Throughout the pandemic, students with transition services, especially community-based instruction, and off-site job placements, have found that services could not be implemented due to business closures or gathering restrictions.
In its “The Road Back” Restart and Recovery Plan for Education, NJDOE recommended that IEP teams identify “students whose post-secondary plans may have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and provide support, resources, and assistance, which may include facilitating connection to community organizations, scholarship programs, county, state, and federal opportunities to access support.”
NJDOE also published guidance on providing additional services for students with disabilities who were to graduate or exceed eligibility for special education services. In addition to providing additional services, districts are encouraged to perform new evaluations that might support post-secondary compensatory services or services offered by other agencies.
Because transition services were disproportionately impacted by COVID restrictions outside of schools, it’s important to raise the issue of compensatory service in this area with your IEP team if your child missed out on these services since March 2020.
