Join us for the 2022 Howard County Transition Symposium, a four-part webinar series presented monthly from February to May 2022.  It is designed for transitioning youth ages 14-21 with IEP/504 plans, their families and professionals.

Free to attend but registration required.  REGISTER HERE

Click to download the FLYER

SESSION 1 Thursday, February 17, 2022 – 7:00-8:30pm
Charting the LifeCourse
Speaker: Mary Anne Kane Breschi – Director of Family Supports, Developmental Disabilities Administration, Maryland Department of Health
Charting the LifeCourse is a framework designed to help transitioning youth of all abilities, their families, and the professionals who work with them develop a vision for a fulfilling life and how to get there. CtLC principles and tools focus on improving communication, goal setting, and problem solving; identifying and connecting with community services and supports; developing self-advocacy skills; and laying out a person-centered plan for the future.

SESSION 2 Tuesday, March 15, 2022 – 7:00-8:30pm
Setting Students Up for Success
Speaker: Stacey Herman – Assistant Vice President of Neurodiversity and Community Workforce Development, Kennedy Krieger Institute
Panelists: Kathy Land, Supervisor, Service Coordination, Inc. Meghan Smallwood, Transition Specialist, Howard County Public School System, Beth Benevides, Parent/Advocate
The presentation will outline the steps and resources to help transition-age youth with disabilities who are still in school to prepare for the next stage of their lives. A panel discussion will follow with individuals from service agencies, a school system transition specialist, and a parent/advocate. The panel members will share their perspectives on the transition process from school to adult life and their insights from assisting youth with the transition.

SESSION 3 Thursday, April 21, 2022 – 7:00-8:30pm
Employment First
Speaker: Karen Lee – Executive Director, Supporting Employment Equality and Community (SEEC)
Panelists: Melissa Rosenberg, Autism Society of Maryland / Autism Hiring Program
Doris Jacobs, Manager, Howard County Youth Employment Services, Humanim
Bradley Wilson, 2021 graduate, Project Search
The presentation will address the strategies and considerations associated with promoting, building and supporting acceptance, inclusion, and neurodiversity in the workplace and community. A panel discussion will follow with representatives from Supporting Employment Equality and Community (SEEC), the Howard County Autism Hiring Program, Humanim, and a graduate of Project SEARCH, an employment training program for transitioning youth with
disabilities. The panel members will share their workplace experiences and their views on the employment outlook for young adults with disabilities.

SESSION 4 Tuesday, May 24, 2022 – 6:00-8:30pm
You Can Get SSI and Medical Assistance, Go to Work … and Live to Tell About It
(with Bonus Information About SSDI)
Speaker: Michael Dalto – Benefits Consultant, High Note Consulting, LLC
What are these benefits programs, how to apply, and are they appropriate for you or your young adult with a disability? Learn about the Social Security Administration’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, and Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) and their significance for transitioning youth as they enter adulthood and make a life for
themselves after school.

FREE! Register once and receive Zoom links for all of the sessions. Simultaneous Spanish translation available. For disability accommodations (e.g., sign language interpreters, alternative formats) please contact Erica Lewis, ADA Specialist, Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services, one week prior to each webinar at ealewis@howardcountymd.gov or call 410-313-6402.

Presented by the Howard County Transition Outreach Partnership: Accessible Resources for Independence, Howard County Public School System, Autism Society of Howard County, Howard County Recreation & Parks, The Arc Howard County, Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services and NAMI Howard County.