Patrick Cadigan: 0:00

The transition process starts at the age of 14 and carries all the way to exit. That's when you'll face the question. What do you want for your child to be doing after the school bus stops coming? Now, this is going to be different for everybody. It is a completely individualized experience. Using your child's school experiences will help with doing some research, using resources at your disposal, be it a special educator, general education teacher, school admin, or if so supported a transition specialist, you're also going to rely on outside agencies and no lie. It is a lot of information, there is a lot out there and there is a lot to consider. Now, of course, trying to do it all at once can feel really consuming. So we're here to get the conversation going. Welcome. We are here for the Post Secondary Transition podcast where we have conversations around the ins and outs, and everything in between the transition process for families of students with disabilities. I'm one of the hosts. My name is Patrick Cadigan. I am a special education teacher and I do have a co-host and who would that be?

Meghan Smallwood: 1:12

Hi, I'm Meghan Smallwood, and I am a public school transition coordinator.

Patrick Cadigan: 1:17

Boom, here we go, what first day of school, how to go?

Meghan Smallwood: 1:20

I know, it was good. It was a good first day, it was good to see all the kids back. It's kind of funny though, as we talk about preparing for exit to look at some of my students that came back and think this is your last first day. It's so that's the you know, started the final year,

Patrick Cadigan: 1:36

it is it is your exit year, what, what to expect!

Meghan Smallwood: 1:40

Right, and I'm sure the parents are thinking about that a lot more than the students are. But regardless, do not freak out. You are not alone, and you've been researching and you've been planning and you're ready for this, even if you don't feel like you're ready for this, it will be okay. Just remember, you have people here to help you. And it's not as scary as you think, so just breathe, we're here to make it a little easier.

Patrick Cadigan: 2:04

Alright, so I'm gonna throw it out there that for parents who are about to walk into this, this new beginning, how do I say this, who's gonna who's gonna be there to help walk them through this?

Meghan Smallwood: 2:15

So definitely, if like in our county, you have a transition specialist at your disposal in your school, lean on them, they will be a huge support for you. If you don't, that's okay, you still have a case manager, you have other special educators, you might have a special education itl or instructional team leader that you're close with, but also a huge resource for parents or other parents who have gone through the process, ones that might have exited last year or five years ago. I know at some of my schools, you know, it's natural when you have like an academic life skills class, that the family has become close, the kids become friends, they're in the same boat, that you keep in touch with them, and kind of check in with them and pick their brain and just go out and have coffee and ask them how it went for them and a tidbits that they should know. So all their parents are a great resource.

Patrick Cadigan: 3:06

Yeah, I was just gonna throw out there that, at least in our sphere, and I can't believe I'm actually going to say this out loud. Because I've kind of become not so much a proponent of social media. But

Meghan Smallwood: 3:18

What?

Patrick Cadigan: 3:21

Well, let's just, I don't know, my, my take on social media, I don't know, I kind of go I come in and out and with all the changes, but I will throw out there that, of course, both you and I, we belong to a couple of Facebook groups, and I pay very close attention to what the families in those groups are talking about. And they, like you said, they're there to help each other. You can see it in real time. It's really cool.

Meghan Smallwood: 3:50

Yeah, and some of these Facebook groups I know, even have side chats going on about certain topics that you know, I'll pop on every now and then. And I'll learn a whole bunch of stuff from parents who have gone through, you know, different scenarios. So it's really good resource, even if you're not a huge fan of social media just for that purpose alone, connecting with others. And I know, we've talked about this before, different programs that have come from social media where parents connected and decided they wanted something different or they had a, you know, this goal in mind for their child or young adult. And they found other parents with the same mindset and took off from there so.

Patrick Cadigan: 4:29

Well, okay, so I'm going to throw it out there that when I, in all of the discussions that you and I have had prior to this and when I think of the exit year, I think of the vocabulary term milestone. So what are some of the milestones that should have been tackled by now?

