Education
System
There
is
a
federal
law
that
requires
all
children
to
have
a
free
and
appropriate
education
(Individuals
with
Disabilities
Education
Act
or
IDEA).
Issues
dealing
with
your
child’s
education
should
be
addressed
by
your
local
school
district.
An
Individual
Education
Plan
(IEP)
is
developed
for
each
child
with
disabilities
to
ensure
an
appropriate
education.
Sometimes
creating
the
IEP
can
be
a
very
complex
process.
You
may
want
to
enlist
the
help
and
attendance
at
the
IEP
meeting
of
your
family
members
and
other
natural
supports,
support
coordinator,
therapists,
and
providers.
Families
need
to
be
the
advocates
for
their
children,
and
may
want
to
seek
information
about
their
rights
and
the
services
available
for
people
with
disabilities.
This
information
can
be
obtained
by
your
parent-to-parent
connection
through
your
local
Family
Council,
by
attending
conferences
in
your
area,
or
by
contacting
the
Utah
Parent
Center.
If
you
think
education
is
expensive,
you
should
try
ignorance!
Transition
Planning
Transition,
or
change,
happens
many
times
throughout
a
person’s
life.
The
Individuals
with
Disabilities
Education
Act
(IDEA)
states
that
a
written
transition
plan
must
be
in
place
by
age
14
for
students
enrolled
in
Special
Education.
This
should
be
part
of
the
Individualized
Education
Plan
(IEP).
You
and
your
student
should
meet
with
the
person
who
is
responsible
for
transition
at
your
school.
One
agency
that
could
be
involved
in
helping
your
student
in
future
directions
is
the
Division
of
Services
for
People
with
Disabilities
(Division).
Refer
to
the
timeline
of
supports
to
know
when
to
also
apply
for
supports
that
may
be
needed
in
the
future.
The
Utah
State
Office
of
Education
is
responsible
for
education
issues,
not
the
Division.
Your
child
has
the
right
to
remain
in
school
until
age
22.
Your
Individual
Education
Plan
can
determine
whether
or
not
your
child
should
remain
in
the
educational
system
beyond
the
age
of
18.
During
these
extra
years,
he
or
she
can
focus
on
gaining
independence
and
vocational
skills.
Your
child
may
want
to
participate
in
graduation
ceremonies
with
his/her
graduating
class.
This
is
appropriate
if
they
choose,
but
they
should
receive
a
Certificate
of
Completion,
and
not
a
diploma.
If
a
student
is
awarded
a
diploma,
they
are
not
allowed
to
return
to
the
school
system.
Just
because
your
son
or
daughter
leaves
the
school
system,
does
not
mean
that
they
will
be
immediately
accepted
into
Division
adult
services.
One
important
transition
is
moving
from
school
into
the
real
world.
Exiting
the
school
system
at
age
22
should
be
a
smooth
transition
if
you
follow
the
proper
steps.
To
be
the
best
advocate,
go
out
and
visit
programs
and
community
options
during
or
before
your
student’s
21st
year.
This
is
the
time
to
learn
all
you
can
about
adult
services
for
people
with
disabilities.
Be
sure
that
your
Needs
Assessment
has
been
updated
BEFORE
age
22
and
your
student
is
on
the
Division
waiting
list
for
adult
services.
There
are
some
issues
that
you
and
your
student
should
be
considering
before
they
reach
age
18
including
guardianship,
trust
funds,
estate
planning
and
reproductive
rights.
The
Disability
Law
Center
and
the
Office
of
Public
Guardian
are
resources
on
these
issues.
For
contact
information
specific
to
Utah's
school
districts
click
here.
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