At graduation, the IEP ends. The structure that supported your child disappears. The legal obligations disappear too.
The law changes
Under IDEA, schools proactively identify and serve students. Under the ADA and Section 504, the burden shifts to your child. They must identify themselves, provide documentation, and request accommodations.
What college disability services look like
Students register with the disability services office, provide documentation, and establish an accommodation plan. What transfers: knowledge of what helps. What doesn’t: the IEP itself. Colleges provide accommodations, not specialized instruction. Register before the first day of classes.
The Summary of Performance
The school must provide a Summary of Performance (SOP) when your child graduates with a regular diploma or ages out. Ask for a draft in junior year. Make sure it includes practical recommendations for postsecondary settings.
Vocational Rehabilitation
Every state has a VR agency for employment-related services. Start the process in 11th or 12th grade.
The hardest part
The shift in your role. After years of being the primary advocate, your child has to do it themselves. The students who do best have attended their own IEP meetings, know their diagnosis, and have requested accommodations themselves.
Try this tonight
Ask your child: “Do you know what your IEP says about your goals for after high school?” If they don’t know, that’s the starting point.