to meet the student’s needs, address their concerns, and promote their strengths.
A tailored transition curriculum, employment experience, and discussions regarding transition are individualized for each transition student. This allows the student to receive the most beneficial transition experience so they can apply all skills learned in the program once they transition out of school and into adulthood.
