Summary

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Stressful Changes

Change, whether positive or negative, can be stressful for all of us. This change can be especially stressful when a young person with a disability is getting ready to move from one educational experience to the next. Parents and students need to be aware of what to expect in the new situation, how to prepare to meet those new challenges, and how to be part of a team that prepares the student, and the school environment, for that new educational experience.

Early Intervention to Pre-School

Early Intervention (EI) programs are designed to provide services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families through the development of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). From age 3 throughout the school years, the eligible student with a disability receives services through the development of an Individual Education Program (IEP) that focuses on the academic and functional skills of the student. The family involvement is as an IEP team member and planning is focused on meeting the student?s individual needs. Other IEP team members may include the student?s special education teacher, a representative for the school district (often the school principal), other teachers that teach the student, specialists (therapists, aides), etc.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) requires that Early Intervention (EI) service providers take steps to support the transition of a toddler with a disability into preschool or other appropriate services. This support begins with a transition meeting, at least 90 days prior to the child?s 3rd birthday, between the EI program staff and the family to discuss possible services at age 3.

Early Intervention: Tips for families

• Actively participate in any transition meetings and consider all options presented
• Visit the recommended pre-school
• If the student may not be eligible for developmental pre-school, talk with EI about other options
• Ask EI to recommend options for any family supports that are still needed; consider applying for services from agencies such as Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD), Social Security Administration (SSI benefits)
• Keep a folder with results of evaluations, copies of IFSP, medical information, other pertinent documents

Pre-School to Elementary School

IDEA requires that a student?s eligibility be continually determined at least every three years. Families can expect that this will occur sometime before the child?s 6th birthday, if the child has had an IEP since the 3rd birthday. At this time, the team may find that evaluation results indicate that the child is eligible for services under a different disability category (such as Specific Learning Disability instead of Developmental Delay). It is important to remember that particular special education services or service patterns are not dependent on disability category; services are determined based on individual student need.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten will probably be quite different from pre-school: usually a longer day, more days per week, and more students in the class. These changes will be apparent, also, as the student moves from kindergarten to first grade. In addition, the focus is on academic and functional skills. Students will be expected to learn to participate in pre-reading and pre-math activities geared to student abilities, to navigate the school building to access activities and services, and to adapt to a variety of expectations from a variety of adults.

Pre-School and Kindergarten: Tips for families

• Plan for before and after school care, if needed
• Communicate regularly with all of the child?s teachers
• Talk with the child?s teachers to see if it would be appropriate to talk with other students in the class about the child?s disability, skills, adaptive equipment used, etc.
• Visit the school/classroom/playground with the child or, if not possible, take pictures of the school/classroom/playground to familiarize the child with the new environment
• Help your child learn important locations in the new setting (e.g. office, bathroom, cafeteria)
• Be ready to share your child?s strengths and needs, likes and dislikes, and important facts about your child?s disability with school staff
• Participate in each IEP meeting
• Read the school handbook
• Continually update your child?s education folder with copies of IEPs, progress reports, health care plans, etc.

Elementary to Middle School/Junior High School

Students at this level deal with all of the challenges of attending multiple classes: different teacher expectations in each class, possibly different classmates in each class, following a schedule, and organizing multiple sets of materials. In addition, students are dealing with more and new classmates, larger buildings, and more lunch choices in the cafeteria ? all of this on top of changes and challenges related to maturation!

It is very important, at this time, for families to realize that the relationship with the school may be different than it was with the elementary school. General education teachers are working with many more students, and therefore many more parents, and may not develop the relationships with students and parents that families are expecting. As a result, parent may feel ?shut out? of the school community.

This is the time to begin to think about what family expectations are for the young person post-secondary school. Where will the person live? Who will care for the person? Will s/he work? Will s/he participate in some kind of post-secondary training or education? The answers will not come easily and will change almost daily. It is time for families and the young person to talk about what might happen after the young person exits the school system.

