Anonymous wrote:I have an 18 year old son still in high school, currently on a standard diploma track. From what I understand, if he were to have a Modified Diploma, that automatically enables him to receive ongoing services post graduation, whereas a standard diploma does not. If that is true, what are the downsides to having a Modified Diploma? I've tried to research online but can't come up with straight answers.

Are you in D.C.? Virginia? Maryland doesn't have a modified diploma, what is that?

Sorry had to end to do something here. MOST stands for:Meaningful Opportunities for Successful Transitions (MOSTTM) is a one year individualized program of activities and training designed to facilitate successful transition into the adult community. The MOSTTM program serves as a portal for individuals and their families, through which they are introduced and integrated into a broad range of community resources. The MOSTTM program focuses on facilitating outcomes for participants in three domains:

Self-sufficiency — including self-help, independent living and safety skills.
Community — including social skills, transportation and recreation.
Vocation — including employment, education, vocational training and day habilitation.

At the MOSTTM Program, individuals use one year to focus on developing, improving or maintaining life skills needed to establish a transition plan that ensures successful integration into the adult community.

It sounds as it at the right time, this might be a great transition tool to use for your son to connect to area services or programs.

OP -

- It does sound like a complex case, and I doubt you would get the school district to pay for a college based "special program" as he is fully capable of completing a high school regular degree program. I would whatever you decide to do with your son have him complete the credit courses for the Standard Diploma as far as a high school crediential goes. You can't go back, and even a decade from now he might gain the maturity and other related skills to at some point continue his education or job training.

- Have you been in contact with the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services - DARS in your area to see what and when kinds of assessments they might provide your son in terms of assessing his interests, skills and abilities? Perhaps they could also offer advice on what, if any, kinds of non-credit, but vocational focused programs there are at areas vocational schools - if any still exist in Fairfax County - or at NOVA.

- You might also get some good advice by reading things on their web site and going to talk to someone over at GWU's HEATH Resource Center on options for your son. They also should be able to point you in the direction of getting assistance with how to use Transition goals to keep needed services coming to your son. At a minimum, I would be noting that while with a lot of assistance, he will complete course work, he will be unable to go to college at this time so you want him in Post High years or extended high school services to:

a- Get a work related assessment with at least two or three job placements in different settings in the community.

b- Take a sequence of class or classes if offered on Education for Employment or whatever. These may well be classes for those students with disabilities who are less high functioning. The key is - just how high functioning is he going to be once schooling ends...... so do not worry about peers necessarily.

c- Are there any school based or tech high school based job related programs hie might enjoy such as culinary arts, computers which might increase his personal skills as well as develop some interests.

- I would suggest an unstated goal might be to develop some skills in him in terms of "soft skills" where he might be able to get a volunteer job to start if not competitive employment after high school. We have used college students to help train my daughter while in high school/post high. She now volunteers at a non-profits cafe in our aea one day and has more responsibility than in the college dining hall.

- You might go an observe George Mason's LIFE program. We are too far away to have ever considered it. AND it was way to expensive.

- There is also the Jewish Foundation of Group Homes - MOST program now offered in the NOVA area, It is very individualized for students once public education ends. It may well be suited to your son.

OP, have you discussed this with your son's IEP team? Transition planning is an important part of the IEP for students with disabilities who are 16 or older (and sometimes for younger kids).

Thanks all for the helpful feedback. 15:00, Can you explain more what a "vocation sequence" entails? My son's case is really complicated and sort of a catch-22. IF he can continue receiving the level of service he has in place now up until and past his transition out of high school, it is possible he could attend college, but highly doubtful it would be a traditional 4 year college for many reasons. The ideal situation in his case would be if he could get into a "transitional program" in a residential setting, but in order to get the school district to fund that it would be a humungous ordeal. I do know for a fact that kids in my son's situation are funded for these programs while they are still technically in high school, however, none that I have heard of so far are from Northern VA, and in our case, FFX. The other huge challenge is that he is high functioning intellectually, but impaired in other areas that make it necessary for him to have a lot of assistance in the classroom. His executive functioning, visual-spatial, and processing speed are in the very low percentiles.

The vocational programs I have checked into so far are for kids/young adults who are much lower functioning then my son, and that would be really tough because he desperately needs a peer group he can relate to and engage with.

Sorry I'm rambling, it's all really overwhelming trying to process all of the information coming at me and trying to determine how to get through this mess!

While our youngest has been out of public education for almost 10 years, if your son has completed credit classes for a regular or standard high school diploma that is the one that you want to get because that demonstrates to anyone that he did high school, credit work. A modified standard diploma - may also be based on credit work completed - BUT you need to talk directly to a guidance counselor as to whether this would be viewed the same as a regular high school diploma or not.

I would also say that depending upon our son's disability - if it is unlikely that he would be able to go onto a college educational program, but that he could complete a vocational sequence offered by the public school district if this is one of the goals of his present IEP - or if you have the ability to still write IEP goals for his final year in school - you can indicate that he needs a vocational sequence and it will take him longer than the traditional four years of high school to do so. Transition Goals are the driving factor behind extended year services, especially for a student who has been taking credit classes. To do though, he can't accept his high school diploma in hand until he finishes all other services as far as I remember. ****However, I would see no reason why he could not "walk" with is class and participate in graduation exercises as our daughter did, but just undertstand no diploma until he finishes all services.

Anything which is a non-credit sequence such as our daughter received for an Individualized Education Plan Diploma was not based on regular high school credits. She did, however, have services through age 21 in a Post High vocational sequence and has been employed for 10 years. If there is a vocational sequence which would prepare him for a particular area of employment, I would go for it, especially if he does not have the capacity to go further in education. However, I would also take a Standard over a Modified Standard diploma because that will open door for future schooling if it is a possibility in the future.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks 13:18. It is my understanding that there is no way for an outsider to distinguish between a modified or standard diploma, but maybe I'm wrong on that

I was told otherwise, but honestly, I don't know. We opted for standard and the only person that I know that opted for modified has a son for whom it isn't going to matter. His son likely will go into some sort of trade and you don't always need a HS diploma for that.

nope does not entitle him to ongoing services after graduation.

Thanks 13:18. It is my understanding that there is no way for an outsider to distinguish between a modified or standard diploma, but maybe I'm wrong on that

Downsides are that it effects employment prospects.

I have an 18 year old son still in high school, currently on a standard diploma track. From what I understand, if he were to have a Modified Diploma, that automatically enables him to receive ongoing services post graduation, whereas a standard diploma does not. If that is true, what are the downsides to having a Modified Diploma? I've tried to research online but can't come up with straight answers.