Transition planning and services at the Bi-County Collaborative focus on preparing all students to lead successful and fulfilling adult lives. Success and fulfillment may look different for each individual student; however it is the goal of the transition team to work with each student to ensure that they are working towards all of their post-secondary goals.
Bi-County Collaborative transition services are aligned with the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) that clearly states:
Transition services are “designed to be within a results-oriented process that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child’s movement from school to post-school activities”.
Process
Transition services begin during the IEP period in which a student turns fourteen and are focused on helping students determine and achieve their post-secondary goals. The process starts with an age appropriate transitional assessment that is updated yearly for the student’s annual review or re-evaluation meeting. These assessments can be formal or informal and serve to explore student’s interests, strengths, and needs throughout the years.
Student IEPs include appropriate measurable post-secondary goals related to training/education, employment, and where appropriate, independent living skills. Transition planning also includes transition services, including courses of study and services needed to assist the student in reaching his or her goals.
The transition process and discussion for each student will address and answer some of the following questions:
- Who am I?
- What are my personal strengths and interests?
- What do I want in life, now and in the future?
- What are some of life’s demands that I can meet now?
- What are my options in school and the community for preparing me for what I want, now and in the future?
- What, if any, are the main barriers to getting what I want from school and my community?
Bi-County IEP team members including teachers, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, transition staff, physical therapists, behaviorists, counselors and other classroom staff, along with parents/guardians and families work together to assist each student in determining their interests, preferences, areas of strengths, needs, and long term goals.
Students continue their learning in traditional academic subjects and special interest areas. However, embedded within their learning are self-determination skills, independent living skills, social and communication skills, as well as vocational and educational exploration.
Professional Speaker Series News
The Bi-County Collaborative Professional Speaker Series brings meaningful, real-world voices into the lives of our students. Through this initiative, professionals from a wide range of careers, backgrounds, identities, and abilities visit our programs to share their experiences, challenges, and successes. Each speaker helps students see how personal interests, persistence, and opportunity can come together to shape a fulfilling career and life path.
This series is an important part of Bi-County Collaborative’s transition programming. Designed to support students as they prepare for adulthood, the speaker series helps students explore career possibilities, build self-awareness, and develop a clearer vision of their future. By hearing directly from individuals working in their communities, students gain valuable insight into what different careers look like and the steps they can take to get there.
The theme for the 2025–2026 series, “One Step at a Time,” reflects the belief that every journey toward independence, employment, and personal growth begins with a single step. Our speakers highlight the importance of perseverance, mentorship, creativity, and adaptability in reaching personal and professional goals.
The impact of the Professional Speaker Series extends beyond a single presentation. Many speakers inspire classroom discussions, school-wide activities, and work-based learning opportunities that help students connect what they hear with hands-on experiences. By sharing authentic stories from local professionals, the series helps students recognize that success can take many forms and that their own paths are possible.
Through these conversations, students are encouraged to imagine their futures, discover new interests, and take the next step toward independence and meaningful participation in their community.
2025-2026 Calendar of Events (subject to change):
April 19, 2026 – Philip Eng, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), General Manager, Chief Executive Officer
September 18, 2025 – Chase Del Monte, Chaotic Wrestling, Owner
October 9, 2025 – Peter Cohn, Retired Pediatrician
November 20, 2025 – Elena Hogan, Boundless Bean, Owner
December 11, 2025 – Brian Ferri, Millibar Robotics, Owner
January 15, 2026 – Colleen Brierley – Register of Probate, Michael Barbadoro – First Assistant Registrar, Charles Bogan – Deputy Assistant Registrar, Norfolk Probate & Family Court
February 12, 2026 – Cynthia Beckwith, Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, Franchise Owner
March 26, 2026 – Katie Hallahan, Indie game designer, online platform, and novelist
Need Support?
Our programs address the needs of students with Autism, Communication, Emotional, Health, Intellectual, Neurological, Physical Impairments, and Specific Learning Disabilities. Bi-County Collaborative has twenty-two programs located in Bristol, Norfolk, and Worcester counties.