Let Them Try: What to Do When a Student’s Vision Feels Unrealistic
Sometimes the fastest way to learn what will or won’t work is to let a student try it. Whether it’s a blue muffin or a big career dream, experience is an incredible teacher.
This morning, as we were preparing breakfast, my son had a request. We were making blueberry muffins, and he asked if we could leave in all the "blueberry juice" from the canned berries. He was convinced that if we kept the juice, the muffins would be even better—maybe the best ones of his life.
I’m not convinced. As someone who’s baked more than a few muffins, I know that extra liquid can throw off the texture. But the truth is, there’s a much faster and more meaningful way for my son to find out whether “blueberry juice muffins” are something he likes—maybe even prefers. We could just make them, try them, and taste them.
That’s what we’re supposed to be doing in transition planning.
Transition Planning Should Be a Test Kitchen
Nearly every time I give a presentation about transition planning and student-centered visioning, I get a question from a parent or educator, or both, about what to do with students who have “unrealistic” visions for themselves. The student who wants to be in the NBA but has never played basketball; or the student who wants to be a video game designer but only because they like playing video games.
When students share a vision for their future that might not seem like the best fit for their current skills, support needs, or level of independence, it’s not our job to shut that vision down. It’s our job to help them try it.
Transition planning is about creating a test kitchen for students.
It means finding opportunities for them to try elective courses related to their interests. Setting up informational interviews with professionals in their dream jobs. Coordinating job shadows, job tryouts, or short-term internships. Giving them a chance to explore what their vision might actually look like—and reflect on whether it’s the direction they want to keep going.
Good Transition Planning is Never Wasted Time
The truth is, no matter what the specific career, training, or postsecondary education goal is at the top of a student's vision pyramid, the foundational skills they need to get there are often the same. When we help students to create short-term steps on the way to achieving their long-term career goals—whether they want to become an actor, a professional athlete, a welder, a graphic designer, or a teacher—we’re often supporting the same initial skill development. Executive functioning. Coping strategies. Social communication. Reading comprehension. Problem-solving. Time management. Self-advocacy. These are the skills that often form the basis of any successful adult life, no matter what career path a student ends up following.
So even when a student’s vision feels unrealistic or may change with experience, it’s never a waste of time to support that exploration. It’s actually the opposite. When we lean into their ideas—whether that means helping them cook up those “blueberry juice muffins” or shadow a professional in a field they’re excited about—we're creating authentic, meaningful opportunities for learning. These experiences build job acquisition and life skills in real-world settings. They help students connect their ideas and interests to actual tasks and expectations. And sometimes, they provide the data the student needs to revise their vision on their own terms.
But most importantly, this approach lets the student know that their ideas matter and that this transition planning process really is about them. When we take a student’s vision seriously, we’re reinforcing the belief that they have efficacy over their lives—that they can set goals, make choices, test ideas, and reflect on outcomes. They are in control. And isn’t that what we want for all of our kids?
As a transition specialist, I know the research behind self-determination and long-term outcomes. And as a mom, I also know what it looks like when a child feels heard, respected, and empowered to try something—even if the end result isn’t quite what they expected.
Experience Expands the Dream
I often think of a story I heard in a workshop I attended more than a decade ago. The presenter, Stephanie Loo from the Association for Autism and Neurodiversity, shared about a student who wanted to be a commercial airline pilot. Based on the student’s disability-related needs, it was unlikely this dream would pan out—but instead of telling the student “no,” which was very unlikely to be believed, the team set up a tour of Logan Airport and an informational interview with a pilot. During the conversation, the student learned just how critical visual acuity is in the field. He realized on his own that this career path wouldn’t work for him because he has poor night vision. But rather than being upset at this revelation, he turned to ask, “Well, what other jobs are there at the airport?”
That experience didn’t destroy the student’s dream. It expanded it. And it made him more receptive to the transition planning process. He was more actively engaged in exploring a variety of career paths that fit his strengths, preferences, and needs. And he could participate more actively in shaping a meaningful transition plan that fit him.
That’s why we do transition planning. Not to tell students what they can’t do—but to give them the opportunities, experiences, and support they need to figure it out for themselves.
Sometimes, you just have to let them try the muffins.
Sometimes Adults are Wrong
I also vividly remember a student I worked with who wanted to work in a daycare or teach preschool. She faced some significant challenges and learned in a slow and hard-fought manner. Many people on her team believed it was unrealistic for her to care for young children. Rather than relying solely on interviews or office-based assessments, we also set up a job trial at a local integrated preschool.
During that experience, we were able to observe the student taking directions, interacting with children, prepping materials, and supporting the teachers for several hours. There were absolutely some skills that would need to be built into her transition plan. But when we asked the head teacher at the end of the day if they thought there was anything that would prevent the student from working in this or a similar setting, the teacher couldn’t think of a single thing.
It was a pivotal moment—a turning point in that student’s transition planning. And it reminded all of us that sometimes, the people who are supposed to be guiding students also need to go through these transition planning experience themselves.
Final Thoughts
If you are parenting or educating students—any students—then you likely know that there are just some things students can’t or won’t believe the first time they hear them. And there are plenty of things that students need to learn by experience.
We don’t always know how something will turn out until we give it a try—whether it’s a blueberry muffin recipe or a career dream. And that’s okay. Transition planning isn’t about certainty—it’s about refinement over time. It’s an ongoing process of assessment (and self-assessment), of goal setting, and most importantly, of exploration.
It’s about offering young people the chance to try, to learn, and to discover their path with support. Because the goal isn’t a perfect plan—it’s a self-determined student.
And as I finished this article, the muffin timer beeped and my son excitedly shouted, “I’ve never had a blue muffin in my life.” Minutes later, he tried the muffin and decided he doesn’t actually ever want to make blueberry juice muffins again! So, my husband and I have some very blue muffins to eat this week.
