Exploring the Life Domains

Health Care Transition

Health care transition is the process of moving from pediatric care to adult care. Part of health care transition is deciding about your own health. It also means learning about your rights and responsibilities around health care.

Transitioning to Adult Health Care with Confidence

To help prepare youth and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) for their health care transition, 6 toolkits were developed under the leadership of Family Voices, in collaboration with the LifeCourse Nexus, SPAN, and Got Transition. This project is supported by the Administration of Community LivingU.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For additional HCT resources for youth and young adults with ID/DD, their families/caregivers, and clinicians and direct support workers, visit the Center for Transition to Adult Health Care for Youth with Disabilities.

Getting Started

The toolkits aim to help you learn and get ready for moving to adult health care and living a healthy adult life. They will give you lots of information and resources to help you during this time of transition. Each toolkit will focus on a different topic about health care transition.

Each toolkit consists of a Side-by-Side Guide, an EZ-Reader, a tool and tip sheet.

    • The Side-by-Side Guide helps you learn, discuss, and take action on health-related topics and includes tips for supporters.
    • The EZ-Reader provides easy-to-understand information about specific topics in the Side-by-Side Guide using short sentences and pictures.
    • The tool is an activity to help you prepare for your health care transition.
    • The tip sheet helps you know how to fill out and use each tool.

For the best experience viewing and using the toolkits, we recommend Adobe Acrobat. If you don’t have it yet, you can download it for free. Download Adobe Acrobat here.

Moving to Adult Health Care, Overview Image

Toolkit 3:
Leading Day to day Health Care Routines
Still in Development

Toolkit 4:
Understanding Your Legal Rights in Health Care Settings
Still in Development

Toolkit 5:
Leading Your Health Care Visits
Still in Development

Toolkit 6:
Planning for Moving to Adult Health Care
Still in Development

Toolkit 1

Understanding Health Care Transition

Side-by-Side Guide
Moving to Adult Health Care: Getting Ready for a Change​​

Understand a change is coming, what transition and health care transition mean, and start thinking about life as an adult and healthy living.

EZ-Reader
Getting Ready for a Change: What Does That Mean?​

Learn about becoming an adult and what it means for your health care.

Tool
Moving to Adult Health Care: Life Trajectory​?​

Think about what’s important to you regarding your doctors and health care workers. Consider what you don’t want in your adult health care.

Tip Sheet
Moving to Adult Health Care: Life Trajectory​?​

Provides an overview of why and how to use the Moving to Adult Health Care: Life Trajectory.

Toolkit 2

Knowing About Your Health Care

Side-by-Side Guide
Moving to Adult Health Care: Knowing About Your Health​

Understand your health and disabilities, and the different kinds of doctors and health care workers you might see.

EZ-Reader
Knowing About Your Health: Different Kinds of Doctors & Specialists

Learn about the different kinds of doctors and health care workers you might see as an adult.

Tool
Medical Provider List​

Keep track of your doctors and other health care workers.

Tip Sheet
Medical Provider List​

Provides an overview of why and how to use the Medical Provider List.

Center for Transition to Adult Health care for Youth with Disabilities

To find more resources related to health care transition, visit movingtoadulthealthcare.org.