Lunchshop/Dinnershop:Transition from First Steps to Pre-School Webinar

Stella: Good afternoon and thank you for joining us today for Transition in Early Childhood. I’m Stella Beard the Assistant Director for Kentucky SPIN, and we are so glad that you joined us today for our lunch shop. I want to tell you just a few minutes, a little bit about Kentucky SPIN. We are the Special Parent Involvement Network. [00:00:23] We are the parent training and information center for the state of Kentucky. We are funded by the U.S. Department of Education under IDEA since 1988. And then we are also, we have also been the parent training and information center for the last 30 years. We provide support and information for children and youth, all types of disabilities birth through 26, their parents, families, and professionals. [00:00:50] We do not act as attorneys. However, we empower families to effectively advocate for their children and we provide peer support to help families access needed information and resources. [00:01:02] Before we get started today. I want to just go over a little bit of housekeeping. If you have a question throughout the presentation in your dashboard on the right hand side, you will see [inaudible]. Type your questions in that box and I will be monitoring those throughout the presentation. So feel free to ask a question and we will stop periodically to answer those questions for you. [00:01:29] Also, you have handouts under the handouts tab. One is the PowerPoint from today and the other is another handout. That I’m sure Sonia might talk about through the presentation, but I will let you know if you don’t have time to download them, I will be sending an email following today’s webinar, that will have all of the handouts. And we’ll also include a certificate of attendance for the one hour presentation. [00:01:53] So today I’m excited to say we have Sonia Michael with us. Sonia is with Berea Early Childhood Regional Training Center in Berea, Kentucky. And so she’s going to be doing our webinar today and Sonia, can you hear me? [00:02:09] Sonia: Yes, I can. [00:02:10] Stella: All right, go ahead. Thank you very much for joining us. We look forward to the presentation. [00:02:15] Sonia: Okay. Thank you Stella, and good morning, everyone or afternoon, I guess. So I work at the Berea Early Childhood Regional Training Center. And in the past one of my, I’ve had many, many jobs, but one of my jobs was as preschool coordinator. And as part of that position, I transitioned children from early intervention services to public preschool services. So that’s kind of my experience in that realm. [00:02:47]So when we talk about transition, it really is just the process of moving from one, from one place to another really. We talk about transition from first steps to preschool, transition from preschool to kindergarten. There’s a lot of planning that takes place when children transition from high school to life, I guess, for the rest of life. [00:03:10] But today we are going to focus on first steps to preschool transition. And one of the things about that particular transition is that the federal government requires that all States have a plan that ensures a smooth transition from the early intervention program to the preschool program. And we will talk more about that later, but that is a key point for the first steps to preschool transition. [00:03:40] So just as we’re getting started, I just want you guys to think for a few minutes about some transitions you’ve gone through in your life. So just for, you know, a couple of seconds, think about the two transitions you’ve had. But think about your earliest school transition, if you can think back to that and any other transition, getting married, graduating from high school, going to college. So any other transition that you can think of. [00:04:10] And while you’re thinking about that, think about what feelings you had during that transition. Do you remember, what that felt like? Is there something that could have made it better? Is there, or was it, was it fine and what made it that way? So just maybe take about two seconds and five seconds and think about that. [00:04:46] [silence] [00:04:47] So, of course in this format, it’s hard for you to share with me, but I can tell you that when I think back to my earliest school transition, I’m old enough that I didn’t go to kindergarten. It was a choice then when I was a child, and you could go to kindergarten or not. So I went straight from my aunt, my mother worked, but my aunt babysat and I stayed with her and my cousins. [00:05:14] So I went straight into first grade and it was terrible. [chuckles] I really hated first grade because I really was not prepared. I remember sitting in school and the teacher teaching math and I didn’t know anything. I didn’t understand what numbers were or how to add them. And it was a terrible experience. So kind of, what we’re going to talk about today is how important that planning piece is, why it’s so important to prepare children and families for those transitions. [00:05:49] So really [inaudible] [00:05:57] So is that children are more successful when they can engage with their peers, teachers and the classroom environment. So for example, when I started first grade, I wasn’t prepared for that environment. