Breaking the Cycle: Empowering Students with Disabilities Beyond the Classroom

What happens when we stop seeing special education as a destination and start treating it as a launching pad for meaningful, independent adult lives? In this groundbreaking episode, Dr. Ryan Wheeler challenges everything you thought you knew about transitional services for students with disabilities.

As the Executive Director of Special Services at Channel View ISD, Dr. Wheeler brings over two decades of innovative educational leadership to a critical conversation about reimagining post-secondary opportunities for students with diverse learning needs.

In this powerful discussion, listeners will discover:

• Why “graduating to the couch” is no longer an acceptable outcome
• Practical strategies for developing real-world job skills
• How to create individualized transition plans that genuinely empower students
• The importance of treating students with disabilities as capable, fully functioning adults
• Innovative approaches to vocational training and community integration

“Special education isn’t what we do to students, it’s what we do with them.” – Dr. Ryan Wheeler

Provocative, inspiring, and packed with actionable insights, this episode is a must-listen for educators, administrators, parents, and anyone committed to expanding opportunities for students with disabilities.