Transition 201 #1: Navigating Adult Transition: Important Steps from the Turning 18 Checklist

In a previous blog post “Transition 101: #2 Transition Checklists” I discussed the various checklists that we used during our time of transition planning. In the “201 Series”, I will be taking a deeper dive into some of the items listed on the Turning 18 checklist.

The Turning 18 Checklist was created by Catherine Boyle at Autism Housing Pathways. This is a straightforward, one page document that discusses those “big items” that can begin to get completed once your child turns 18. This was the first checklist that I had seen and the first one that I used. She also provides a “Resources” list with links to different federal and state organizations related to those items on her list. If you ever get the opportunity to hear Cathy speak, take it!! She is a wealth of knowledge!!

Let’s take a look at some of the items on her list:

1. The 688 Referral: we briefly discussed the 688 referral in the post “Transition 101 #1: It’s never too early to start planning: What is transition? “ The 688 referral in Massachusetts is initiated by the school district, at least 2 years before your student is expected to be leaving the public school system, thus ending their special education services. Why is this important?
   • It starts the process: the schools will make the referral to the agency(s) that the team deems appropriate for future services. Those state agencies are DDS (Department of Developmental Services), MRC (Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission) and DMH (Department of Mental Health).
   • Important!!! This is just the referral to the agency, this does not mean that your student QUALIFIES for this agency post high school. Once the agency has received the referral, you (the parent/guardian) will be notified as to the next steps within the application process, so make sure you keep an eye out for the mailing/email and complete the next steps in the application process. If you do not receive a letter in a timely manner with next steps, you can always contact the agency(s) that the school sent the application to as a follow-up.
   • This first step of the referral assists with the budget process for the agency(s). For us, L qualified for adult services via DDS. Because we did this 2 years before he “aged out”, DDS knew that he was coming and they included him in that upcoming budget based on his exit date.
   • Why at least 2 years? Because the process takes time, especially post pandemic. Our process occurred pre 2020, and it took about 10 months from 688 referral to acceptance letter from DDS. I have heard that for some area offices, the wait time now may be longer. So make sure that your school sends in the referral at least 2 years before aging out so that it gives you the buffer for the application process, and also a buffer if you were to get denied and need to appeal.

2. If your child is male, they must register with Selective Services at age 18. I’ll be honest, this one did give me a laugh. But, upon further exploration of the Selective Service website, the “Who needs to register” page gives an explanation for registration of people with disabilities. They do state that all men (or their parent or legal guardian) can submit a claim for exemption from service in the event of a draft, but they must register. Also, I have heard via social media that if you don’t/forget to register, it will put up a “flag” on the child and can impact/slow down the process of applying for other government benefits.

3. Apply for a Section 8 Housing Voucher: this is definitely Catherine Boyle’s area of expertise! In some parts of the state, the wait list for a Section 8 housing voucher can be 8-10 years. If you anticipate that this is a path that your adult child may be able to /want to take, I would strongly encourage you to check out her section of the website titled “The Current Housing Situation” for a very detailed explanation of the current housing options available for our adult children. She also runs housing seminars and workshops through her website, and I have heard her presentations via The Arc of Massachusetts Transition conferences and various webinars over the years. It is a lot of information and I am still learning something every time I attend one of her sessions!

4. Guardianship or Supported Decision Making: the process of legal guardianship can begin anytime after your adult child turns 18. Every family situation is unique and I truly believe that there is no right or wrong way to go about this process…..it really is dependent on each individual situation. The Arc of Massachusetts and The Federation for Children with Special Needs often host webinars related to the topics of guardianship and supported decision making. We did end up hiring a lawyer to help us with the process because I was so overwhelmed by it. Some courthouses in Massachusetts also offer free “Lawyer for the Day” programs that can assist you.

5. SSI- Supplemental Security Income: your adult child can become eligible to apply for SSI once they turn 18. If you child received SSI as a minor, they will need to apply again as an adult. This is another service that can be complicated: the Supplemental Security Income website has information on eligibility, how the program works and a link to the online application.

• Like the 688 referral, the time it takes to process this can vary depending on your area office. When we applied, the entire process took about 6 months, but I know that for many people the process can take longer.
• One of the benefits to applying for SSI first is that if your adult child becomes eligible for SSI, they automatically become eligible for MassHealth (Medicaid), so you don’t have to do this as a completely separate process.
• SSDI: One item to be aware of is that when your adult child applies for SSI, the process is that the application first goes to SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance). SSDI is for adult children whose parent(s) are already retired or disabled at the time of the application, or if the adult child has previously worked and has enough work credits. During the initial application process, SSI will look to see if your adult child has any previous work experience; and if they don’t, you will get a letter saying that your adult child is denied SSDI. This can be confusing because most people don’t realize that this is part of the application process and when you get that initial letter, it leads people to believe that they are denied SSI. Just make sure if you get the first denial letter, that it is for SSDI, not SSI. You will then get a second letter with the SSI status update.

One of the main takeaways that I experienced from this process is that it takes longer than anticipated…..the application process took longer than I anticipated, the wait to find out eligibility is out of your control and is variable depending on your area office and who is working on the case file, and guardianship will not happen the day your child turns 18. But, if you know before 18 what needs to get done, it can ease some of the anxiety and help with gathering what information you can before the application process begins.