Resources
Please use these external resources to help navigate transitions and challenges of high school.
The Educational Transitions from the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services website provides information and tips about children transitioning into high school.
Common Transitions: Start of the School Year Opens in new tab
The Common Transitions: Start of the School Year website provides information about beginning a new year and gives tips to students starting a new grade.
Pathfinders for Autism: Prepare for the Transition from Middle to High School Opens in new tab
The Pathfinders for Autism: Prepare for the Transition from Middle to High School website recognizes the importance of transitioning from middle school to high school successfully and provides tips for a smooth transition.
Living With Autism: Transition to Middle School (PDF) Opens in new tab
The Living With Autism: Transition to Middle School website looks at the challenges of students with autism transitioning to middle school.
Meeting Point: Transition to Middle School Opens in new tab
The Meeting Point: Transition to Middle School website provides an example of a student who successfully transitioned to middle school and outlines a pathway to success.
Autism Asperger’s Digest: Middle School Transition Opens in new tab
The Autism Asperger’s Digest: Middle School Transition website looks at the continuous transitions of students who entered middle school, the different domains of each transition, and strategies for each domain.
Transition Checklist (PDF) Opens in new tab
The Transition Checklist website provides a checklist to help families pre-plan for the transition into middle school and high school.
Autism Support Network: Planning School Transitions Opens in new tab
The Autism Support Network: Planning School Transitions website recognizes the challenges students with Asperger Syndrome Disorder face when transitioning into high school and suggests planning strategies.
My Aspergers Child: Helping Asperger Students Transition to High School Opens in new tab
The My Aspergers Child: Helping Asperger Students Transition to High School website looks at challenges and supports for students transitioning into high school.
Autism Speaks: Transition Tool Kit Appendix Opens in new tab
The Autism Speaks: Transition Tool Kit Appendix focuses on youth with autism transitioning into adulthood. This site will be updated regularly.
Social Skill Builder: Transition from Elementary to Middle School Opens in new tab
The Social Skill Builder: Transition from Elementary to Middle School website provides tips for students transitioning from elementary school to middle school.
Postsecondary Resilience Education Program (PREP) Opens in new tab
The first research-based, online resilience education program to help high school students with HF-ASD learn strategies and skills that will support a successful transition to college.
The Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) website describes Ontario Ministry of Education’s Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) 140 Incorporating methods of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) into programs for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).
Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) 156 Opens in new tab (PDF)
The Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) 156 document describes Ontario Ministry of Education’s Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) 156 Supporting Transitions For Students With Special Education Needs.
Independent Learning Centre Opens in new tab
The Independent Learning Centre website provides information about online courses and Ontario’s Independent Learning Centre.
Independent Learning Centre: What is GED Testing? Opens in new tab
The Independent Learning Centre: What is GED Testing website provides information on working towards a GED for students who have left their high school.
Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services: Common Transitions Opens in new tab
The Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services: Common Transitions website offers information about transitioning to a new school as well as from year to year. This site also includes information for parents, and teachers that include resources and a toolkit to help with the transition for students on the spectrum.
TEACCH Autism Program: Recommendations for Students with High Functioning Autism Opens in new tab
The TEACCH Autism Program: Recommendations for Students with High Functioning Autism website provides helpful learning tips for high functioning students on the spectrum.
Raising Children: Communication between Home and School for Teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorder Opens in new tab
The Raising Children: Communication between Home and School for Teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorder website provides information on opening communication between the school and the students family and support networks.
Education: Education at Your Fingertips Opens in new tab
The Education: Education at Your Fingertips website, provided by the American School Counselor Association, gives information on overcoming test anxiety and includes helpful tips for students.
Ontario Ministry of Education: The Individual Education Plan (IEP) (PDF) Opens in new tab
The Ontario Ministry of Education: The Individual Education Plan (IEP) website includes a resource guide about IEPs.
The Waterloo Region Family Network (WRFN) is a trusted voice of special needs families, offering lifelong support for families and individuals as they navigate the world of special needs in Waterloo Region. The Family Resource Coach at WRFN can help you to navigate the autism services and supports in Waterloo Region as well as provide you with connections to programs, activities, information, etc. WRFN provides support to people of any age, and an official diagnosis of autism is NOT necessary.
