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In most states, 22-year-olds begin to age out of the programs designed to support students throughout their educational journey. However, many states, regions, and communities have organizations and agencies that can help support young adults in the transition from high school to postsecondary education, workforce programs, and/or independent living. To help navigate the available resources, we’ve compiled a list of organizations below in Pennsylvania that specialize in transition services for adults with disabilities.

• Pennsylvania Secondary Transition Assessment: Issued by the Pennsylvania Community on Transition, this resource offers a transition assessment to gain insights to present level of academic achievement, development of post-secondary goals, as well as services, activities, and the best courses to achieve them.
• Think College: Think College lists the top colleges and programs in Pennsylvania for students with disabilities. The website provides the options to contact schools, look at housing options and pre-requisites, and compare schools to easily determine the best fit.
• PYLN Toolkit: The Pennsylvania Youth Leadership Network (PYLN) wrote a toolkit for students with disabilities by students with disabilities. The toolkit covers everything from assessments to post school goals. It also includes personal stories from former students with disabilities sharing their experiences and how they were able to meet their goals.
• ASERT: A Pennsylvania based organization that provides resources to help people with autism get and keep jobs. From building a resumé to managing relations in the workplace, ASERT provides additional resources to ensure people with autism are fully prepared to enter the work environment.
• PEAL Center: Parent Education & Advocacy Leadership (PEAL) serves people with disabilities ages 14-26 across Pennsylvania. The goals are focused on college, employment, independent living, and more. PEAL offers training sessions for transition and networking, connecting with coordinators for individualized assistance, and presenting disability related events in Pennsylvania. All services are of no cost.
• D.R.E.A.M. Partnership: The D.R.E.A.M. Partnership has a growing network with Pennsylvania colleges to provide opportunities for people with disabilities. Students can navigate through counties to see schools currently in this network as well as available scholarships.
• 2-1-1 Pennsylvania: View this job board that lists comprehensive disability related employment programs in Pennsylvania. People with disabilities age 18 or older are eligible for most programs, however younger students may qualify for some opportunities.
• Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation: The Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation provides individualized assistance to people with disabilities. Contact a counselor who will help establish career goals, provide on-the-job training, and more.
• Works For Me Pennsylvania: This free resource connects job candidates with disabilities to Pennsylvania employers that incorporate disability inclusion.
• Pennsylvania Secondary Transition Guide: This resource is continually updated to assist with secondary transition in Pennsylvania. Topics include education, employment, support agencies, community living, and many more.

For Educators and Administrators Interested in Bolstering their Transition Services

• The Arc of Pennsylvania: Looking to make a difference in the lives of students in transition? This resource offers courses to help identify job seekers’ needs and how to best plan for their career. Receive an ACRE Basic Certificate upon completion.
• PaTTAN: The Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) constructed a six-step process to assist educators in addressing secondary transition.

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