Transition Planning at Fairhill School | Preparing Students with Learning Differences for Life After High School
Fairhill School’s transition planning services prepare students with learning differences for successful moves to college, career, and independent adult living. Beginning in middle school and continuing through graduation, our individualized approach has produced a 100% college and post-secondary placement rate.
- Transition planning begins in middle school and continues through graduation
- 100% college or post-secondary acceptance for graduates
- Self-advocacy, life skills, and career exploration built into the process
- Expert guidance from counselors who specialize in learning differences
55
Years Serving North Dallas
25
Acres of Campus
7:1
Student-Teacher Ratio
100%
College Acceptance Rate
Our Approach
A Comprehensive Approach to Transition
Transition planning at Fairhill addresses far more than college applications. It is a multi-year process that builds academic readiness, life skills, self-advocacy abilities, and career awareness so that every graduate leaves campus prepared for what comes next.
The process starts with a thorough assessment of each student’s strengths, interests, challenges, and goals. From there, our team collaborates with students and families to create individualized transition plans with measurable objectives that guide educational and developmental decisions throughout the remaining school years.
Academics
Academic Preparation
Course selection guidance helps students build transcripts that align with their post-secondary goals while playing to their individual strengths. Rigorous coursework, standardized test preparation, and study skills instruction develop the independent learning abilities students need for college-level work.
Students learn note-taking strategies, time management techniques, research skills, and test-taking approaches tailored to their learning profiles. These skills form the foundation of academic self-sufficiency in higher education.
College Readiness
College Readiness and Application Support
Our college counseling team guides students and families through every phase of the application process: college selection, campus visits, essay writing, interview preparation, and financial aid planning. College selection takes into account each student’s academic profile, learning support needs, career interests, and personal preferences to identify institutions where they can thrive.
Essay coaching helps students craft personal statements that effectively communicate their experiences with learning differences and highlight their strengths. Interview preparation builds the confidence students need to present themselves authentically to admissions committees.
Beyond Academics
Life Skills and Independent Living
Transition planning includes practical instruction in financial management, household skills, transportation, personal care, and health management. These abilities are essential for independent adult living, and students with learning differences may need structured, hands-on practice to master them. Financial literacy training covers budgeting, banking, credit, and consumer awareness through real-world simulations. Self-care and health management instruction helps students take responsibility for medication management, healthcare navigation, and overall wellness.
Self-Advocacy and Disability Services Navigation
One of the most critical components of transition planning is teaching students to understand their own learning differences, communicate their needs clearly, and navigate disability services in college and workplace settings. Students learn their legal rights, practice requesting accommodations, and develop the confidence to advocate for themselves. Accommodation planning helps students identify which supports have been most effective and prepare the documentation they will need when working with college disability services offices or future employers.
Career Exploration
Career exploration includes interest inventories, job shadowing, internship opportunities, and workplace skills training. Students learn job application skills, interview techniques, and professional communication while gaining real-world experience in supervised settings. Professional networking and mentorship connections give students exposure to adults succeeding in fields that interest them, broadening their sense of what is possible.
Family
Family Collaboration
Successful transitions require family support. Fairhill provides parent education and family consultation throughout the process, helping families understand how to encourage independence while providing appropriate assistance during this important developmental stage.
Community resource connections link families with advocacy organizations, support services, and networks that can provide continued guidance after graduation.
Why It Works
Why Fairhill's Approach Works
What makes Fairhill’s transition planning effective is that it is not a last-minute checklist. It is a years-long, individualized process built into the fabric of each student’s education. By the time students reach senior year, they have practiced self-advocacy in real situations, explored career interests through hands-on experience, and developed the life skills that support independence. The result is a graduate who is not only accepted to college but genuinely prepared to thrive there.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Join Our Mailing List
Get the latest news and updates straight from us.