Autism transition planning in Colorado
Colorado starts a year earlier than the rest of the country. Planning begins with the first IEP written when your child is 15.
Federal law sets the floor at 16. Colorado moved it forward, and most parents are never told.
Colorado ECEA Rule 4.03(6)(d) requires transition planning beginning with the first IEP developed when the child is age 15, and no later than the end of 9th grade.
The rule, in plain terms
Colorado ECEA Rule 4.03(6)(d) requires transition planning "beginning with the first IEP developed when the child is age 15, but no later than the end of 9th grade".
The federal requirement, at 34 CFR 300.320(b), applies by the first IEP in effect when a child turns 16.
So a Colorado family gets an extra year of planning built into law. That year is worth using rather than discovering afterwards.
What to ask for at that meeting
| Ask for | Why |
|---|---|
| Goals written for after school, not just this year | That is what transition planning is; annual goals alone do not satisfy it |
| Your teenager in the room | The plan is about their life, and self-advocacy is one of the skills being built |
| Independent living skills named specifically | Vague wording produces vague provision |
| Employment or training exposure | Work experience during school is linked to better outcomes after it |
| How progress gets reported to you | Otherwise you find out at the next annual review |
Bring the rule number. It changes the tone of the meeting when a parent can cite the requirement.
Where ABA fits, and where it does not
Budding Futures does not write your child's IEP and we are not the school district. What we can do is work on the skills the plan depends on.
Those skills sit inside our teen ABA program. That usually means daily living, community safety, self-advocacy, managing money and transport, and handling the social side of a workplace. We do that in the home and in the community, across Colorado.
One honest limit worth planning around: Budding Futures serves young people through age 18. We are not an adult provider, so part of good transition planning is knowing who picks up after we hand off.
Frequently asked questions from parents
Q: When does transition planning start in Colorado?
A: With the first IEP written when your child is 15, and no later than the end of 9th grade. It can start earlier if the IEP team decides that is appropriate.
Q: Is that different from federal law?
A: Yes. Federal IDEA requires it by the first IEP in effect when a child turns 16. Colorado requires it a year earlier.
Q: What goes into a transition plan?
A: Measurable goals for after school covering education or training, employment, and where relevant independent living, plus the services needed to get there.
Q: What if the school has not raised it?
A: Ask directly and put the request in writing. The requirement is on the district, and the timeline runs whether or not anyone mentions it to you.
Q: Can Budding Futures help with transition goals?
A: We can work on the skills behind them, like daily living, self-advocacy, community safety and independence. We are not the school and we do not write the IEP.
More on the teenage years
ABA Therapy for Teenagers in Colorado
How Budding Futures builds a program for the teenage years.
What ABA looks like for a teenager
Practising real life in the places real life happens.
Is 13 too old for ABA therapy?
Why 13 leaves you two years ahead of the transition conversation.
Is your teenager approaching 15?
We can work on the skills behind the transition plan. Tell us where your teenager is now and what the next few years need to look like.