Autism Ontario Waterloo Region Opens in new tab
As a regional chapter of Autism Ontario, Autism Ontario – Waterloo Region provides support for families and community members living with ASD.
Autism Spectrum Connection Opens in new tab
Autism Spectrum Connection Waterloo and Wellington Region provides an online space for parents who have a child with autism to share their experiences, connect with and support one another.
Developmental Services Resource Centre Waterloo Region Opens in new tab
Developmental Services Resource Centre – Waterloo Region (DSRC) assists individuals with developmental disabilities and their caregivers in evaluating needs and connecting with community services and supports.
Geneva Centre for Autism: Bringing Them Back Opens in new tab
The Geneva Centre for Autism: Bringing Them Back website offers information on how to integrate students back into school when they have been absent.
My Aspergers Child: Dealing With Aspergers Children Who Refuse To Go To School Opens in new tab
The My Aspergers Child: Dealing With Aspergers Children Who Refuse To Go To School website is based on a book, My Asperger’s Child written by Mark Hutten, M.A., that provides information from a psychologist position. This site connects to dealing with a high functioning teen refusing to go to school
Popard: School Refusal Opens in new tab
The Popard: School Refusal website is provided by the Provincial Outreach Program for Autism and Related Disorders and offers information on school refusal and how to help students cope with this.
The Think College: College Opportunities for People with Intellectual Disabilities website offers college options for people with intellectual disabilities. This is an American site, but it provides helpful links and information for parents and students planning on post-secondary education.
Education.Com: When Your Child Says No to College Opens in new tab
The Education.Com: When Your Child Says No to College website provides alternatives to college for students, including information for students who like gardening, cooking, or working with their hands.
Education.Com: 8 Basic Life Skills to Teach Teens Before They Move Out Opens in new tab
The Education.Com: 8 Basic Life Skills to Teach Teens Before They Move Out website offers eight basic life skills to teach students about living independently. These skills involve using credit cards, how to get help, and how to save money.
Education.Com: Autism Life Skills: 10 Essential Abilities for Children with ASD Opens in new tab
The Education.Com: Autism Life Skills: 10 Essential Abilities for Children with ASD website describes the ten “essential” skills students should learn, including communication, safety, and self-esteem. This is a great resource for those wanting to learn more about issues people on the spectrum may have in everyday life.
Organization for Autism Research: Life Journey Through Autism. A Guide for Transition to Adulthood (PDF) Opens in new tab
The Organization for Autism Research: Life Journey Through Autism. A Guide for Transition to Adulthood website includes a transition guide for postsecondary education, financial planning, finding a job, etc. The guide was developed by the Organization for Autism Research and provides a number of chapters on different aspects of life after high school for teens and adults on the spectrum.
York University: Programs for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder Opens in new tab
The York University: Programs for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder website is a pilot project designed by York University to help with transition and includes information on project ADVANCE and residence readiness.
Interactive Autism Network: Autism Beyond High School: Are We Ready? Opens in new tab
The Interactive Autism Network: Autism Beyond High School: Are We Ready website developed by Interactive Autism Network, provides information on life after high school and how to be ready. It includes information on adult programs and services, research questions, and other interesting information.
Autism Ontario: Facing the Challenges of Post-Secondary Education: Strategies for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (PDF) Opens in new tab
The Autism Ontario: Facing the Challenges of Post-Secondary Education: Strategies for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders website provides information about facing the challenges of life in post-secondary education including academic, social, and other important life aspects.
Transition to Adulthood for Individuals with Autism
Transition to Adulthood for Individuals with Autism is provided by the Autism Community Training website, and offers resources to help with the transition to adulthood.
Postsecondary Resilience Education Program (PREP)
Postsecondary Resilience Education Program (PREP) is the first research-based, online resilience education program to help high school students with HF-ASD learn strategies and skills that will support a successful transition to college.