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I didn’t understand the rules and the expectations. So it was really difficult for me to have a positive experience. But when children are prepared for that and when their families are prepared for that, it really helps them be successful because they know what to expect. [00:06:29] They can adapt quickly to the routines, and it really supports that growth and development and that ability to learn. Because we all know we have to feel safe and secure in order to continue learning. So good transition planning prepares children and their families so that the children are more successful and the families feel comfortable with what’s going to happen. [00:06:56] So there is some research on transition. Unfortunately, all the research I can find really focuses more on the kindergarten, preschool to kindergarten transition. I know there is some research for early intervention to preschool. A lot of that focuses on families, which is good. [00:07:15] But focuses on families and how families feel about the transition. There’s not a lot of research about the children. But what we know from the preschool to kindergarten research that we have is that, that close positive teacher, child relationship is really critical for children have positive outcomes. As I said before, you know, we all know that a close relationship with others, a safe relationship really helps us feel comfortable and able to learn. [00:07:47]A good match between the curriculum and teaching practices in both programs, so that environment, that home environment, or that home visitor environment that children have in first steps, trying to find a way to provide that support once children get in public preschool. [00:08:08] Teaching children the skills they need for the new setting. So, like helping them prepare for that what’s going to happen. Helping them understand the routines and that, they’ll be going to school without their family, probably for the first, often for the first time. [00:08:25] So, you know, what will that look like? Helping them just get as many self-help skills as they possibly are able to before they start. Cause that really supports their learning in the new environment. [00:08:39] And then providing coordinated transition supports for the child and family. So that planning that provider and family planning, joint planning, and putting the supports in place that are necessary for the child and family. [00:08:53] And then again, just that family involvement and satisfaction. We know that if the family is more satisfied with the program and the transition, the child will be more successful. [00:09:07] So, transition from early intervention from first steps to preschool is explained in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. And that tells us that there must be a smooth transition between the early intervention program and the preschool program. So every state is required to have a plan for how that’s going to happen and how they’re going to ensure that it’s seamless and smooth. And there aren’t any problems. [00:09:36] That transition, and we’ll look more at this, we’ll look a little more at the timeline again, later in this presentation. But this is the basic overview. Transition planning has to start at least 90 days before the child’s third birthday and not more than nine months. So it can start nine months ahead, but it has to start at least 90 days before the third birthday. [00:10:01] And the federal government expects that if a child is eligible for special education services, what we call part B, ages three to 21, that the IEP being that Individualized Education Plan, be in place by the third birthday. So the federal government monitors all States to ensure that they are getting that plan in place by the third birthday, so those services are ready to start as soon as the child turns three and transitions to the school program. [00:10:34]We also know that family involvement is absolutely critical in that transition process. And again, that’s because the family absolutely has to feel comfortable with the process and with the plan. Because the family is then going to help the child feel comfortable and be successful. [00:10:55]Family knowledge of the law supports involvements. So, first steps will give you information about what your rights are. That very first meeting with the school system, they give you information about your rights as a family. So, it’s important that families can advocate. Know what the law says and what their rights are and are able to advocate for those rights. [00:11:20] Family permission at each step of the transition process. So at any time a family can say, no, we, we don’t, this is not something we’re interested in at this time. So the family has complete control over the decisions made about their child. [00:11:36] And then understanding the new setting. So really being prepared about what’s going to happen in that new setting, what the routine is, what the expectations are of the program, really helps the family then prepare themselves for what, how it will look and their child. [00:12:01] So I did say we would look at this a little bit closer, the Part C to Part B transition. So Part C under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is the early intervention or in Kentucky