Transition goals
After you fill out the TRAQ and go over it with your care team, pick 2–3 goals to work on. At your next visit we'll check in: Did you reach them? What got in the way? What did you learn? Then you'll pick new ones.
Pick what interests you
Any goal you commit to builds skills that carry over to other areas, so choosing one you'll actually do matters more than which one it is. Your lowest TRAQ area is a good place to start, but it's your choice. You can always make up your own goal.
Learn about health care transition
What is health care transition?
Got Transition's guides for youth, young adults and families.
gottransition.org ↗10 Steps to a Successful Transition
A one-page overview in English and Spanish from FloridaHATS.
Open PDF ↗Are you ready? Take the quiz
A short readiness quiz and family toolkit from Got Transition.
gottransition.org ↗Congratulations! Are you ready to manage your own care?
College comes with new responsibilities, including your health care. Work through this checklist with your doctor and family before you start school. If anything on it feels hard, schedule a transition visit with your care team.
If you're going away to school
- Find a primary care provider in your college town.
- Ask your care team to help with referrals to specialists near campus.
- Check whether the school accepts your insurance or offers its own plan.
- Learn about your campus health center and its services.
- Plan transportation: bus routes, or whether first-year students can have a car.
- Visit healthcare.gov if you might lose coverage.
Can you do these on your own?
0 of 10 checked
More moving parts, and more help available.
For youth with physical or intellectual disabilities, transition can involve school planning, Social Security, and decisions about how the young adult will be supported in making choices. These steps can take years, so start early. Ask your doctor which paths fit your family best.
School & education transition
Federal law requires transition planning in the IEP by age 16, and often earlier. Your state's Parent Training and Information Center can give one-on-one guidance on school-to-work or school-to-college planning.
Decision-making at 18
At 18, young adults become legally responsible for their own decisions. Learn about supported decision-making, powers of attorney, and guardianship or conservatorship, from least to most restrictive.
SSI redetermination at 18
Youth receiving SSI are re-evaluated under adult rules at 18. The Social Security "Red Book" covers SSI and work incentives in detail. It's long, so ask for help working through it.
Health insurance
Coverage rules change between 18 and 26. Plan ahead for Medicaid eligibility changes, staying on a parent's plan, or marketplace coverage.
Overwhelmed about where to start? Schedule a health care transition visit with your care team to talk through steps, options and help.