Module 3: Early Childhood Transition

Planning for Early Childhood Transition (Session 2)

Outcome: Family, school, early intervention and community partners will engage in a collaborative planning process to transition children and families smoothly from local infants and toddlers programs to a variety of early childhood environments at age 3 years

Insert reflection box below: Consider specific responsibilities related to session 2 objectives about planning for transition with families, and review a self-assessment survey. (link to survey)

Objectives:

Discuss the major steps in planning, with families, for transitioning childrenat age three from local infants and toddlers programs to appropriate early childhood environments.

Describe what should happen before, during and after a transition meeting.

Specify the essential components of Part C early intervention and Part B preschool services/supports in language understandable to family and community partners.

Describe the roles and responsibilities of families, Part C, Part B and community partners in planning for transition.

Describe,in family-friendly language,the eligibility process for Part B preschool services.

Suggest strategies for engaging families in planning for transition.

Explain how to address any concerns families may have about the transition process.

Explain how the Family Support Network and Preschool Partners can provide parent-parent support during planning for transition.

Describe the range of early childhood environments to consider with families for children transitioning from local infants and toddlers programs.

Identify strategies for promoting collaboration among a family, public school, early intervention and community partners during planning for transition.

This session, Planning for transition has four key activities for readers:

  • reading essential content;
  • engaging in application activities to integrate the presented information;
  • reviewing recommended reading; and
  • completing a self assessment.

The following chart gives an overview of the session’s activities with suggested time allotments.

Summary of Activities
Activities / Time allotment
Essential Content about planning for transition from early intervention to early childhood settings / 2 hours
Application 3.1 Reviewing program practices: Planning for Transition / 1-2 hours
Application 3.2: Addressing concerns families may about implementing an IFSP / 1 hour
Application 3.3: Planning for transition: Separating Fact from Fiction / 1 hour

Recommended Reading

/ 2 hours
Self-Assessment / .5 hour

Guiding questions for Session 2: Planning for Transition

  1. What is a family’s vision for a child’s “next steps” at age three?
  1. What opportunities will each child have to participate with typically developing peers in community-based early childhood settings?

Why this topic was selected

Young children learn best when they feel secure and know they can trust the adults caring for them. During their first several years, children can experience numerous transitions as they move in and out of various early childhood environments. During these transitions, each child and family will face new routines, expectations, and relationships. Effective planning for transitionfrom an infants and toddlers program provides the essential support for children and families to make these changessmoothly, rather than the rocky experience described below(Head Start Bureau, 2000):

Shondra is used to taking her nap in her own crib at a certain time. In her new Head Start program, she resists resting on a floor mat with other children. Without words to express her feelings, Shondrabecomes agitated. When her new teacher tries to calm her in a different way thanshe is used to, she grows more upset and is unconsolable.

Consider an alternative scenario:

Shondra’s Head Start teacher, her mother, her infants and toddlers service coordinator and special educator from the public school meet to work out strategies to smooth her entry in to Head Start. They talk comfortably about Shondra’s abilities, interests, special needs, temperament and routines.

Shondra’s mother is prepared for this meeting because she had support to think about her daughter’s next steps at age three. When Shondra turned two, her infants and todddlers service coordinator had started talking about possible preschool settings for Shondra.Tthey came up with transition outcomes and strategies to help her consider Shondra’s next steps for when she turned three. A public school educator had joined them during Transition Planning Meetings, and guided her through Part B eligibility and IEP meetings. Now, looking back, this mother knows she and her daughter will miss their infants and toddlers providers, but they also are comfortable with Shondra’s new school experiences.

Planning for Transition provides an overview of the roles and tasks that families and early childhood providers must engage in their collaboration to select appropriate “next steps” for young children. The anticipated outcome? All children and families in Maryland will experience a transition, like Shondra and her family, that prepares them to participate in appropriate early childhood environments with their peers, to the maximum extent possible.

Essential Content:

Planning for transition is thesecond session of Module 3, Early Childhood Transition,developed by the Maryland State Department of Education as part of an online tutorial for early intervention, public and private school personnel, families, and other interested readers. Other sessions available: (link to outcomes/objectives for each session below)

Module / Session
Module 1:
Evaluation and Assessment / 1: Legal Requirements
2: Planning with Families for Evaluation & Assessment
3: Comprehensive Evaluation and Assessment
Module 2:
Developing and Implementing an IFSP / 1: Legal Requirements
2: Developing an IFSP with Families
3. Implementing family/child supports & services (this session)
Module 3:
Early Childhood Transition /
  1. Legal Requirements
  1. Planning for Transition (This session)
  1. Supporting preschoolers and families in early childhood environments

The following topics are covered in Planning for Transition:

