Start the conversation before the handoff.

Ask the school team how your goals for education, work, communication and daily life appear in the transition plan. Ask who owns each next step, and how information will reach the people supporting you after school.

The timing differs by state and the person’s situation. The official resources below describe school planning requirements; they do not decide eligibility for Parea or adult services.

If you receive SSI as a child, ask about the adult disability redetermination at age 18 and any notices you need to respond to. Bring actual letters and deadlines to the conversation; do not assume benefits automatically continue or end.

Discuss who helps you understand information, who can operate your care account and who is authorized to give consent. Those can be different people. An age milestone or diagnosis does not answer those questions for you.

Ask which records the next provider needs, who will send them, how you want to prepare questions and what communication or access support should be arranged. A primary caregiver can do the account work while the person’s preferences remain central.

Parea starts transition planning from 14 and focuses enrollment around 18–30. These are service-planning starting points, not automatic benefit decisions or an age-30 discharge rule. Available support and continuation depend on agreed service and funding terms.