Stages of transition

During transition, you should start to:

Learn more about your disability
Get more involved in your healthcare
Start making decisions about your healthcare
Think about how you can take care of your health as an adult
Start learning how to advocate for yourself

This will help you to manage your healthcare as an adult.

It may be helpful to think about three stages of transition.

Introductory stage (approximately 12-14 years)
Preparation stage (approximately 14-16 years)
Transfer stage (approximately 16-18 years)

Although we’ve suggested ages to start each stage, when they start depends on you and what’s going on in your life. Different services might have different policies or approaches to transition. It’s important to talk to health professionals (for example your doctor or physiotherapist) in each service you attend about transition. If your health professional does not start talking to you about transition when you are ready to, it’s a good idea to ask them about it.

You can use the information on this website and the Checklists to think about things to do and questions you might want to ask at each stage of transition.

In each checklist, we’ve organised things to think about, do and ask questions about under the following headings:

Planning for Transfer
My Disability and Health
Speaking up for Myself
Managing my Healthcare

These checklists have been created for young people, but can be used by both young people and their parents. We have also incorporated checklist items that are particularly relevant for parents. If you are considering post-school options, such as rehabilitative training or tailored adult day services, you may find the Day Services Checklist helpful.

>>Go to next page: “Differences between child and adult services”