LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — The transition from high school to your next steps can be scary and difficult. Those challenges can be even harder for those with disabilities. That’s why Henry Clay High School hosts its annual Transition Fair to help students and families with the transiti on out of high school. “We bring students in, and we want parents and these students to know that there are these opportunities outside of high school,” Principal Tony Blackman said. From employment opportunities to education opportunities and even general resources, this fair has more than 40 organizations that all provide different services to help these students continue moving forward after graduation. One of the organizations, Erin’s Hope for Kentucky, is a social club for students who are on the autism spectrum here in Lexington and surrounding counties. “It’s an opportunity for them to get together and make friends and lasting relationships which is something that is really needed in our community.” board member Rich Dieffenbach said. Dieffenbach adds that events like this help more than just the students. “My son is here today, and he has autism, and it’s an opportunity for me to learn about what kind of resources are out there,” he said. The man behind it all is Henry Clay Special Education teacher Brian Newton. He says he hopes every school in the Commonwealth can one day host their own transition fair. “For the most part, kids aren’t going places because they don’t know where to go,” Newton said. “So, I think just connecting those pieces together to help people leave here.” While he says he’ll miss his students dearly, Newton wants the best for them after they graduate high school. This idea helped spark the transition fair which has now been going on for three years at Henry Clay. “There’s so much out there that people don’t realize or know about,” Newton said. “It is scary, like I said, you are stepping out into a world you don’t know about.” Categories: Featured, Local News, News Tags: Disabilities, Henry Clay High School, SPECIAL EDUCATION, students, transition fair ...read more read less