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Healthcare Transition Timeline

Age 14

Suggested Healthcare Skills to Build On:

  • Help your teen learn about their own health conditions, medications, and allergies

  • Encourage your youth to ask their primary care provider questions about their own health

  • As appropriate, encourage your youth to spend time alone with their provider for part of visit

  • Explore Assistive Technology devices or services to support the youth/young adult's ability to communicate and support increasing independence

  • Speak with your child's healthcare provider about what age they will continue to see your child and if they have a process for transitioning/referring to adult providers

 

Possible Goals for Youth:

  • Youth will communicate directly with their provider

  • Prepare for visits by writing down questions before appointment

  • Request health skills to be included in IEP

Age 16

Suggested Healthcare Skills to Build On:

  • Parent and Youth will complete the Got Transition's Transition Readiness Assessment

  • Help your teen to learn more about their own health and what to do in case of emergency

  • Encourage your teen to see their provider alone for part of visit to help gain independence in practice managing their own health and healthcare

  • Support your teen in practicing to make appointments and refill prescriptions
     

 

Possible Goals for Youth:

  • Be able to summarize their health history in 3 sentences or less to share with medical providers. Parent/caregiver can support the youth in this by completing a medical summary form

  • Know what medications they take and when they take them

  • Know their allergies

  • See their healthcare provider alone for part of visit

  • Request health skills on IEP

Age 18

Suggested Healthcare Skills to Build On:

  • Help your young adult understand the changes that come with turning 18. Your child is now viewed as an adult in the eyes of the law and is responsible for making all of their own decisions, including consent, medical decision making, and spending money. There are also confidentiality laws in place regarding information that can be shared between providers and family members.

  • Continue to support decision making skills
     

 

Possible Goals for Young Adult:

  • Carry contact information for medical providers and insurance card in wallet or on phone

  • Enroll, explore, and use the electronic medical record patient portal (ex. Tufts - MyTuftsMed App)

  • Create My Health Passport

  • Know how to ask questions when you do not understand the provider or when you need clarification

  • Talk to the healthcare provider on their own

  • Know how to find their healthcare provider's number

  • Know when and how to get emergency medical care and what to do when the healthcare provider's office is closed

  • Know how to access medical information, schedule and cancel appointments, refill medications, ask for a referral

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