Meghan Smallwood: 4:51

Yeah, I mean, I think we're notorious for talking about milestones. Don't forget those milestones, different ages that you know, they come upon them. Medicaid is one for example, which I should start with SSI. Because a lot of times you get SSI and then you get Medicaid. Regardless, Medicaid, you will need that to access your Developmental Disabilities Administration or DDA funding. So you definitely want to have that one tackled. SSI, like I mentioned, not required, but definitely beneficial. If you're considering guardianship or alternatives to guardianship, again, we've mentioned before, there's no set time that has to be done. But just something you should have considered this point or talk to some other people. Same thing with ABLE account or a special needs trust. And again, we have a number of resources about all of this information, we've done podcasts on them. So these are some of the milestones that should be behind you at this point.

Patrick Cadigan: 5:48

And then what about on the school side? What can parents be doing?

Meghan Smallwood: 5:51

Hopefully, you've researched and, you know, gone to some of the workshops offered, you know, in your county and attended if there's a transition fair. You know, just to plug, Howard County's having one coming up.

Patrick Cadigan: 6:03

Public service announcement! There will...

Meghan Smallwood: 6:07

Great opportunity, network and gather information, just saying. But you definitely want to go out and, you know, continue the research process, whether it be at the fair, or just reaching out to different agencies, if you're going that route, or like we said, other parents just to gather as much information as possible. And again, your transition specialist, if you have one in your building, really can help with this, you know. I have had many parents who asked to do sessions monthly. You know, just help for them to have a minute to say, Okay, I think I've got this, but let me double check with you. Or just send me a text or a phone call or cry on my shoulder, whatever they needed at that time, like, trying to help make life easier. That's what I feel like my role is

Patrick Cadigan: 6:52

Segwaying out of that one of the things that, of course, knowing what we were going to be talking about, I started to look over some of the resources that we have posted to our website www.postsecondarytransition.com. And under the Start Here tab, when you scroll down, you will find yourself like identifying, you know, who who is the student that I'm talking about? Do I have a certificate track student or which is to say a student who is not graduating with a diploma, but we'll you know, be finished from the school system with a certificate or a student who is going to graduate with a diploma. And when I click on the senior for the certificate track, but one of the things that I had noticed, was gathering school records.

Meghan Smallwood: 7:42

Yeah.

Patrick Cadigan: 7:42

And what so can you talk, do you want to talk a little bit more about that, like, what are we what kind of records are parents going to be, you know..?

Meghan Smallwood: 7:49

Yeah, great point. I mean, obviously, they're going to be looking for an IEP, or they will also be looking for, you know, behavior plan if that's in place. But one of the biggest pieces that I know DDA looks for is that psychological or cognitive assessment that's been completed. And they really the the coordinator will ask for one that's been done within the last three years. Now, I know that last year, there's a lot going on. If it isn't within the last three years, that might be a conversation to have your Case Manager or ask your transition specialist about. But it's definitely important for DDA, because they want the most recent picture of the functional levels of your child to show how much support they will need long term and how much funding they would need because it will help with their matric score, which we'll talk a little bit about later. Now, if it's not your exit year, and you're listening to this, just take a look and see when the last time your psychological assessment was done. I mean, best practice I know in our county is to have one done every six years, if it's coming up on a six year and that's definitely conversation if you have a reevaluation meeting coming up. I will say at the beginning of each year, what I like to do as a transition specialist is just go and check with my students on my you know, on the caseload at my school to see when last psychological assessments were done. And if anyone has a reevaluation meeting coming up, and if they're exiting within the three next three years, just so it's naturally being completed, not always something that I think is thought about until last minute, so it's good to be proactive and just keep track of that and make sure you have a copy on file. You can always ask the school for an extra copy.

Patrick Cadigan: 9:30

At this point by exit year, should the student have Coordinator of Community Service?

Meghan Smallwood: 9:38

Absolutely. I would hope they'd have one and I would hope you have heard from them. If not, then that is a great question for your transition specialist to find out who it should be because they can help track them down with DDA. I know we've talked about the turnover with them.

Patrick Cadigan: 9:53

Yeah, I was just gonna say that, you know, referring back to the Facebook groups that we've been talking about, boy the so much of the chatter recently has just been the some of the very real frustrations that families are finding with just so many different aspects of all the stuff that's going on right now.