  1. Defining early childhood transition
  1. Over view of the early childhood planning for transition process
  1. Family role during planning for transition
  1. Part C early intervention responsibilities during planning for transition
  1. Part B preschool responsibilities during planning for transition
  1. Community early childhood responsibilities during planning for transition
  1. Transition outcomes for an IFSP

Examples of transition outcomes for children and families

  1. Transition Planning Meetings: Who, what and when
  1. Providing family support: Considering a child’s next steps
  1. Providing family support : Preparing children for transition
  1. Concerns families may have during transition
  1. Understanding Part B preschool services
  1. Eligibility for Part B Preschool services
  1. When children are referred to a local ITP within 90 days of their 3rd birthday
  1. Developing an IEP for children eligible for Part B services
  1. Providing Part B preschool services in the least restrictive environment
  1. Options for early childhood environments with typical peers

Essential content: Planning for transition

a. Defining early childhood transition

Broadly speaking, a transition is any change in routine for children or families. Examples range from small, daily shifts (e.g., leaving the dinner table to take a bath)to “the movement of children across programs or to other forms of service delivery” (Chandler, 1992). Transitions between settings occur throughout early childhood as a child moves from home to an early childhood program, within a program, or between programs (Early Head Start National Resource Center, 2000).

Within Maryland’s early intervention and special education systems, transitions are defined as “points of change in services and in the personnel who coordinate and provide services to children and families.” (MSDE, 2004, p.3). Educational transitions typically encountered by all children and youth during their preschool and school years include entering and leaving:

  • Child care
  • Preschool
  • Kindergarten
  • Middle school
  • High school
  • Post-secondary education and training.

Insert Reflection box below: Early childhood transition is the process of changing programs, services and supports at age three when a child leaves a local infants and toddlers program to participate in early childhood environments in the community and/or public school.

One significant transition for young children with special needs, and their families,occurs at age three when children and families transition from local infants and toddlersprograms to other early childhood settings. Early childhood transition is a collaborative process involving four key partners- families and infants/toddlers, public preschooland community early childhood personnel. These partners develop and implement a plan for a child’s and family’s smooth transition to preschool services in a variety of early childhood environments.

b.Overview of planning for early childhood transition

Insert tip box here: Planning for transition is a process of preparing families and children for “next steps” at age three. Transition Planning Meetings are the times when families and early childhood providers make key decisions about who, what and where.

The major steps inpreparing for early childhood transition are summarized in the flow chart, Planning for Early Childhood Transition.(link to flow chart at end of session) Successful transitions depend on preparing children and families for a change in settings and services when they leave an infants and toddlers program, as well as supporting children and families during, and after, they begin preschool services in other early childhood environments. Planning for transition is the focus of this session; supporting children and families in their new early childhood environments is the focus of session 3.

There arethree key decisions that must be made with families while planning fortransition:

  1. Identifying, with families, the “next steps” for a child at age 3.

Planning for transition with families begins formally when a child turns two. At this time, families are supported to begin thinking about their desires for their child when he or she becomes a “preschooler” at age three. Families are assisted to identify transition outcomes for their IFSPs when their children turn two. Subsequently, Transition Planning Meetingsare held with families to develop/review transition outcomes and strategies, and consider appropriate early childhood programs/services for their children.

Even before a child turns two, however, familiescanlearn about transition during their orientation to early intervention. Infants and toddlers personnel can explain:

“Our programs are for infants and toddlers with disabilities or delays from birth to 3 years old. With planning and support from early intervention, preschool and community providers, children participate in various early childhood settings whenthey turn three.”

  1. Determining a child’s eligibility for Part B preschool services.

If parents wish to consider Part B special education and related services, school personnel determine a child’s eligibility at an IEP team meeting, reviewing an IFSP and other information provided by the parent(s) and early intervention providers about a child’s current functioning.

  1. Considering community early childhood environmentswith typically developing peers.

Everychild transitioning from a local infants and toddlers program should be given the opportunity to participate in early childhood environments with typically developing children of similar ages. (link to section q )Discussions with families include reviewing the availability and eligibility requirements of various early childhood programs/settings in a family’s community.

If eligible for Part B preschool services, an IEP for each child is developed with the parent(s) and other participants on an IEP team, specifying how Part B special education and related services will be provided with a child’s typical peers, in the least restrictive environment, to the maxiumum extent appropriate.(link to section p)

c. Family role during planning for transition

Families are the key decision makers about the “next steps” for their children. All early childhood providers should commit to supporting families to make informed decisions about what they want for their child at age three.

