August brings a shift in energy for families across California, and for transition-age youth with developmental disabilities, that shift often comes with extra planning. New schedules, new classrooms, and, in some cases, the early steps toward adult services all land at once, and DSPs are frequently the steady presence helping a young person adjust.
For older teens approaching the end of their school years, this is also when conversations about employment support and independent living often begin in earnest. A DSP working with a transition-age individual might help build routines around a new schedule, reinforce skills learned in an Individualized Education Program, or begin introducing the kind of community and workplace exposure that employment-focused DSPs specialize in later on.
Families going through this transition are also navigating the regional center system for the first time in a new way. Alta California Regional Center and Valley Mountain Regional Center, the two regional centers behind DSP Collaborative, coordinate services for individuals from birth through the end of life under the Lanterman Act, and transition planning is one of the more complex chapters in that lifelong relationship. You can read more about how ACRC and VMRC work together on our About page.
If you are a job seeker drawn to this kind of milestone-driven work, browse current openings on our For Job Seekers page. And if last month’s post on summer recreation caught your interest, this one is a natural next step, since many of the same day support skills carry over into transition planning.