Meghan Smallwood: 10:08

Yeah, there's such a big turnover with them unfortunately. It's, it's tricky, especially when you are going through exit year. And I know that's a huge concern of parents, because I've seen parents who have been like almost to the finish line. And then the coordinator leaves and it's like Groundhog Day, you're starting from scratch. And a lot of times, the new coordinator doesn't have all the documents, and they're scrambling to put it all back in place. So at this point, you know, reach out or if you don't know who it is, ask for help to figure out who it is, make, you know, community, get in touch with them. And just start the conversation and ask them for support, because that's what they should be doing. And I know, sometimes they need their memory jogger, that you have an exiting young adults, because they have a large caseload themselves. So it doesn't hurt to reach out more than once, if you don't hear back or go to the supervisor, if you haven't heard so.

Patrick Cadigan: 10:57

Well and then one of the other things in Hey pro tip upcoming, here we go. We've talked about this multiple times before, make sure to keep records of everything...

Meghan Smallwood: 11:06

Yes.

Patrick Cadigan: 11:06

...that that the the coordinator sends you because because of changing frequently, you know, potentially changing frequently, you do not do not want to start over at like one of those crucial points.

Meghan Smallwood: 11:19

Right. And I know I've had parents in the past who have asked me, am I stuck with the same coordinator? No, absolutely not, you know, give them a fair chance, you know, you want to, you want to keep the lines of communication open. But if you really are feeling unhappy, or you're really feel like you need to change, you can always make that change happen with DDA, that you're not set in stone with one. Also, you want them to be involved with the IEP team. And I know in our county, specifically, we have a form that the transition specialist has parents signed called the informed parental consent to invite them to the annual IEP meeting every year. And that senior exit year is the most important year that you want them there, because it's helpful for them to hear from other members of the team, like the speech pathologist, you know, physical therapist, occupational therapist, and it really paints that full picture of your young, young adult.

Patrick Cadigan: 12:09

Again, as we're thinking of segwaying in and the big word that comes to my mind is options. So let's talk about like, what are what options do families have?

Meghan Smallwood: 12:23

Right? So I know we've talked about DDA side of things. So kind of sticking with that, you know, the biggest decision you have to make is, are you doing a traditional route or self directed route, or both traditional talking about, you know, day program or going with an agency, self directed, I know, we've talked about, you know, where you're customizing or making an individual plan for your young adult. And some have figured out how to do both, you know, do a little bit from an agency, a little bit of self direct and doing something on your own. So just exploring and researching both sides to make the best student for your family. And visiting the agencies in your area, if you haven't already, again, your transition specialist is very helpful to help set those up and provide contact information, and even go with you, your coordinator can do this as well, if you have a relationship where you've been in touch with them, and they can give you more information on different agencies to we do have a list of questions on our website that you can ask the different agencies on your visit, which are very helpful, because I know sometimes it can be overwhelming when you go in and we're looking around.

Patrick Cadigan: 13:32

We there's there's a useful resource on the website, what?

Meghan Smallwood: 13:37

There is! I know. Shocking.

Patrick Cadigan: 13:39

Where, where are they gonna find it, which page? Is it on, I can't remember.

Meghan Smallwood: 13:44

That should be adult agencies under the certificate side.

Patrick Cadigan: 13:47

Right. Yep.

Meghan Smallwood: 13:48

And I mean, there's things that, you know, I remember giving it to a parent, and they're like, oh, my gosh, we get transportation. I'm like, Well, that's the question to ask them. Because I know in our area, you know, a lot of the places we go will do curb to curb transportation, but not all of them do. So it's good to keep record of who does what. And make sure you ask those questions when you go.

Patrick Cadigan: 14:09

I will say that one of the things that you and I have been discussing, and we've mentioned it briefly in the last episode, but for longtime listeners, we had a conversation with Coordinator of Community Service, Jamie Broadnax. And we have been continuing that discussion just offline. But we're going to be bringing her back here real soon. And we're going to sit down and talk with her very specifically about self-direction because of course, we're always really interested in how she sees it from her side. You know, we're the public school teachers, right. She's the what like the private the private sector side...