Specific family responsibilities during the process of planning for transition include:

  • Talking with relatives and friends about their hopes and dreams for their children and themselves when their children turn three.
  • Thinking about the early childhood programs, settings and activities they would like to see their child participate in.
  • Assisting in developing transition outcomes as part of their Individualized Service Plan (IFSP) when their child turns two, and then collaborating with early intervention providers to achieve them during the year.
  • Discussing “next steps” with early intervention providers, especially their service coordinator, and selecting possible early childhood environments to consider.
  • Visiting programs and/or community activities that are possibilities for their children. Checklists developed by parents who have completed early childhood transitionoffer guidance about what to look for:
  • In “Stepping Ahead to Success: Transition at age 3” (Maryland State Dept of Education, 2005 revision): (link to check lists, scanned in)
  • A look at places to step ahead
  • Questions families may ask about new programs
  • Community places and programs for three year olds (Pam Miller, MSDE)
  • Selecting a preschool for your child (Adapted by Washington County, MD early childhood agencies from Preschool Language Programs of Tucson)

d. Part C early intervention responsibilities during planning for transition

Part C early intervention, Part B preschool and community early childhood personneleach have critical responsibilities to carry out during the process of planning for transition with families. Working together, all must communicate with families and one another,to ensure a smooth transition for young children to appropriate early childhood settings when they leave a local infants and toddlers program. An overview of the specific responsibilities for Part C early intervention personnelis provided in this section.

Part C early intervention personnelare responsible for:
Preparing a child and family for their “next steps” related to the change in servicesand settings that will occur when a child transitions from a
local infants and toddlers program at age three.

Specific Part C responsibilitiesinplanning for transitioninclude:

  1. Explaining the transition process to families. The formal planning for transition starts when a child turns two (or is referred to a local infants and toddlers program after 24 months). Infants and toddlers staff and families review IFSP outcomes with an eye to thinking about how to prepare children and families to participate in school and community-based early childhood environments at age three. This is an opportunity to begin discussions with families about what they would like to see their child doing next, and the options for early childhood settings and services. It also includes providing families with an overview of the transition process, as well as the role and responsibilities of key transition partners- families, and infants &toddlers, preschool special education and community early childhood providers. Such a discussion can help families understand the different mandates of the Part B preschool special education and Part C infants and toddlers programs.

Before talking about transition outcomes at age two, however, a foundation needs to be laid. Families can be introduced to the idea of transition at intake, during an initial planning conversation for evaluation and assessment, and if eligible, during development of their IFSP. Early intervention providers can say,

“Our Infants and Toddlers Program is for children from birth to three years. When a child turns three, it’s time to participate in preschool settings and services. We call this early childhood transition. We’ll let you know when it’s time to start thinking about planning for transition, and we’ll help you think about your child’s next steps.“

  1. Informing parents of their Part C parental rights and procedural safeguards. This responsibility is usually assumed by service coordinators, but other designated staff may talk to families about the early intervention safeguards for families mandated by the IDEA. Although a local school system representative informs parents of their special educationrights and procedural safeguards,(link toMSDE document, TBA)local infants and toddlers staff may give families an opportunity to review their Part B rights before a Transition Planning Meeting. (link to Part B parental rightschecklist from BaltimoreCounty)

Insert Tip box below: Guide families through transition by providing information about various early childhood settings/programs in their community; encouraging parent(s) to visit these sites, accompanying them when feasible; and facilitating family-family support.

  1. Assisting families to develop transition outcomes for their IFSP when achild is two years old, and then providing support to help families achieve these outcomes over the next year.(link to section g)IFSPs shouldidentifytransition strategies for helping families make informed decisions about selecting early childhood settings appropriate for their children, including Part B preschool services, and to understand applicable eligibility requirements for all early childhood settings. (link to section g)

Insert Tip box below: The major focus of Transition Planning Meetings is to consider with families: “Between now and your child’s 3rd birthday, what do we need to do to help you make an informed decision about your child’s “next steps”?

  1. Scheduling and facilitating a TransitionPlanning Meeting, with families and a Part B representative (unless a family does not want to consider Part B services) to identify what needs to happen to prepare a child and family for possible “next steps” at age three. This meeting is an opportunity for all partners to: (link to section h)
  • Review information and resources about communityearly childhood environmentsso that families can consider and narrow their options; (link to section q)
  • Review transitionoutcomes and strategiesthat are intended to prepare children and families for “next steps.”(link to section g) Typically, when a child turns two, ongoing IFSP outcomes and strategies are looked at to see how they address preparing a child for transition to preschool settings. Specific outcomes may be added to the IFSP at age two, or at the Transition Planning Meeting..
  • Hear about Part B preschool services and parental rights/safeguards from the local school representative. A Transition Planning Meeting is not the time to determine eligibility for Part B preschool services, unless

planned ahead of time, with parents’ permission, as an IEP team meeting with required participants in attendance. Before deciding whether to hold an IEP Team Meeting immediately following the Transition Planning Meeting , the prime consideration should be: How prepared is a family, at this time, for an IEP team meeting? (link to m)