Early Learning Project
February 2010 Moving from Early Intervention to PreK: What Parents and Caregivers Want to KnowFelicia Fahl Gooler
Online Resources
- When I’m 3, Where Will I Be? A Family’s Transition Workbook
Illinois parents and early intervention and school personnel developed this workbook to provide information for families as their child makes the transition from Early Intervention services.
http://www.isbe.state.il.us/earlychi/pdf/transition_workbook.pdf
¿Cuando tenga 3 años, dónde estaré? Una cartilla de transitión para la familia - Education Rights and Responsibilities: Understanding Special Education in Illinois
This guide is for parents, teachers, administrators, and others to help them learn about the educational rights of children who have disabilities and receive special education and related services. It provides parents with tips on how to work with their local school district on behalf of their child.
http://www.isbe.state.il.us/spec-ed/pdfs/parent_guide_english.pdf - Early School Transitions and the Social Behavior of Children with Disabilities: Selected Findings from the Pre-Elementary Education Longitudinal Study
Young children with disabilities undergo many transitions during their early school years. This national study examines the characteristics of children receiving preschool special education, the services they receive, their transitions across educational levels, and their performance over time on assessments of academic and adaptive skills.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED504311.pdf - Transition Is More Than a Change in Services: The Need for a Multicultural Perspective
This report discusses the transition from Early Intervention services to preschool services, which presents many challenges to children, families, service providers, and programs. The needs and preferences of families from culturally and linguistically diverse groups pose additional challenges. The preparation, implementation and follow-up, and evaluation of transition practices for children, families, and service providers and programs are considered.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED478929.pdf - Entering a New Preschool: How Service Providers and Families Can Ease the Transitions of Children Turning Three Who Have Special Needs
Families as well as staff working in early childhood and early intervention programs have come to recognize the beginning of preschool as a period of adjustment for many young children. This booklet discusses some of the challenges that children and families may experience during this transition period and presents some ideas that may help minimize adjustment problems for young children with special needs entering preschool.
http://facts.crc.uiuc.edu/facts2/facts2.html - Parenting a Child with Special Needs
This News Digest was developed to respond to the information needs of parents—those who have just learned that their child has special needs and those who have lived with this reality for some time but who have reached a transition point where they need new information or renewed support.
http://www.nichcy.org/InformationResources/Documents/NICHCY%20PUBS/nd20.pdf
Spanish: Cómo Criar un Niño con Necesidades Especiales
Illinois Early Learning Resources
- Where Can Parents Find Help for Young Children with Special Needs?
Every child is unique, but some children face extra physical or learning challenges. Parents often have questions about sources of information and support. This FAQ addresses many of the questions that parents have asked the Illinois Early Learning project staff over the past few years and suggests resources that parents of young children may find useful.
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/faqs/special-needs.htm - Inclusion in Preschool Classrooms
Noting that the goal of inclusion is to help all children learn to the best of their abilities, this Tip Sheet addresses some questions that parents often ask about inclusion.
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/inclusion.htm - Understanding and Accepting Differences: Why Can't Maria Walk?
All children can benefit when those with special needs are included in classrooms and activities. Teachers and parents can use the suggestions in this Tip Sheet to foster understanding between children who have disabilities and those who do not.