Meghan Smallwood: 14:45

Yeah.

Patrick Cadigan: 14:45

So I always...

Meghan Smallwood: 14:46

Non-profit.

Patrick Cadigan: 14:47

Yeah, I always feel like she is she's just always has some really interesting insights and she's...

Meghan Smallwood: 14:54

That's why I love going to meetings when the parent invites me to attend with the coordinator. It's It's so interesting to hear the things that you know, aren't necessarily in the realm of my job. But I'm curious, I want to know, after 21 what this all means and what you're going to be looking at. So I think it's beneficial. And I'm, I'm excited for us to talk to Jamie a little bit more about self directed specifically.

Patrick Cadigan: 15:18

Yeah, um, that's gonna be a great conversation. I'm looking forward to it. Let's see what other options are there. What's what's the next set of options?

Meghan Smallwood: 15:25

Yeah, so self directed, like we said, make sure you're, you know, talking to others who have done it, listen to our podcast, just figure out for you what is meaningful for your adult? What would that look like? You know, so many times I've heard parents when they're thinking self directed, they will talk to other parents, but they'll say, tell me what his schedule looks like. I want to know what Johnny does from you know, sunup to sundown. Well, that's not individualized, if you're trying to figure out how that works for your child you have to figure out is work is community exploration is volunteering, what is meaningful, you know, and start making those connections in your community to the things that might be meaningful, but also another option that parents have considered and it's becoming more popular and I know myself and another transition specialists have really been doing the research to explore some of these, the post-secondary college experience for our students on the certificate track. ThinkCollege another resource that you can find on our website is a wonderful resource to help explain and explore the options that are available. Because the college has used an alternate admissions process for the students. But then once they're on campus, they have a very typical experience. So it kind of ties in what that inclusive opportunity that they've had their their whole school experience.

Patrick Cadigan: 16:42

So is DORS part of this discussion for, for our families? Is that an option for them?

Meghan Smallwood: 16:50

Yeah, so I know we've talked a lot about DDA, it is possible to have the DORS funding, along with DDA. However, DDA will take precedent because DDA is long term funding, DORS is considered short term funding. So obviously, if you're going up against each other, and if you have the option of either one, you stick with DORS...or no, no, do not record that.

Patrick Cadigan: 17:12

We're gonna we're gonna cut that one out.

Meghan Smallwood: 17:15

That is a blooper. So if you have the option between DORS or DDA funding, you're gonna want to go with the DDA funding, because that's the long term funding. However, for those who might not have been eligible for DDA, because it is an eligibility process. DORS is definitely an option. And that would be the Vocational Rehabilitation, or VR status, which is different from Pre-ETS, which is a whole nother application. Yeah, application after application. But DORS is something that could be offered and provide some assistance with employment, and also regaining employment, if you something happened, and they no longer were employed, you would access more services than you would during the Pre-ETS services, you know, window. But the ultimate goal with DORS in the VR status is employment. And I know students who have accessed it while they're going to college, as long as the goal is to find a job after college.

Patrick Cadigan: 18:12

I cannot lie, I think that one of the biggest things that always kind of trips me up when it comes to those two agencies is like what you were talking about the the short term versus the long term. And sometimes in my brain, it gets interchangeable, but I do know that there are significant differences.

Meghan Smallwood: 18:29

Yeah. And I know, you know, you hear both of them. And you're like, oh, funding, I gotta get all the funding. But again, if you have to make a decision and you have are eligible for DDA, you're going to go with DDA, you know, that is long term that will give you the support your your young adult will need, you know, past 21 and beyond. However, DORS, like I said, you can access it, but it's short term, and you can't overlap them, obviously, you're going to want to no, no state funding wants to be, you know, double dipping at the same time. So you're gonna have to work your magic if you're going to use both.

Patrick Cadigan: 19:03

So let's, let's open up the conversation then to timeline. Alright, so you have a parent, you have a family who is coming in, this is their exit year? And is, is there, is there a timeline that they should be following?

