Kelley Challen, Transition Specialist

Kelley Challen, Transition Specialist Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Kelley Challen, Transition Specialist, Education, 111 Middlesex Turnpike #1022, Burlington, MA.

Expert transition specialist, speaker and consultant specializing in transition planning for students receiving special education as well as skill development for youth and young adults with a range of social, emotional, developmental, and learning needs.

Life skills don’t always develop automatically—and sometimes the hardest part is simply figuring out what to work on nex...
08/22/2026

Life skills don’t always develop automatically—and sometimes the hardest part is simply figuring out what to work on next.

These four free tools can be helpful for parents, educators, and other professionals looking at independent living skills, autonomy, and transition readiness:

🔗 Casey Life Skills Toolkit - https://www.casey.org/casey-life-skills/

🔗 PEATC Independent Living Life Skills Checklist -https://peatc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Independent-Living-Life-Skills-Checklist-Booklet-ENGLISH-Interactive.pdf

🔗 Adolescent Autonomy Checklist -https://worktogethernc.com/wp-content/uploads/Adolescent-Autonomy-Checklist-updated.pdf

🔗 Community-based Skills Assessment (VCU/Autism Speaks) - https://www.autismspeaks.org/tool-kit/community-based-skills-assessment

And if you’re thinking about how to turn assessment into actual skill development at home, I wrote more about that here:

🔗 Intentionally Developing Life Skills at Home
https://kelleychallentransitions.substack.com/p/intentionally-developing-life-skills-5f3

You don’t have to tackle everything at once. Sometimes a good checklist is simply a place to start!

08/21/2026

Who will still be there after the IEP ends?

Students don’t transition successfully into adulthood in isolation. Strong, diverse support networks can make a meaningful difference in how well students navigate employment, education, and adult life.

That support may come from family members, educators, mentors, peers, coaches, service providers, and community organizations.

Transition planning isn’t only about building a student’s skills. It’s also about helping students identify, access, and maintain the people and systems they can turn to as supports change after high school.

We can help by:

• building diverse support networks
• connecting students with mentors and coaches
• ensuring access to appropriately challenging instruction
• encouraging participation in clubs, arts, recreation, and advocacy groups
• linking students with adult services and community resources
• using transition assessment to identify where additional support may be needed

The goal is not to make students dependent on support. It’s to make sure they know where support exists, how to access it, and when to use it.


8: Student Support

📌 Learn more about this and other research-based predictors of postschool success:
https://transitionta.org/effective-practices/all-predictors/

08/20/2026

If your student is headed to college, their IEP isn’t going with them.

That doesn’t mean accommodations disappear. It means the system changes—and much more responsibility shifts to the student.

In college, students generally need to identify themselves to disability/accessibility services, request accommodations, understand what they’ve been approved for, and learn how to actually use those accommodations.

That’s why self-advocacy isn’t just a nice transition skill for college-bound students.

It’s part of college preparation.

Send this to a family with a college-bound high school student.

If independence requires 14 prompts, we probably still have some planning to do. 😅
08/20/2026

If independence requires 14 prompts, we probably still have some planning to do. 😅

When I ask students during a transition assessment, “What options do you have after high school?” the answer I hear most...
08/19/2026

When I ask students during a transition assessment, “What options do you have after high school?” the answer I hear most often is simply: college.

Occasionally, a student mentions community college or getting a job. But very few have been introduced to the full range of possibilities available to them.

Students can only make informed choices when they know what their choices actually are. And choosing a next step is not the same thing as choosing a final destination.

Want to explore more options after high school? Comment ARTICLE, and I’ll send you the link to my latest article.

Awesome opportunity for school-based clinicians in Massachusetts!On August 27th, Rise and Shine Family Therapy in Acton,...
08/19/2026

Awesome opportunity for school-based clinicians in Massachusetts!

On August 27th, Rise and Shine Family Therapy in Acton, MA is offering a free workshop for school clinicians to learn more about anxiety-related disorders and strategies for treating them in school environments. Earn 3 CEU’s and connect with other school-based clinicians before the school year starts.

More information is below! Link to register is in the comments!

08/19/2026

What do parents’ expectations have to do with success after special education? A lot.

Research has consistently identified parent expectations as an important predictor of postschool outcomes for students with disabilities.

High expectations don’t mean assuming a student can do everything independently or ignoring areas of need. They mean believing that a student can continue to grow, setting meaningful and ambitious goals, and understanding the supports, instruction, and experiences that may help them get there.

As educators and providers, we can support families by:
• sharing student strengths and progress
• helping families understand possible postsecondary pathways
• identifying supports and accommodations
• addressing barriers related to finances, benefits, transportation, or access
• making sure families are included as active partners in transition planning

When families have accurate information, meaningful support, and opportunities to see what a student is capable of, expectations can grow.

And expectations matter.


7: Parent Expectations

📌 Learn more about this and other research-based predictors of postschool success:
https://transitionta.org/effective-practices/all-predictors/

One of the things I tell students and families often during senior year:You can apply to college without deciding that y...
08/18/2026

One of the things I tell students and families often during senior year:
You can apply to college without deciding that you’re going to college.

For a student who is overwhelmed, uncertain, or simply not ready to make a decision about next fall, an application can keep a door open without requiring them to walk through it.

They can apply.
They can visit.
They can get accepted.
And they can still decide that living at home, starting part-time, taking a bridge year, working, or doing something else makes more sense.

Sometimes taking the pressure off the final decision is what makes the college process manageable in the first place.

That idea—and what it looked like with a student I recently coached—is part of this week’s article:
You Can Apply to College and Decide Not To Go.

💬 Comment ARTICLE and I’ll send you the link.

08/17/2026

Almost 50% of kids ages 8–12 have never walked down a separate store or grocery aisle away from their parents.

But independence doesn’t suddenly develop at 18—or 22. It grows through small opportunities to navigate the world without us right beside them.

This weekend, in our household, that looked like taking two 10-year-olds to the mall and giving them a few hours to explore on their own while I stayed in the food court.

I was pleasantly surprised when they immediately stopped at the directory, studied the map, and made a plan.

Some kids pick these skills up naturally. Others need more explicit instruction and support. But all kids need opportunities to practice.

The goal isn’t independence all at once. It’s gradually giving kids more chances to do things without us.



What’s one way you’ve given your child more independence lately?

08/17/2026

Are your student’s classes actually preparing them for life after high school?

A high school course of study should be more than a checklist for graduation. It should help move a student toward their future goals.

For students with disabilities, that means thinking intentionally about whether classes, experiences, and pathways are:
• appropriately challenging
• inclusive when appropriate
• aligned with postsecondary goals
• flexible enough to reflect individual strengths and needs
• connected to real opportunities after high school

That might include career and technical education, dual enrollment, community-based experiences, work-based learning, or a different sequence of courses than we automatically assume.

It also means making sure everyone understands graduation requirements, regularly reviewing the student’s progress toward them, and helping the student see how the choices they’re making now connect to what comes next.

The goal isn’t simply to earn the credits needed for a diploma. It’s to build a high school experience that leads somewhere.

- 6: Individualized Program of Study

📌 Learn more about individualized programs of study and the other research-based predictors of postschool success:
https://transitionta.org/effective-practices/all-predictors/

Address

111 Middlesex Turnpike #1022
Burlington, MA
01803

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+16176589800

Website

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