Illinois IEP Transition Meeting Questions Parents Should Ask

Why Prepared Questions Change the Meeting

Most IEP transition meetings follow the district's agenda. The team reviews goals, checks boxes on the transition page, and moves to the next item. Parents who arrive without specific questions leave with whatever the team decides to present.

Parents who arrive with targeted questions change the dynamic. They surface topics the district may not raise on its own — the PUNS category switch, the DRS referral timeline, the graduation-track implications. Transition IEPs involve multiple state agencies and legal deadlines that the school may not proactively address. Your questions fill that gap.

The questions below are organized by the topic areas most likely to come up at a transition IEP in Illinois. Not every question applies at every meeting — pick the ones that match your child's age and situation.

Assessment Questions

• What age-appropriate transition assessments have been administered, and when? (Ask for the specific tool names — BRIGANCE, TPI-3, ABAS-3, Casey Life Skills — not just "we did an interest inventory.")
• Were formal (standardized) assessments used in addition to informal surveys?
• Which of the five assessment domains were covered: career interests, adaptive behavior, independent living skills, self-determination, and cognitive/learning strategies?
• How do the assessment results connect to the postsecondary goals in this IEP?
• If only one informal survey was done, can we schedule formal assessments in the domains most relevant to my child's needs before the next IEP?

Postsecondary Goals

• Are all three required postsecondary goal areas addressed: employment, education or training, and independent living?
• Do the goals use the word "will" rather than "plans to" or "hopes to"? (ISBE Indicator 13 requires measurable language.)
• Which transition services are written into the IEP to support each goal? Who is responsible for delivering them?
• How will progress toward each goal be measured between now and the next annual review?

Graduation Track Questions (Age 16+)

• Has the team formally discussed the implications of my child's graduation status, as required by House Bill 2537?
• If my child accepts a regular diploma, what specific services and supports end immediately?
• If we choose the certificate of completion track, what does the district's 18-to-22 transition program look like? What services does it provide, and where?
• Can my child walk in the graduation ceremony under Brittany's Law (PA 93-1079) while deferring the actual diploma?
• If I disagree with a recommendation to graduate my child, what are my dispute resolution options?

Transfer of Rights Questions (Age 17)

• Has the school provided written notice about the transfer of educational rights at age 18?
• Has the team provided a copy of the state Delegation of Rights form (ISBE Form 34-57K)?
• Has the team discussed Supported Decision-Making as an alternative to guardianship?
• If my child signs the Delegation of Rights form, does that need to be renewed annually?

Agency Referral Questions

• Has a referral been made to the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS)?
• Is my child enrolled in Pre-ETS services? If not, why not — they're available starting at age 14.
• Does my child have an open STEP case? If so, what is the plan for transferring it to a Community Rehabilitation Program or adult DRS caseload before school exit?
• Has the ISC agency been contacted regarding my child's PUNS registration?
• Is my child currently in the "Seeking Services" or "Planning for Services" category? If Planning, when should we switch to Seeking?
• Has the team discussed SSI application timing for when my child turns 18?

Summary of Performance (Age 21+)

• Will the Summary of Performance (ISBE Form 34-60) be filed in my child's permanent record under Public Act 104-0356?
• If we're asked to consent to excluding the SOP from the permanent record, what documentation will we lose access to after the temporary record is destroyed?

Using These Questions

Print the relevant questions before the meeting. Write your child's name and the meeting date at the top. Take notes on the answers in the meeting and keep them with your copy of the IEP. If the team can't answer a question on the spot, ask when you'll receive a written response.

The Illinois IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes the full question set organized by age milestone, along with the forms and timelines referenced in each section.

See more Illinois guides →