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/accept-disabilities.htm
Organizations
- Illinois State Board of Education
Kay Henderson, Division Administrator
Division of Early Childhood Education
100 N. First St., E225
Springfield, IL 62777-0001
Telephone: 217-524-4835
Email: hhenders@isbe.net
http://www.isbe.net/earlychi/html/spec-ed.htm - Illinois Early Intervention Clearinghouse (library and information service for parents, professionals, and others)
Early Childhood and Parenting Collaborative
51 Gerty Drive
Champaign, IL 61820-7469
Telephone: 217-333-1386 (Champaign and surrounding areas)
877-275-3227 (toll-free)
Fax: 217-244-7732
http://www.eiclearinghouse.org - STARnet (Support and Technical Assistance Regionally) (training and technical assistance
for early childhood special education preschool staff and families of young children)
Scroll down the following Web site to find the STARnet serving your region:
http://www.isbe.net/SPEC-ED/html/sped_early_child.htm - Family Matters
Parent Training and Information Center
1901 S. 4th St., Suite 209
Effingham, IL 62401
Telephone: 866-436-7842, ext. 116
217-347-5428 (V/TTY)
Email: deinhorn@fmptic.org
http://www.fmptic.org - Family Support Network of Illinois
5739 W. Martindale Lane
Peoria, IL 61615-9669
Telephone: 309-693-8981
Email: fsn@familysupportnetwork.org
http://www.familysupportnetwork.org - Family Resource Center on Disabilities
20 E. Jackson Blvd., Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60604
Telephone: 800-952-4199 (in IL)
312-939-3513
Email: frcdptiil@ameritech.net
http://www.frcd.org
Additional Resources
- Transitions of Families from Early Intervention to Preschool Intervention for Children with Disabilities
Authors: Connelly, Ann M.
Source: Young Exceptional Children, v10 n3 p10-16
Publication Date: 2007
The focus of this article is on the transition that families experience as they leave early intervention (EI), specifically the infant/toddler services of Part C of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), to enter preschool special education (i.e., Part B services of IDEA) when their child turns 3 years of age. The purpose is to propose a family resiliency model as the framework from which EI professionals can understand the family's experience and provide appropriate supports to facilitate a smoother transition. - From Early Intervention to Early Childhood Programs: Timeline for Early Successful Transitions (TEST)
Authors: Brandes, Joyce A.; Ormsbee, Christine K.; Haring, Kathryn A.
Source: Intervention in School and Clinic, v42 n4 p204-211
Publication Date: 2007
More than one million transitions between early intervention services and early childhood programs are facilitated annually for youngsters with special needs. To be successful, these transitions require planning and ongoing communication between all parties. This article substantiates the need for a timeline/checklist and provides a model of sequential steps from onset to completion of the transition process. - Transition to Preschool Programs for Young Children with Disabilities
Authors: Malone, Delia G.; Gallagher, Peggy A.
Source: Journal of Early Intervention, v30 n4 p341-356
Publication Date: 2008
The purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing easier transitions and placements of young children with disabilities into Part B preschool special education programs. The authors examined associations between children's referral age and the following factors: (1) level of functioning of the child, (2) educational level of the mother, and (3) source of the referral. They also sought to determine if these variables might assist in predicting placement on or before the child's third birthday or placement after the child's third birthday. Source of referral and child's level of functioning were significant factors in predicting age at referral and age at placement with source of referral carrying the heaviest weighting, especially for referrals from the Part C early intervention system. - Strategies for Supporting Transitions of Young Children with Special Needs and Their Families
Authors: Rous, Beth; Myers, Christine Teeters; Stricklin, Sarintha Buras
Source: Journal of Early Intervention, v30 n1 p1-18
Publication Date: 2007
A series of focus groups involving administrators, practitioners, and family members were held around the United States to identify transition practices that have been implemented effectively for children, families, staff, administrators, and communities. Two major themes emerged from the data: critical interagency variables, defined as strategies that support an interagency process involving multiple parties, and transition practices and activities, defined as practices that address child, family, staff, program, and community-specific activities. Outcomes from these focus groups included identification of transition strategies for young children with special needs that are considered valuable by parents, providers, and administrators and that are consistent with theoretical frameworks described in the transition literature. - Interagency Agreements: A Proactive Tool for Improving the Transition from Early Intervention to Preschool Special Education Services
Authors: Hadden, D. Sarah; Fowler, Susan A.
Source: Young Exceptional Children, v3 n4 p2-7
Publication Date: 2000
This article offers guidelines to help agencies develop and write interagency agreements covering the transition of young children with disabilities from early intervention programs to public special education services. Guidelines cover the content and process of writing an agreement and finalizing, signing, and monitoring the agreement. Sample worksheets are included.
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Illinois State Board of Education
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