Elementary to Middle School: Tips for parents

• Plan, with the elementary school staff, for this transition at least a year in advance
• As part of the team, identify needed modifications (e.g. locker modifications, adaptive equipment needed, and access to bathrooms, cafeteria, classrooms and other sites) and make sure that detailed needs are communicated appropriately to the new school staff
• Discuss the option of postponing secondary graduation until age 21
• Develop a transition plan for after graduation
• Include the guidance counselor from the new school in planning, if possible
• Encourage the new school to use instructional and behavioral strategies that have worked in the past
• Work with the staff, including the guidance counselor, at the new school to schedule teachers who will ?work well? with the student
• Meet with ALL of the student?s new teachers to discuss health, behavior, learning issues and share needed accommodations
• Encourage your student to become involved in extra-curricular activities, with peer support if needed
• Update that education folder ? again!

Middle School to High School

Some of the challenges addressed in the transition to middle school will also be found in transitioning to high school: larger schools, multiple classes, and more unfamiliar classmates. In addition, high schools are more challenging academically and socially and may be more impersonal, due to the larger size. Teachers assign more homework and expect more from students, expecting students to make appropriate choices for class attendance, class schedules, and other activities. The system is more grade-oriented, with classes based on need to earn credits towards a diploma. Towards the end of high school, pressure may be exerted to choose a college, choose a job, or choose a life after graduation.

The family that has been talking with the student and thinking about the student?s post-school life will be more comfortable with these demands. One challenge that families will face is whether or not the student will earn a diploma and graduate with same age peers. It is important to remember that graduation with a diploma ends the student?s eligibility for special education services. Students served under an IEP may stay in school through age 21, as long as they have not earned a high school diploma. Discussion about these options should begin in 9th grade.

Middle School to High School: Age 16

IDEA requires that a transition plan be a part of the IEP in place when the student turns 16. Draft regulations have added ?or earlier if appropriate?. The plan must indicate the student?s post-secondary goals: What does the student want to do, in terms of employment? Where does the student want to live? How does the student want to participate in the community? Although families certainly share a responsibility in discussing plans with the student, the transition plan is based on the student?s strengths, preferences, and interests. Schools must make a link with any agency that might provide and pay for services after school, such as Vocational Rehabilitation, DSPD, or Department of WorkForce Services. Eligibility for services is determined by each agency; eligibility for special education does not guarantee eligibility at other agencies.

Please ask your child?s special education teacher for further information about transition planning and graduation options.

Middle School to High School: Tips for Parents

• Keep doing what?s been working!
• Reinforce transition activities at home (e.g. behavior management, self-advocacy skills, independent living skills)
• Be aware of student hygiene and fashion
• Encourage extra-curricular participation
• Give your student age and ability appropriate activities
• Allow your student to experience consequences of actions and choices
• Try to establish realistic goals
• Visit and attend transition program, if graduation has been postponed to age 21
• Ask for information about adult service agencies; follow-up with referrals
• Keep adding to that education folder; include information about transition planning

Self Review

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Resources

Baby Watch Early Intervention-Utah Department of Health

801-584-8201; 1-800-961-4226. www.utahbabywatch.org

Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State University

435-797-8137; 1-866-284-2821. www.cpd.usu.edu

Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired

801-323-4343. www.usor.utah.gov

Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

7-1-1 for Relay Services. 801-263-4860; 1-800-860-4860. www.usor.utah.gov

Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD)

801-264-7620. www.hsdspd.state.ut.us

Resources, Continued

Division of Rehabilitation Services (Vocational Rehabilitation)

801-538-7530. www.usor.utah.gov

Utah Developmental Disabilities Council

801-533-3965. www.gcpd.org

Social Security Administration

801-524-4145. www.ssa.gov

Utah Parent Center

801-272-1051; 1-800-468-1160. www.utahparentcenter.org

Utah State Office of Education-Special Education

801-538-7587. www.schools.utah.gov