Connect with Community Resources for Transition
Learn how to plan ahead, be a part of your community and make the most of its resources.
Education: Take the time to learn about your academic rights and services. Know what you want to do after high school so you can talk about and plan how you will manage your medical needs in college.
Review our Education Tip Sheets
More Education Resources
Employment: Start volunteering to get job experience. Learn about your employment rights, and understand how to manage your medical needs during work. You can talk with your medical team about appropriate job choices.
More Employment Resources
Recreation: Find fun programs in your community, and get involved (sports, church, clubs, volunteer). And be sure to understand how your medical condition may affect what you choose to do.
Life Skills: You can begin to take part in household chores, learn how to manage your money, how to shop and how to cook.
More Life Skills Resources
Social & Emotional Support: Identify a supportive adult. Consider meeting other teens and young adults with the same medical condition, and get support from school, medical team and groups such as the hospital's own ParentWise and PeerWise groups.
More Support Resources
Youth with Developmental Disability: You can connect with the Illinois Division of Developmental Disabilities, as well as identify support within your own family and community and plan for future needs including financial, medical, education, living and guardianship.
More Developmental Disability Resources