Transition Services for Youth (14-25)
Meet Our Transition Specialist
David Wiley has been with the Texas Deafblind Project for over 25 years as the Transition Specialist. With a background in working with older students in residential settings, David brings a wealth of expertise to the issues related to transition from school life to adult life in the community. David chairs the Texas Deaf-Blind Task Force made up of services agencies and organizations, family members of individuals who are deafblind, and individuals who are deafblind. This group, which as been in existence for nearly forty years, has worked together to help develop a unique Medicaid Waiver for individuals who are deafblind with additional disabilities, support the development and use of interveners working in community settings and other important projects. Want to connect with David? Contact him at wileyd@tsbvi.edu.
Consultation
As the Project’s Transition Consultant, David is available to work with local school districts and agencies in planning for transition from school to adult life in the community. He does this in a variety of ways by helping them plan for pre-employment activities, conduct person-centered planning groups, and guiding them on innovative practices related to quality of life adult outcomes for transition. In all of the work he does, the young adult who is deafblind and his / her family members are at the heart of the consultation.
Training
David provides training in both face-to-face and distance learning modalities throughout the state and nation. He regularly trains staff who work at group homes or in the community to provide deafblind specific supports to young adults who are deafblind. He also helps develop an annual transition weekend for parents of individuals who are deafblind and visually impaired, one year focusing on individuals who are able to live independently and one year for those individuals who will always need significant support. David is also very interested in training focused on behavioral challenges recognizing that the social, emotional, and communication challenges faced by someone who is deafblind can account for many of these problems.
Collaboration
David takes the lead for our Project in collaboration with the Texas Deafblind Taskforce and has served as Chair for this group for over 15 years. One of the oldest groups in our state focused on individuals with deafblindness, the Task Force has been responsible for helping to bring about the expansion of the Texas Deafblind with Multiple Disabilities waiver through the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. This waiver provides home and community-based services to people who are deaf-blind with multiple disabilities as a cost-effective alternative to institutional placement.
At a national level, David regularly collaborates with activities carried out by the National Center on Deafblindness and the state deafblind projects.
In recent years he has worked with other colleagues from around the state through the Texas Action Committee for the Education of Students with Visual Impairments (sponsored by Texas Education Agency) to create the Texas Transition website. This website is designed for you as a place to start learning about transition planning for life after graduation—specifically for students with visual impairments, including those who are DeafBlind. You will find links to useful information and individual stories to help you envision the possibilities for success. https://texasvitransition.org/
Texas Transition Website