Meghan Smallwood: 19:18

Yeah, so let's say fall, you know, September, October, November. Again, you're gonna want your coordinator invited to the IEP meeting for the year. So checking in with your transition specialist, or if you don't have one, a case manager to make sure that's happening. Attend those transition events; transition fair for Howard County, that's coming up and you want to attend as many as you can. Along the same lines, you want to go out and meet the different providers or agencies we talked about. You can go back and visit as many as you want. Or as many times as you want, you can bring your young adult with you. You can ask them as many questions as you want, but you want to at least have three in mind because especially COVID, we found it's harder and harder for young adults to be accepted because of staffing issues, being able to meet needs, so you definitely want to have backup plans upon backup plans. So having a list and that's where your coordinator and your transition specialist can definitely help. You want to start can thinking about filling out the application. And there is a universal application, which your coordinator will help you with, that many of the providers do use these days. So you want to at least talk to your coordinator about that. And your coordinator should be, you know, on top of this, and should be following this timeline and mentioning these things. But I know when you sit down and have a three hour meeting with a coordinator, your head starts spinning. And you're like, wait, they mentioned this, and I'd have to do this. And I'm not sure when this happens. So you know it again, ask questions. And I know it gets a little scary when you know, October, November is hitting and you haven't heard from anyone, and parents start to feel like they're behind the eight ball. But you know, that's what we want you to know what should start happening. Depending on the timeline. And depending on how much of your information you have ready, the coordinator can submit for the matrix referral. And so the matrix referral. And we've talked about this in past podcasts. And I won't go into too many details. But that's kind of what gives you a number to determine how much support your young adult will need from DDA in terms of funding. So your coordinator is going to submit for the matrix referral, which we've talked about in other podcasts. But basically, that matrix number is what will determine the level of support your young adult needs and the amount of funding that DDA will provide. And the score is basically two scores based off of health and safety and supervision. Five is the highest and determines that the young adult requires the most amount of support, and one is the lowest determining that they are fairly independent and require minimal support. So that matrix number is is important to help kind of shape you know, if you were looking and I know a lot of parents, when we go into different programs, say my child needs a one on one. And the program will say, sure you can have a one on one, based off of what DDA says. And what they mean is DDA saying if your child has a five, well, then they need funding for a one on one because they need the most support. You know, if you have like a three, you're probably not going to get the funding for a one on one. So that's another tip too. When you go to agencies, they're gonna tell you what you a lot of Yeah, sure, we can do that. Yeah, sure, we can do that. But that's why you need to have backup plans, because when it comes time for the specifics, and you know, the real talk, they might not be able to do it. So just be aware.

Patrick Cadigan: 22:50

Well, one word that I heard you use in that context of that conversation was shaping and isn't the isn't the Coordinator of Community Service also going to, you know, work to help create that initial Person Centered plan, right, that outline?

Meghan Smallwood: 23:06

Right, that will start developing, probably as we get into the winter here. And that will help to outline the different services and supports that you're gonna want to request through the waiver application. I know another application that that's the the waiver application with DDA that determined which waiver that your young adult will go into for funding purposes. So come wintertime, we're thinking like December, your coordinator should be in touch and say, Hey, what agencies or providers are you thinking of? And that's when you're going to tell them your top hopefully, three, you know, you have the top one, kind of like when you're choosing a college, you've got your top college, and then you've got your safety schools, well, you want to at least have two backups like we said. You can also tell your transmission coordinator. It's good to keep them informed as well, just so that they're aware and you know, they can help out if communications not really happening with any ends. And then also, if you're planning to go self directed, you want to make sure everyone's aware of that too. You are going to be asked for different financial documents and other documents, personal documents for that waiver that your coordinator is going to be applying for with DDA. And that will be solely between your coordinator from DDA and you transition specialist. People from school don't have any input on this. But just be aware that will ask you then to start gathering a whole bunch of different records. I don't know I think they also need updated medical like a from a physician or dentist like there's just a whole slew of things that come about so be prepared. Then come little later on the winter, January February March. DDA will provide approval for the coordinator to submit the waiver application and that is determined on when DDA says it's okay. So a lot of times it's a waiting game, the coordinators waiting for DDA to give the green light to submit things. So you might not hear from the coordinator that up things might not seem like they're happening. But as long as the coordinators collected what they need, and they're just waiting, you're good to go. Because as soon as the gr, greenlight is given, then they can push the button and think the ball should start rolling. And you'll apply for the waiver. You don't necessarily have a say in which waiver DDA kind of determines based off of, you know, the fact that you have a transitioning youth. And the top priority for them is day programming. So you would go on that waiver, in rare circumstances where residential is needed, because that's the difference really, between the waivers, there's one, that it's mostly just for the day programming. And the other one is for residential and day programming. They would determine which one then and you can always change down the road, you're not tied to one. As you get older, if you decide residential is an option that you'd like for your young adult, that can happen. But for all intensive purposes, you don't have to worry about which waiver, you're going into waiver. That's all you need to know.

