Community-based education assists students in making informed decisions
about their education and career plans and in acquiring relevant knowledge
and skills required in today’s society (Public School Programs, pages B 21–22).
Schools and families can provide students throughout their school years with
programming and experiences that allow multiple opportunities to experience
job placements and life experiences based on their expressed interest. Through
well-designed experiential community exploration and work-based or school-tocareer activities, students with special needs, including students with gifts and
talents, can discover potential career or life choices.
Community resource mapping is a way for the program planning team
to focus on what their community has to offer to meet the educational,
employment and other requirements of youth. While community resource
mapping focusses on what is already present in the community, it can also focus
on the development of partnerships where people work together to enhance
post-high school options for students with special needs. Some communities
may have already engaged in community resource mapping, resulting in the
identification of community resources for students with special needs.
Some questions to consider when engaging in community resource
mapping include
• What services, supports, or programs does the student currently need and/or use?
• Are the services, supports, or programs currently available within the
community or does the community need to explore ways to acquire the
needed services, supports, or programs?
• Is there a waiting list to access the services, supports, or programs, and if
so, how will this affect transition planning?
• Is the student linked to the needed post-school services, supports, or
programs before he/she leaves school?
Figure 2: Individualized
Transition Planning Process
from School to Community
(See Appendix G for full-page
diagram.)