Your child is in high school. Graduation is approaching, or maybe it already passed. You're thinking about employment, but you're not sure what comes next or who is supposed to help. The school may have mentioned transition planning. You've heard the term "vocational rehab." You don't know if those are the same thing, or if your child qualifies, or what happens if they need ongoing support to work.

This article walks through the full pathway from IDEA-mandated transition planning to a first paycheck. It covers who provides services at each stage, what those services include, and the distinctions between supported employment and competitive integrated employment that shape what work looks like for your child.

Transition Planning Under IDEA

By federal law, transition planning must begin by age 16. Many states require it earlier, at age 14 or 15. Transition planning is part of the IEP process and focuses on life after high school: employment, postsecondary education, and independent living skills.

The IEP team, which includes you and your child, develops a transition plan that identifies:

• Postsecondary goals based on age-appropriate assessments
• Transition services needed to reach those goals, such as courses of study, related services, and community experiences
• Interagency connections to vocational rehab, developmental disability agencies, and adult services

If your child is 16 and no one has initiated transition planning, request it in writing. IDEA doesn't make it optional. Schools sometimes delay or underemphasize transition work, particularly when a student's academic progress is the primary focus. But transition planning is a separate legal requirement, not an add-on.

What Transition Planning Should Include

A strong transition plan isn't a checklist of activities. It's a roadmap anchored to specific outcomes. For employment, that means identifying:

• Work experience opportunities during high school, including internships, job shadowing, and paid work through school programs
• Skills instruction aligned with employment goals: communication, task completion, and workplace behavior
• Connection to your state's vocational rehabilitation agency before graduation

Transition planning should result in a referral to vocational rehab by the time your child is 17 or 18. Some families don't hear about VR until after graduation. That delays access to services that help with job training, accommodations, and placement.

If the school hasn't mentioned VR, ask directly: "How do we connect with vocational rehab before graduation?" Schools are required to facilitate these connections as part of transition services.

Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies operate in every state and provide assessment, training, job placement, and ongoing support for people with disabilities who want to work. VR is not automatic. You apply, and eligibility is determined based on whether a disability creates a barrier to employment and whether VR services can reasonably help your child find or maintain work.

Once accepted, VR assigns a counselor who works with your child to develop an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). The IPE outlines the employment goal and the services VR will fund to reach it.

Services VR Can Provide

VR services vary by state and by individual need, but commonly include:

• Career assessments to identify strengths, interests, and accommodations needed
• Job training programs through community-based settings, technical schools, or postsecondary education
• Assistive technology and workplace accommodations
• Job search assistance and interview preparation
• Job coaching during the initial period of employment
• Supported employment services for individuals who need ongoing support

VR does not provide long-term income support. It provides the services that help someone get a job. Once employed, VR typically closes the case unless ongoing supported employment funding is in place.

How Long VR Services Take

The timeline from application to employment varies widely. Some individuals complete VR services in a year. Others take longer, depending on the complexity of training needed and local agency capacity. VR agencies in some states have waiting lists for services due to limited funding.

If your child is on a waiting list, ask about Order of Selection. Federal law allows VR agencies to prioritize individuals with the most significant disabilities when funding is limited. If your child has a significant disability, they should be served first.

Supported Employment vs. Competitive Integrated Employment

Once training is complete and your child is ready to work, the employment model matters. The two primary models are supported employment and competitive integrated employment (CIE). They're not the same thing, though they're often confused.

Supported Employment

Supported employment means your child works in a community setting with ongoing support from a job coach or employment specialist. The support can include help with job tasks, workplace communication, transportation, or behavioral support. Supported employment funding usually comes from state developmental disability agencies, Medicaid waivers, or VR during the initial phase.

The job itself can be individual, where your child is hired directly by the employer, or part of a small group placement where a few individuals with disabilities work together with shared support. Supported employment does not mean sheltered work. It means community employment with paid support staff.

Wages in supported employment should meet or exceed minimum wage. Job coaching is not a substitute for fair pay. If someone is suggesting a subminimum wage arrangement, ask whether a 14(c) certificate is involved and whether competitive wage employment has been explored first.

Competitive Integrated Employment

Competitive integrated employment means your child works in a job that:

• Pays at least minimum wage or higher
• Exists in a setting where most employees do not have disabilities
• Provides similar opportunities for advancement, benefits, and workplace interaction as jobs held by coworkers without disabilities

CIE is the standard that federal policy now emphasizes. The assumption is that most individuals with disabilities can work in typical employment settings with the right accommodations and support. Supported employment can lead to CIE if the job coaching fades over time and your child sustains the work independently.

However, some individuals need ongoing support indefinitely. That doesn't disqualify them from CIE. A job can be both competitive and integrated while still involving long-term job coaching.

Sheltered Workshops

Sheltered workshops, where individuals with disabilities work in segregated settings for subminimum wages, still exist but are being phased out in many states. Federal policy and state funding have increasingly shifted toward CIE. If a provider recommends a sheltered workshop, ask what integrated employment options have been tried first and why they're suggesting segregated work.

What Happens If Your Child Needs Ongoing Support to Work

If your child needs long-term job coaching or other supports to maintain employment, that funding typically comes from state developmental disability services or Medicaid waiver programs, not from VR. VR provides initial job coaching, typically lasting 90 days to 6 months, but sustained support requires a different funding source.

Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers often cover supported employment. Eligibility and services vary significantly by state. Some states have waiting lists that span years. Others provide services relatively quickly.

If your child is not yet connected to the state developmental disability agency, start that process as early as possible. Waiting lists are based on when you apply, not when services are needed. Applying during high school positions your child to access adult services without delay after graduation.

When to Start and What to Ask

Transition planning should begin by age 16, but VR connections and adult service applications should happen earlier if possible. Here's what to do at each stage:

Age 14–16:

• Ensure transition planning is included in the IEP.
• Request work-based learning opportunities through the school.
• Apply to the state developmental disability agency's waiting list if applicable.

Age 17–18:

• Request a referral to VR through the transition plan.
• Apply directly to VR if the school hasn't initiated it.
• Visit VR with your child to start the intake process before graduation.

At the VR intake:

• Ask what assessments will be completed and when.
• Ask what training or postsecondary programs VR can fund.
• Ask whether supported employment is available and who provides it.
• Ask how job coaching works and how long it lasts.

After job placement:

• Clarify who funds ongoing support if your child needs it long-term.
• Ask whether the job meets CIE standards: wage, integration, and advancement opportunities.
• Request a follow-up meeting if accommodations aren't working or if job coaching is ending too soon.

What If the System Doesn't Reach Out

Transition planning, VR services, and supported employment exist, but they're not delivered automatically. Schools don't always mention VR early enough. VR agencies don't always explain what supported employment funding covers. Developmental disability agencies don't proactively tell families about employment services under HCBS waivers.

If you're reading this and your child is already 18 or older and no one has walked you through these steps, you can still access them. Contact your state's VR agency directly. Ask about eligibility and intake. If your child needs long-term support, contact the state developmental disability agency and ask about employment services under Medicaid waivers.

The pathway between high school and a first paycheck is not automatic, but it is structured. Knowing what each service does and when to access it gives you a way forward.