we call it first steps. And Part B is the, big school, I guess, special education services. Under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and covers children ages three to 21. So as soon as the child turns three, they are eligible for services through the public school system. [00:12:34] So as I said before, the transition, a transition, the transition must start at least 90 days prior to the third birthday. But and then, and no more than nine months prior to the third birthday. So at that time your, the first steps services coordinator contacts the family, starts the transition conference process. Let’s the school system know that this child will be turning three and we’ll be coming to them for services. So, and that’s all done with the family’s permission. So the family has to give permission for that transition conference and for that information to be shared with the public schools. But that happens 90 days, at least prior, to the third birthday, to give time to determine eligibility for preschool services. [00:13:25]And then the next thing that happens is a referral and evaluation. So after that transition conference, first steps, with the family’s permission again, would then refer the child to the school district, LEA, stands for Local Education Authority, which is basically your local school district. So the first steps would then with family permission, refer the child to that LEA that school district for referral and evaluation. [00:13:54] And what that means is that, we, you know, under IDEA, you have to have a referral to begin the evaluation process. And children under, turning three, and we’ll look at this in a few minutes also, there are a few differences in eligibility under first steps and under the Part B, preschool program. [00:14:19] So there are a few differences in eligibility, so that referral is necessary so that the school district can then start the eligibility determination. So they would use, the school district then would use some evaluation results to determine whether the child continues to be eligible for services under the new guidelines of Part B, or public preschool programs. [00:14:43] And then, once eligibility is determined, the individualized education plan planning would start. So that can be developed during the eligibility meeting, as soon as the child is determined eligible, and usually is, the school district has what is called an ARC or Admission and Release Committee, that meets and reviews the evaluation data and determines the eligibility for the child along with the family. And then that individualized education plan is developed. [00:15:17] Usually the way that works is that the school personnel may have some recommendations for what they think would be good goals for the child. But family input is really critical again to that because the family does sign the IEP and say, I agree with this. [00:15:35] So the family also shares their input about what they think is appropriate for the child. And we’ll talk again, there is some difference in the way we determine goals on the IFSP or Individualized Family Service Plan compared to the Individualized Education Plan. And we’ll talk about that a little bit in a few minutes. [00:15:57] And then once the IEP is developed, because the individualized education plan determines what sort of special education services the child needs and what amount of specialist education services the child would need, so based on that information, then a placement is determined. So the individualized education plan determines what kind of services and how much of the service will be provided and where., so just that need for services really guides where the services will be provided. [00:16:31] And then we begin implementation of the IEP. And once that’s all in place that starts on the third birthday and is then reviewed annually. So every year after, every year, one year past the date of beginning the IEP it must be reviewed, but of course always can be reviewed sooner than that. At least annually, but any time before that is also okay. [00:17:02] So I said, we would look at some differences between first steps and the public preschool program. So of course, one difference is age. We know that the first steps program serves children birth up to age three. And then at that third birthday, they transition to the school district services. [00:17:23] So public preschool serves children ages three and four, starting on the child’s third birthday, if they’re eligible, until they start kindergarten. Eligibility is determined a little bit differently for first steps than it is for public preschool program. For first steps, a developmental delay or a medical condition that results in, that establishes risk for developmental delay, children are eligible. But with public preschool, they must have a disability that adversely affects their educational performance. So they gather evaluation data, look at the child’s abilities based on what they would be expected to do in an educational setting. And if the disability impacts their ability to perform, in the educational setting, then they’re eligible. [00:18:19] So there’s a little difference in the way that’s determined. And then the way eligibility is determined is that, in both cases there’s a multidisciplinary evaluation. So