Description:

Transition Services are designed to assist students with disabilities with continuing their Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals outside of school hours and assist them with the transition to employment or adult services.

Extended Day Services

Extended Day Services are designed for students in special education who would benefit from having additional hours each week to work on their Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals. Activities are generally focused on increasing independent living skills, addressing prevocational needs, and/or assisting with community and social integration. Services are typically provided Monday through Friday after school hours. Marrakech staff may meet students at the school or the family home. Marrakech provides transportation to activities and then back to the family home in the evening.

Transition Services

Transition Services are utilized by students, ages 18-21 years old, who are in their final years of special education. Services are meant to assist students with the transition to community-based adult services or to employment. Transition services can be provided in a small group setting or on an individual basis. Regardless of whether students work 1:1 with a paraprofessional or within a group, each student's program will be developed to assist them with meeting individual goals. The following items may be included in the transition service plan:

Life Skills: Curriculum-based and on-site review of various life skills including cleaning/household maintenance, cooking, following directions, using public transportation and other public resources, money management and budgeting, communication, safety, stress management, anger management, and conflict resolution.

Basic Skills: Reading, writing, and math skills as they relate to basic individual and employment functions (in general, students should have all academic requirements met and will utilize this to improve in areas that still show some deficiencies).

Social Skills Training: Focused training on relationships, communication, boundaries, public versus private behavior, and workplace social skills

Career and Education Exploration: Discussion and review of various careers that are of interest or related interest to students, visits to various companies to see the career in action, discussion and review of educational options for students, assistance with applications and taking foundation level classes, visits to and from colleges and training programs.

Job Seeking and Keeping Skills: Review of how and where to look for a job, filling out applications, creating a resume, writing cover letters, interviewing skills, proper dress and hygiene, appropriate on-the-job behavior, dealing with difficult supervisors and co-workers, properly leaving a job.

Self-Advocacy Group: Discussion on various situations students will need to advocate for themselves; activities will include expression through art, practice through role-playing and simulated activities as well as community-based activities that will allow skills to be put into practice.

"Real Life" Independent Living Skills: Community-Based practice of life skills learned in the classroom via simulated sessions earlier. This may include actual banking, shopping, applying for a job, ordering food, asking for directions or help, etc.

Internship, Assessment, or Job Placement: Students will take part in situational assessments or internships. For those students with employment as a transition outcome, emphasis will be placed on transitioning those experiences into paid community employment. For students who have a focus on post-secondary education or vocational education, emphasis will be placed on providing the most hands-on experience in their fields of interest as possible prior to or in conjunction with entering into an educational program. Students will be encouraged to pursue at least part-time employment while in school if they and their team feel they can manage multiple responsibilities. Students will be paid minimum wage for work completed during situational assessments.

Staff who work in the School and Transition Services program are Paraprofessionals.  Paraprofessionals receive all core Marrakech in-service training including CPR, First Aid, Abuse and Neglect Prevention, and Behavior Management Techniques. In addition, Paraprofessionals take in-services on Autism, PMT and other specialized training as the need arises or as they become available.

Services are available statewide. Marrakech uses program sites to carry out skill and development and social activities in the following locations: Bridgeport, West Haven, New Haven, Waterbury, and Torrington.

Eligibility: To be eligible for services, individuals must be in high school and have special education services. Official referrals must come from the Board of Education responsible for providing the student's educational program.

Contact Information:

Related Websites:

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act- IDEA