BISD’s Adult Living Program (ALP) is a specialized program to help prepare students with disabilities for a successful transition from the Bainbridge Island School District to young adult life.

It is intended for students:

• that are between the ages of 18-21
• whose IEP team has determined that the student should participate in the Adult Living Program for transition services
• who have connected to, or plan to connect with, community agencies and partners (DVR and/or DDA)
• who have high support needs in the areas of vocational, adaptive, independent living, and/or social skills

Seniors who transition to the ALP will still participate in their graduation ceremony with their age-appropriate peers and receive a certificate of attendance. The student’s diploma will be given at a later date when the IEP team has determined that no additional special education services are needed and/or they age out of services. The receipt of the diploma would end the student’s eligibility for special education services.

The Adult Living Program provides individualized and small-group instruction by a Special Education Teacher, paraeducators, and if stated on the IEP, other service providers (ex. SLP). Experiences and instruction in the ALP are intentional and intended to support the transition of high school students into adults in the community. The program emphasizes safety and social communication, daily living skills, job readiness skills and experience, and recreational/leisure activities. The program also provides opportunities to explore community job sites based on the application of job readiness skills and student interests and skill sets. Individuals in the program are typically out in the community several days a week to generalize what they have learned in the classroom into the community setting and engage in job readiness activities.

Note on grading: ALP is an optional non-academic graded class focused on the development of safety and social communication, daily living skills, work training and experience, and recreational/leisure activities individualized by the student’s IEP. ALP students earn a passing grade by completing each semester of the program and will earn their high school diploma once they complete their time in the ALP.

Helpful Infographics:

• Transition from Dependence to Independence
• What to do and when to do it- transition support

Transition Resources:

• The ARC of Washington State
• Center for Change in Transition Services
• Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)
• Parent Center on Transition and Employment (PACER's)

Annalisa Sanchez- Director of Student Services

206-780-1069

asanchez@bisd303.org