under first steps, the child receives a multidisciplinary evaluation, that she has a significant delay. [00:18:42] That also happens in public preschool. There’s a multidisciplinary evaluation. Different types of information are gathered based on what the child’s supposed disability is. And then there’s some observations, information from the family, information from any setting the child has been in. So that information from the first steps provider would be considered. And that is used then to determine whether or not the child will be eligible for public preschool. [00:19:15] Services, basically really the same types of services. However, again, the services in public preschool depend on that need in the educational setting. So a child might receive services for physical, cognitive, communication, social, emotional, or self-help areas of need, and then might receive what we call, in the school setting, related services. [00:19:41] So, things like speech, transportation, assistive technology, those kinds of things would be considered related services, but can also be provided through the public preschool program. [00:19:55] And then how services are provided or, first of all, the services are specified, of course, through, by the first steps, the individualized family service plan. But in the public preschool programs, services are specified on the individualized education plan. And that would specifically tell what kind of service would be provided and how much, so the amount of services provided. [00:20:22] And then services, how services are provided, in first steps, early intervention, is provided in the natural environment, which is the home for young children or the childcare setting, wherever the child would naturally be. [00:20:38] Under the preschool, under the public preschool program, it’s provided in the least restrictive environment. So that means the services are provided to the child in the area, in the program or setting that would be most likely, they would most likely be if they did not have a disability. And in this, and in the setting in which they are most effective. [00:21:04] So, public preschool services are almost always provided in the inclusive public preschool classroom. Sometimes if there’s speech services or occupational therapy services or physical therapy services, those might be provided in a pullout. But also, but still in the school setting. [00:21:24] School districts are not required to provide services in the home, or in the childcare setting or in the, in any other setting than the school. They can, but they are not required to, and often don’t do that. [00:21:40] So if a family decided they did not want their child in a public school program, but the child would benefit from those services, then the school might ask that the family bring them to the school just to receive the services. [00:21:53] So that’s a kind of a big difference, I think in the two programs is that we absolutely expect for first steps that a child would receive services in that natural environment. But in public, but under the school program, they are, it’s almost always in the school setting. [00:22:11] So I probably should stop and see if they have any questions. I’ve just been talking and talking and forgot to stop. [00:22:20] Stella: No Sonia, you’re fine right now. There’s no questions, but I just want to remind everyone, if you do, please type a question in the question box and we’ll be sure and get to them. [00:22:31] Sonia: Okay, thank you. [00:22:39]I guess the one thing I didn’t say is that the individualized plan we know is different, which I’ve already said before, but it’s the individualized family service plan for first steps, which is evaluated every six months. And the individualized education plan in public preschool, which is evaluated at least every year, but can be sooner, if families feel the need, or staff, public preschool program personnel, feel the need. [00:23:07] This, I just wanted to put a screenshot of this handout on here for you. So you know that in the handouts I did provide a table that explains all the differences with a little bit more information than I’ve shared. So that is in the handout for you to look over later. [00:23:29] Stella: Sonia, I do have a question that I think might be appropriate right now if that’s okay. [00:23:34] Sonia: Okay. Sure. [00:23:37] Stella: It says how often do first steps children qualify for an IEP and services in school? Is it a large percentage? [00:23:46] Sonia: It is a large percentage. I don’t know the percentage, but I don’t know of an awful lot of cases where they don’t qualify. [00:23:58]And they can qualify based on, like it can be a speech delay, a language delay that would qualify them. So it doesn’t have to be a significant overall developmental delay. The criteria is pretty similar for that developmental delay. It’s you know, it’s based on standardized scores, so it’s the same delay in first steps or preschool. [00:24:19] The only difference is that in first steps, children qualify sometimes based on a medical at risk category and that doesn’t happen in preschool. So that would be the only time that, usually that children might not qualify as if they were based if they were getting services, like if they were premature, but had, but their skills, I guess, had