"Mapping Transitions to Your Child’s Future"
A workbook and workshops providing FREE and LOW cost strategies for futures planning.

The little yellow school bus came to pick him up. I cried as I stood on the street as the bus drove away. "Oh God! Help Taylor to be okay... Help ME!" I feared the big bad world. How it would treat my son? The bus drove past the corner and then out of sight.

"Emotionally disturbed" was the name of the class he was about to attend. What the %$$#! Emotionally disturbed? There was no label for high functioning autism then. It would be years... Years before we uncovered what gripped my son.

But that day... that day with the little yellow school bus... I'll never forget. As tears welled, I said to myself, "There must be something more. There must be a way to help him." I knew I would figure it out. And I did, but I did not.

I began to "map" his future that day. I swore I would find a way to help Taylor. I began to use paint (for sensory), songs for "social stories", play-acting for affect... I began to use the arts.

At 6, Taylor was diagnosed with autism, & life forever changed.

“Mapping Transitions to Your Child’s Future” is a workbook based on 20 years experience as a parent, advocate, service provider, and filmmaker to lay the foundation for futures planning for your child or client.

What is “Mapping”?
Mapping is the process of creating a written plan of action to help you achieve the best possible future for and with your child. The written plan is not fixed. It is an ever-changing flexible blue print. It adjusts, and you adjust according to need and ever-changing circumstances. This workshop will help you discover and describe what is important to and for your child in everyday life.  Why do we have a plan?

- Have a place where it is all written down
- Help others to know your child better (used by people who support)
- Help with long-term planning and life transitions (e.g. school to work)
- Figure out what is important to a person and what types supports make sense.
- Use info to create supports and recruit providers of services
- Remind us where we’ve been and where we’re going
- Determine a course of action (continually changing) to achieve long- term goals
- A just in case plan

The workbook will help you to:
• Learn how to create your own “mapping” notebook to begin to build markers and goals for your child’s future success. Every IEP, IPP, MTP (or other “P”) you ever attend will have the core of your “map” to help guide future decisions.
• Learn hands-on, FREE and NO cost tools for building life and social skills.
• Get ideas and strategies for using the arts and other alternative tools to build cognitive, social, and life skills, improve language, self-esteem, and self awareness.