Patrick Cadigan: 25:58

And then can families like, can they, can they request? Or is it is it literally one of those like, no, you've applied, this is what we're giving you. And that's it.

Meghan Smallwood: 26:09

I've had families request or say, you know, we're interested in residential, unless there was a reasoning for the residential, like, you know, 21, like, caretaker cannot, you know, care for them anymore, or they're going to be homeless, or whatever the reason may be, it can't just be, we want them to move out. You know, it's, that can be something they come as they become older, but at 21, you know, making sure they everyone has a meaningful day is top priority. So your requests may not be granted, but you will still have a waiver. So you're going to work with your coordinator to get that waiver information in and then again, it's kind of a waiting game for DDA to get back to you. Communication is important, because you want to make sure things aren't falling through the cracks. So of course, you know, checking with your coordinator. Sometimes there's been circumstances where maybe the coordinator hasn't had any luck hearing, but the parent was able to go higher, and the parent got some feedback. So don't be afraid to nag. You know, this is important, this is preparing for life, make sure that you're in the know, and if you need help with that reach out to your supports to see if anyone else can give you some guidance. So then come springtime, I'm thinking like April, May, June after the waiver application has been approved, yay. Hopefully, it's all taken care of in a nice orderly fashion. That person centered plan will be revised. And that's usually when you would reflect what provider if you're going that route is going to be providing services for young adult. Once that's all approved, a start date for services can be given. And that would happen after July 1. And hopefully it's as close to July 1 as possible. However, if things are being held up, but DDA isn't with the waiver application, or for whatever other reason, it could be later. So I know that's also a fear of a lot of families that, you know, they're going to be sitting at home. And unfortunately, it's gotten better since COVID. But that does still happen, especially if you go the self directed route. You know, there's a lot of times that you might submit a budget. And DDA will come back with questions. And you have to answer these questions and go back and forth. And so that your timelines push back a little bit. But again, just stay on top of it. And, you know, fingers crossed, if you have everything in order, and you're meeting, you're chipping away at it. I have parents that just exited this year that their young adult is already in the program, and it's August. So it is possible.

Patrick Cadigan: 28:49

As I'm sitting here listening to you talk, I'm wondering, is there is there another conversation to be had around person centered planning.

Meghan Smallwood: 28:57

There are so many conversations, but yes, person centered planning. And that all kind of ties in to And charting your life plan, why do I feel like I've heard that Charting the Life Course, which I know in our county, the Transition Specialists are going to be getting some more training on but it really comes back to you know, you are not alone in this you have a whole group of people around you and you're young adults, and it's pulling in all these people that know your young adult from different parts of their life to share what they feel, you know, is an important part of them and how it fits into the big plan and what would be a meaningful life for them. So you don't have to wait until 21 to start planning for your person centered plan if you know, you know swimming is a major part of your young adults life. Well then heck swimming is going to be in their day some form you know some shape or form if you know being in the community or being with people their own age is important. Like that has to be front and center. Like it's just, it's individualized. It's whatever's important for your young adult and you before? I think I think they we discussed that when I was doing my studies at Towson, right? You probably did. Starting the Lifecourse framework. And we are lucky enough to have the Hussman Foundation, working with us. Yeah, of course. And it's just it's a great framework. And we should also that could be something that can dive a little more into, as well in another podcast.

