Toronto, November 22, 2016 – Surrey Place Centre’s School Support Program has collaborated with the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) to develop a new resource for students transitioning out of high school.
The newly released ‘Transition to College/University’ Student Edition Checklist focuses on transition goals set by students in high-school so that skills are reviewed, practiced and developed by college or university.
Surrey Place Centre – School Support Program and the TCDSB saw the need for tools and resources that would help students prepare for college and university after conducting a literature review and reaching out to York University’s Learning Disability Services. Although the checklist was originally intended for students living with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the resource can be used by all high-school students looking into a post-secondary pathway.
“While these skills may come more naturally to some students, many of these skills can be quite abstract and difficult to apply in real life settings,” said Mary Ierullo, an ASD consultant for Surrey Place Centre – School Support Program. “This resource aims to make that transition to a post-secondary setting, one that many students and their families might find challenging, more manageable.”
The checklist encourages students to reflect on executive functioning skills like organization, time management, note and test taking to independent living skills like navigating new environments and life and library skills.
Click here to view the Transition to College/University Checklist.
Surrey Place Centre – School Support Program and TCDSB are also working in collaboration with York University to create two other resources for high-school students. Both a Frequently Asked Questions reference guide for families and service providers for students living with an ASD, and a post-secondary language dictionary aimed to help students understand the key difference between high-school and university are set to be published in the near future.
Facts about Surrey Place Centre – School Support Program
- In 2004, the Government of Ontario recognized the need for additional services for school boards and authorities across the province to support the increasing number of students identified with ASD.
- Responding to this need, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and the Ministry of Education collaborated to develop the School Support Program.
- Since July 2004, Surrey Place Centre is the agency responsible for the School Support Program in the Toronto region, working with local school boards.
Click here to learn more about the School Support Program
A PDF version of our press release is available by clicking here.