Moving to
Preschool - The TransitionMoving to
Preschool - The TransitionThere will always be change, or TRANSITION,
in your child’s life. It is part of the process of growing.
In Early Intervention, the biggest transition comes at age 3 when
your child must leave El and venture on to Preschool. With a little
advanced planning, this will be a smooth and expected event.
1. Think about transition early. Start asking the question, “What
will happen to my child and me when my child leaves Early Intervention?”
2. Be ready to plan for the transition. When your child is 2 years
and six months your Early Intervention Specialist will talk about
transition with you and assist you in developing a plan.
3. Be ready to take an active role in the decisions regarding
your child’s developmental assessment or multi-factored evaluation.
This will determine if your child qualifies for special education
services.
4. Know and understand your child’s rights. You’ll be
given a copy of the booklet: Who’s IDEA Is It Anyway? Discuss
any questions you have about IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act) with your service coordinator and/or your school
district.
5. Make it a priority to learn about your school district’s
responsibilities. Preschool Special Education is quite different
from Early Intervention.
6. Be prepared to discuss your child’s strengths and needs
at IEP (Individual Education Plan) meetings. An IEP will be developed
if your child is eligible for special education services.
7. Remember that you are going through a change, or transition,
too. Early Intervention is very family focused while preschool
is more child focused. Your child will probably be attending classes
outside of the home rather than having professionals in your home.
Click here
for a transition checklist for parents
Click
here to return to the Early Intervention welcome page
Click here to return to My Child Has
Special Needs