The Adult Transition Program (ATP) at Palatine High School helps young adults with special needs transition to their new lives after high school.

“The ATP is a program for individuals who have disabilities who need to stay past senior year of high school,” school psychologist Nathan Elzing said. “They’re almost certainly going to stay until they are 22.”

ATP staff have dedicated their lives to preparing students — many of whom others may have written off — to learn daily living skills.

“I truly believe anyone can learn if you give them the right structure,” Elzing said.

In the community, they contribute to Palatine’s workforce. Half the day they go to work in or around Palatine, and the other half they practice functional skills.

“Some of our work sites are IKEA, the Renaissance Hotel, a Lutheran home and Michaels in Deer Park — community jobs they go to,” Deanna Brown said.

Unlike high school, ATP does not follow a bell schedule. Throughout the day there are four major transitions: going to school, going to work, returning from work and going home.

At the ATP building behind Palatine High School, students practice daily activities through hands-on training. For example, they learn to cook and go shopping with helpers.

“There was a young man who, when he started cooking, was like a bull in a china shop,” special education teacher Jody Stoltz said. “He was everywhere, but as he neared aging out he became independent. He was able to start a recipe and finish it with very little assistance.”

At the end of the program, students should be able to perform daily tasks with little to no help. The Adult Transition Program helps get them ready for steady employment.

“Our purpose is to prepare them to be as independent as possible and to give them work-readiness skills so they can obtain competitive employment,” Stoltz said.

“The students at ATP all have their unique personalities, and, just like the rest of us, they’re trying to figure out a pathway forward,” Elzing said.