UIC supports statewide transition event for youth with special needs

The transition to adulthood can be a challenging time for teenagers and their family members, especially when the youth has special health care needs. The Illinois Statewide Transition Conference gives adolescents and their families valuable information about how to prepare for upcoming changes, navigate the maze of resources and develop important skills for success.

More than 500 families and professionals attended this year’s 13th annual conference, “Stepping Stones of Transition,” Oct. 23-24 in Springfield. The conference is aimed at youth, parents, caretakers, vocational professionals, health care professionals and educators.

Participants were invited to discuss the possibilities for students who have disabilities in the areas of independent living, education and training, employment, community integration, health care and self-advocacy. Youth and young adults with special health care needs learned how to plan for their future and life after high school, how to sort through the maze of resources and what skills are important to develop to prepare for adulthood and meet their goals.

UIC’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC), a statewide care coordination program for children with special health care needs, served on the steering committee for this year’s conference and covered the conference-related expenses for 20 families enrolled in the program.

Part of DSCC’s mission is to connect adolescents with special health care needs and their families to resources that prepare them for the transition to adulthood and the delivery of adult services.