Transition
is a process

Making the move from pediatric to adult care is something your pediatric care team may suggest you start thinking about as early as 12 years old. The goal is to have you be prepared and feeling confident about making the transition when you're 18 or when your pediatric care team says you're ready. You start the process by asking questions (lots of them!) about how to care for yourself. Eventually, you learn how to become more involved in your care so that one day, you can take full control.

Did your healthcare team take care of you when you needed it? Did your parents have control over your medications and care? With transition, things get real. Now everyone involved steps back, giving you the space to do it for yourself: having a pain management plan, booking appointments, understanding your health insurance. If you don't feel ready for the responsibility, your parents, friends, social worker, doctor and healthcare team will still be there to help. Just ask.

A few differences when you transition from pediatric to adult care include:

• The responsibility for scheduling or rescheduling all of your appointments
• Less "doctor time" at appointments
• Managing your own health insurance and how it works
• Keeping copies of your medical file. This means asking for a copy of the same notes that your doctor made for their records so you can have them too. This way, you'll know exactly what your doctor observed and understand next steps.

We have lots of helpful resources to help you get organized and informed. Check them out.