Heading to preschool
By the staff of Supporting Successful Early Childhood Transitions Project at The Parent Information Center
Published: Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The transition from ESS to preschool special education and/or other community program is a time of change. Children and families receive Family Centered Early Supports and Services (ESS) until the child turns 3 years old, as long as the child remains eligible for such services. Sometimes a child becomes ineligible because he/she makes enough progress that services are no longer needed, or a family may decide to leave ESS for their own reasons.
Any change can be stressful. Although parents who have been through this will tell you that you can never be totally prepared for the emotions that may surface, it helps to know what the steps in the transition from ESS are and how you can participate in the process.
Working with your ESS Service Coordinator, you will learn about your role in the process. The stress of this change can also be reduced when families, preschools, ESS and other childhood staff work as a team. This teamwork helps ensure a smooth and effective transition for children and their families.
Starting when your child is 24 months old, your service coordinator will begin discussing the early childhood transition process with you. At this time, a transition plan will be created as part of your child’s Individual Family Support Plan (IFSP). The transition plan lays out a timeline for the steps that will happen over the next year to assure a smooth transition for your family and child including discussing the various options for your child and family after age 3.
Options include preschool special education, early head start, private and community preschool programs and other agencies or programs that may be available to support your child and family. ESS can help you to evaluate all your options and decide what can best support your child and family’s needs. This includes site visits, completing paperwork and researching community programs.
Should you decide to explore preschool special education, your service coordinator will schedule a meeting for you to meet with your local school district to discuss what the process and programs look like. This meeting is called a transition conference.
There are some other things that you can do to help make the transition smoother:
• Think about what you want for your child’s future. ESS, community agencies and/or preschool special education staff need your information to help make decisions about programs and services.
• Ask questions. Sometimes we are afraid to ask questions, but most professionals prefer that you ask. Asking questions helps minimize the chances of miscommunication or misunderstandings.
• Learn about the transition process and special education. Becoming more educated about the process and what you can expect can help to ease your anxiety about the transition. ESS has information they can share with you about the process. Sometimes ESS hosts Transition Open Houses that provide opportunities for families to learn more about the transition process and meet preschool special education staff before the formal process starts. Ask your Service Coordinator if one is being held in your area.
Sometimes we still have questions. The Department of Health and Human Services, (which oversees ESS), and the Department of Education have funded a project to assist families and the professionals who work with them during the early childhood transition process. SSECT offers information, support and training to families and professionals about the early childhood transition and special education processes.
As a project of the Parent Information Center, SSECT strives to offer family friendly information and tools to support all those involved in the process and to help them understand their roles and responsibilities.
If you have questions or for more information, contact Michelle Lewis at 1-800-947-7005 or mlewis@parentinformationcenter.org.