Patrick Cadigan: 30:35

Once again, more more future conversations to be had.

Meghan Smallwood: 30:39

Well, there's the never ending. Yes, for sure.

Patrick Cadigan: 30:42

All right, good stuff. Well, and then, and then, and then try to think of how to segue out.

Meghan Smallwood: 30:50

And then we call to action.

Patrick Cadigan: 30:53

And then, yeah. Well, needless to say, I mean, I'm looking forward to those conversations, and so many of the other conversations that we're, we still have yet to have. So I think that's going to be really cool.

Meghan Smallwood: 31:07

Just when you think we've covered it all. But wait, there's more.

Patrick Cadigan: 31:10

Oh, yeah. No, forget that man. Like, we are always saying there's always rabbit holes, one, one rabbit hole after the other. All right. Well, I think we've, I think we've covered quite a bit, and it's gonna be nice. I will throw out there that there, obviously, there's going to be link in the show notes to this and all the other information that we've covered. But it's really nice to be able to go to be able to go back and and reference other conversations that we've already had. Right. So that'll be really helpful. Well, I'll tell you what, then. I think this conversation, I think we're good.

Meghan Smallwood: 31:48

Me too, I think, yeah, that's a good one. Hopefully, it's helpful.

Patrick Cadigan: 31:52

No, we're not done. We got one more thing. Do you remember what it is?

Meghan Smallwood: 31:57

Oh, That's So Helpful.

Patrick Cadigan: 31:59

Yeah. Well That's Helpful resource. And guess whose turn it is?

Meghan Smallwood: 32:05

Is it me?

Patrick Cadigan: 32:06

Of course. Once again, Patrick, you have thrown your co-host. under the bus.

Meghan Smallwood: 32:14

Yes, you have.

Patrick Cadigan: 32:15

Oh, you know what, though? Hold on. No, no, no, I got one. I got one, because... So I'll tell you what I caught Megan off guard with the our That's Helpful resource. I didn't prepare her at a time. So but I do have one, I do have one that I think people that parents and families can find helpful. For those of you who who don't know, I am a big podcast guy. All right. Not only, you know, jump out there with podcasts and you know, make them/create them. Blah, blah, blah. But I also listened to a whole lot of them. And one of the ones that I came across was the All Autism Talk podcast. And very recently, they posted an episode with the title Back to School Tips for Parents of Kids with Autism, I was particularly taken with this discussion, because they brought on a parent who was discussing her experiences around working with her child with autism. And as I was listening to it, I just found it. It was just it was a good conversation, lots of useful tips and tricks. And I think that anybody in that situation will will find this conversation helpful. So I'm going to leave a link to that in our show notes for this episode of The Autism Talk podcast. And I think it's really cool.

Meghan Smallwood: 33:42

Awesome.

Patrick Cadigan: 33:43

All right. So I'll tell you what, I think this conversation is over. You want to you want to close this out there Ms. Smallwood?

Meghan Smallwood: 33:50

Absolutly. I think we appreciate you coming again. And we want to make sure that you follow the information from this conversation in our show notes, like follow and please share out the podcast with everyone like we said, you know, make sure everyone who's exiting knows and everyone who's exiting in the next few years. Visit our YouTube channel where we've posted videos of all our conversations, including doing some of the legwork for you by curating videos of topics that revolve around transition. We've created playlists that cover guardianship, alternatives to guardianship, ABLE accounts, and still more to come. So be sure to subscribe there as well. And finally, check out our website which is chockfull of information around the transition process. And you also find our contact information there,too. So go to www.postsecondarytransition.com.

Patrick Cadigan: 34:41

All right.

Meghan Smallwood: 34:42

And I think that's all we wrote.

Patrick Cadigan: 34:44

And I think that that is all she wrote. So I think we're gonna go ahead and we're gonna sign off. We look forward to having more conversations with you guys and we will talk to you soon.

Meghan Smallwood: 34:52

Thanks, everyone.