Years ago, special education students were educated in a classroom down the hall. They were rarely provided interaction with their non-disabled peers, and their education consisted mostly of sitting in the class waiting to go home. A landmark civil rights decision in the1960's changed the face of special education forever, and today, special education students are federally protected and mandated to be educated in the least restrictive environment. This has led to many special education students making the decision to enter college. Currently there are more special education students in college than ever before in the history of America's public school system. Preparation for college in the field of special education is handled through a federally mandated transition program. A transition specialist works with the high school, the student and the family throughout the student's high school career, to insure the foundation is in place to support the student in transitioning from high school to college.
             Texas law dovetails with federal mandates to insure high school students that desire to go on to a post secondary education is provided the support to do so.
             "Transitional services have been mandated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for a decade (P.L. 101-476). The IDEA Amendments of 1997 (P.L. 105-17) provide for transitional services as a coordinated set of activities that address courses of study for students 14 years of age as well as a statement of needed transitional services and, as appropriate, interagency linkages for students 16 years of age(Harvey, 2001)."
             The law requires that each special education student have in place a transitional plan for the student as he or she approaches the end of high school. The IEP must begin including the transition service plan when the student reaches the age of 14 and the plan must include the steps needed to achieve that transition goa...