Transition planning
The process that gets the family — and the school — ready for life after high school. In many places it starts by age 14, and it's never too early to start thinking about it.
Plan for the futurePillar four · Future & Adulthood
Support does not end at graduation
The years before and after high school bring big questions — college, work, independent living, and the services that support them. Many of these systems have long waitlists, which is why the planning starts early.
Compass helps families think ahead, understand the options, and take the next step — whether graduation is next year or eight years away.
What families plan for
Pick the question that's on your mind
Each topic explains the area in plain English — what it is, why it matters, and where the support comes from.
Life after high school
The years after graduation bring big changes. We help families picture what comes next and plan for it one step at a time.
Plan the years aheadIndependent living
Daily skills for adulthood — money, cooking, transportation, housing, safety — and the supports that make independence possible.
Explore independent livingSelf-advocacy
Helping your young person know their needs, name them, and ask for them — skills that last a lifetime.
Build self-advocacy skillsCollege preparation
What to do in the years before college — and how to choose a path that fits, whether that's a degree, a certificate, or another route.
Prepare for collegeCollege disability & accessibility services
College works differently than high school — no IEP, but there are disability services offices and accommodations. We help you understand the change.
Understand college supportsVocational rehabilitation
Public programs (often called voc rehab) that help people with disabilities prepare for and find work. We help you understand how they work and how to access them.
Understand voc rehabEmployment preparation
Job-readiness skills, work experience, resumes, interviews, and on-the-job supports — built around your young person's strengths.
Prepare for workWorkplace accommodations & resources
The rights and supports that exist at work — and how to ask for them clearly and confidently.
Understand work supportsCommunity participation
Friendships, recreation, volunteering, and belonging — the parts of adult life that matter as much as any plan.
Find community connectionAdult-service navigation
The systems that replace school services after graduation — and the waitlists, paperwork, and deadlines that come with them. Planning early matters.
Find adult servicesHow Compass can help
Planning that starts where you are
Transition planning is a process, not a meeting. Compass supports families through it in the way that fits — tools, on-demand guidance, or a person who has planned this before.
Transition planning, one-on-one
Individualized planning with a professional — the timeline, the meetings, the documents, and the choices, mapped out together.
See professional supportCompass AI guidance
On-demand answers about transition, college, employment, and adult services — plain English, anytime. In development.
See what's comingTransition & adulthood tools
Independent-living checklists, self-advocacy tools, and planning resources you can use at home. In development.
See what's comingKeep going