Tools for Developing Adult Life Goals
Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC) Tools
CtLC has many valuable tools. One to assist students with visioning their ‘good life’ for adulthood is the Life Domain Vision Tool. It allows students to create visions within specific domains like Social & Spirituality, Healthy Living, and Community Living to name just a few. As we help students prepare for their adult life, it is important we are considering different aspects or domains to ensure they are best prepared to exit school and enter adulthood.
The Life Trajectory tool can help students and their families to think about their vision for the future and the experiences that are integral to achieving that vision. It also helps to define what the youth and their family do not want for the future, which is often just as important to understand.
Vision or Dream Boards
There are many ways to help students articulate their goals for adult life. For those looking for a different medium to display their goals, try vision or dream boarding. This allows the student to make a collage or board using pictures of what they want their adult life to look like. It could include past pictures of them doing something they want to continue doing or even a picture of what they hope to become. This activity allows the student to lead the discussion and the team to listen intently about why certain images were chosen, how the visions work together, and backwards plan as a team on how to help the student reach their goals. Other multimedia forms that can be used are Powerpoint presentations, videos, and other creative ways for the youth to share their voice in a meaningful way.
15 Vision Board Ideas for Children
This resource has many good ideas for Vision Boards and questions or prompts to get started. It links to several other Vision Board resources too!
TeachersPayTeachers Vision Board Resources
TeachersPayTeachers is a wonderful website that allows teachers who have created forms, resources, or activities to post them online for other teachers to purchase and use. But don’t worry, these resources are perfect for families too! By simply searching Vision Boards at the TeachersPayTeachers you will find many different kits, forms, and ideas for Vision Boards with your child or student.
Guided Conversation document from SELN
By identifying the person’s skills and support needs, team members can engage and share with key partners, including OOD, employment service providers, families, and educators, to support a seamless career exploration process.
Guided conversations help people process information, draw their own conclusions, and make their own decisions. These conversations are critical in assisting individuals with disabilities and their families to discover what possibilities and support options exist. Use the below worksheets to help youth discuss their employment and career goals.
Ohio's no-cost, career planning system offers comprehensive, career exploration tools, online training and resources specifically for students, teachers and school counselors. OhioMeansJobs (OMJ) allows students to learn more about their career interests and in-demand jobs, build résumés, search for college and training programs, create a budget based on future expenses, and develop meaningful academic and career plans for high school and beyond.
Use the Ohio Department of Education’s resource page on OMJ to help get started and find guides to accessing the various features and tools. Students can get started at the Student Home webpage.
OhioMeansJobs, O*NET, or Career One Stop
Good resources to show those skills, abilities, and education needed for specific careers.
The Ohio State University Statewide Family Engagement Center’s Partnering with Families for Middle School Career Exploration
This research brief has great information in it, but also a wonderful Reflection Tool. Use this tool to ensure we are engaging families in a student’s early and ongoing career development.
Ohio State University – Promoting Self-Awareness Guide
Use this guide and prompts to help students and families identify youth’s PINS and/or career goals. While the guide is targeted for middle school students, it can be helpful for students of any age starting their self-awareness and/or career pathway conversations
The team starts the planning process by reviewing information that already exists about a youth’s skills and plans. First reviewing existing information assists the team to know what additional transition assessment information is needed for a more comprehensive, holistic picture of the youth’s PINS and plans. Use the prompts on this handout to start a team discussion.
