Free Transition Planning Checklist

Select a student's age/grade and disability category to generate a comprehensive transition planning checklist covering employment, education, independent living, and self-advocacy. Check off items, add custom goals, and export to PDF.

Understanding Transition Planning

What Is Transition Planning?

Transition planning is a coordinated set of activities for students with disabilities, designed to improve academic and functional achievement to facilitate movement from school to post-school activities. IDEA requires transition planning to begin no later than age 16 (earlier in many states).

The Four Domains

Effective transition plans address four key areas: employment/vocational training, post-secondary education, independent living skills, and self-advocacy. Each domain builds age-appropriate skills that prepare students for adult life after graduation.

Using This Checklist

Select the student's age range and disability category, then review age-appropriate transition activities across all four domains. Check off completed or planned items, add custom goals, and print or export the checklist for IEP meetings and progress monitoring.

Need lesson drafts to review against transition goals?

Enter your IEP goals and accommodations manually in the lesson planner. Tool results are not transferred. Review and adapt the lesson draft before use.

Using this tool: questions and answers

What determines which checklist items appear?

Select an age range and at least one disability category, then generate the checklist. The tool filters its existing item list and organizes results into employment, education, independent living and self-advocacy. These selections do not establish legal deadlines or the requirements of an individual transition plan.

Can I add items and notes?

Yes. Add a custom item within a domain, use the item note control for additional text, and check or uncheck items as needed. The completion display reflects checked items in this checklist, not a verified measure of readiness or legal compliance.

Does Copy All include only completed items?

No. Copy All includes the generated and custom items in the checklist, marks whether each is checked, and includes its notes. Print / PDF opens the browser print flow; review the print preview and choose a PDF destination if available.

What happens when I use Start Over?

Start Over returns to the form and clears checked items, notes and added custom items while retaining the form selections. The checklist is not saved to an account. Keep a copy before starting over or leaving the page.

Synthetic interface example

For interface practice, choose Ages 14-15 and Other, generate a checklist, and press Space on the first checkbox to change its checked state. These are demonstration selections, not a prescribed checklist for that age group.