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For a teenager with an IEP, the years before graduation are supposed to be spent getting ready for what comes next: more school, a job, living more on their own. That work has a name, transition planning, and it has a schedule. If the planning never happened, or the transition services on the IEP were not delivered, those are years a student cannot easily get back.
When planning is supposed to start
The NYC Public Schools' page on life after high school says transition planning should begin when a student turns 12 and continue every year until the student graduates or turns 22 by the end of the school year (June 30). They describe it as student-centered, built around each student's own strengths, needs and preferences.
- Age 12: age-appropriate transition assessments are done during the school year the student turns 12, including a summer birthday, and are completed and reviewed every year before the IEP meeting. These can include a student interview, a parent interview in your preferred language, and a teacher questionnaire.
- Age 14: the IEP team discusses transition at this meeting and at every annual review after it, and the student must be invited when transition may be discussed.
- Age 15: the IEP that takes effect during the school year your child turns 15 must include transition services.
What belongs in the plan
The schools say measurable post-secondary goals are included on the IEP, and that they can be in education or training, employment and, as appropriate, independent living. Alongside them sits a coordinated set of transition activities: instruction, related services, community experiences, employment goals and daily living skills where appropriate. That section is also supposed to name who is responsible for providing each one. If your teen's IEP has goals but no names, or no activities at all, that is worth raising.
Agencies and the final year
With your consent, or your child's once they are 18, the school may invite an agency that can help provide or pay for transition services, such as ACCES-VR or OPWDD. The schools note there is no age limit for requesting OPWDD eligibility, but that it matters to do it when a student turns 18 so adult services can follow. In the last year of high school, you should receive an exit summary describing your child's abilities, skills, needs and limitations, with recommendations for adult life. If June is approaching and no one has mentioned one, ask.
Students with IEPs may attend school until they graduate or until the end of the school year in which they turn 21. The schools also say that a student who leaves with only a CDOS credential must be told in writing that they may return to work toward a diploma until age 21.
Signs transition services were missed
- No transition assessment or parent interview ever took place after age 12.
- The IEP in effect at 15 has no transition services listed.
- Listed activities, such as work-based learning or travel practice, never started.
- Your child was never invited to their own IEP meeting after 14.
Write down what you notice, with dates, and keep copies of each IEP. Our guide to organizing IEP records helps, and the free printables include a log you can use.
Can lost time be made up?
When services a student was owed were not provided, families sometimes ask for compensatory services through a hearing or a settlement. Those can sometimes be awarded, and for some students that question comes up close to aging out. No one can promise that result, and it depends on the records.
If your child has gone weeks or months without what the IEP promises, you can ask for a free callback. We explain what families in your situation usually do and, where it fits, connect you with help. There is no cost to you, now or later.
Last reviewed: October 2026