caught up, or sometimes children are born exposed to drugs, they might automatically qualify for first steps, but might not for the school system. Does that help make sense? [00:24:55] Stella: That was perfect. Thank you. [00:24:57] Sonia: Okay, we are ready to move on. [00:25:08] Okay, so I just have a few videos that sort of just help us think about, everybody’s perspective, I guess. Because every transition is kind of a scary time. I know the thing that I’ve heard most is that this is one of the most difficult transitions for families a lot of times, because early intervention services are very family oriented. Families are very supported under early intervention services. And public preschool, I think tries to be supportive, but it’s, but it’s different. It’s like moving from a home or childcare setting where you’ve been your whole life to a new setting. [00:25:48] So, we know families have concerns, but teachers too. So teachers getting a child, particularly one that has fairly significant delays might really be concerned. So, this first video is just kind of trying to consider what the teacher might feel. [00:26:11] Video: [upbeat music] Tamaya won’t be the first child out here for, with a disability, nor will she be the last. I’ve been working in an inclusive childcare program for three years now, in a classroom of 12 children ages two and three. I’ve had the privilege of caring for and loving a beautifully diverse group of children, each touching my own heart in their own way. [00:26:40] But, for the first time I’m scared. I’m actually afraid and doubting whether I can care for it Tamaya. Can I keep her healthy and safe? Tamaya’s main challenges are her health issues. She has a fragile little girl who needs lots of medical attention. She [inaudible] nurture on her own [inaudible] can drink a little water on her own. But even then it has to be carefully monitored. I recently finished the coursework to earn my bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, but I’ve never even seen tube feeding before, let alone done it myself. What if she gags or chokes? Can I handle this in a setting full of busy preschoolers? [00:27:21] I acknowledge that our classroom environment could be a wonderful place for Tamaya to grow and learn while addressing some of her other developmental delays. She’s been at home with mom since birth, receiving early intervention services. So this will open up a whole new world for her, being introduced to new play experiences and interacting with other children will be a tremendous opportunity for her. [00:27:44] Tamaya turns three in November, and we’ll be joining our classroom in just a few weeks. How should I be working with her mom and early intervention providers and therapists to prepare myself and the rest of the staff for her arrival? We have to be ready for this transition. [upbeat music] [00:28:12] Sonia: So in watching that we hear a lot of concerns from the teacher that she won’t be prepared to handle the significant needs of Tamaya. Which I would say is probably true of most preschool teachers. Even though teachers, as she said, you heard her say that she had earned her bachelor’s degree. And of course in Kentucky, all teachers are required to, public preschool teachers, are required to have the, interdisciplinary early childhood education teaching certification, which includes special education, but it’s still scary, just not, maybe getting a child that has different needs or more significant needs. [00:28:46]It can be scary to teachers just because they’re not sure how they can address those with a classroom of other children. So now we’ll hear from the family, so the kinds of concerns the family might have in terms of letting their child go to another setting. [00:29:10] Video: [upbeat music] My little baby girl is on her way to preschool. I would guess every parent goes through a mixture of emotions at this stage, but as a parent of a child with disabilities, these worries are bigger for me. I want Tamaya to grow and develop, to play and make friends. But most importantly, I want her to be safe and happy. [00:29:40] Yes. I am nervous about letting go, but my husband and I agree that this is what’s best, not only for Tamaya, but for our family as a whole. I know the teachers and staff at the childcare center are concerned too. And I understand. Believe me, I didn’t know what was in store for a family when Tamaya was born. [00:30:04] Having [inaudible] a child with a disability isn’t something that you sign up for or that you plan for in advance. it just [inaudible]. [00:30:19] This happens and you’re, [inaudible] yet somehow you managed to land on your feet. You do what it takes, you learn quickly and I’m confident with the right support and guidance the teachers can do it too. [00:30:34] Tamaya has been receiving early intervention services in our home. The service coordinator connected us with a speech therapist and occupational therapist and a wonderful physical therapist who has been working with her since she was born. [00:30:48] Tamaya is a very shy, quiet child. And she has a hard time getting comfortable with people in a new situation. So I’m worried how that will go in the new school and who will be providing her therapy. I really hope the staff at the center get to see the Tamaya that I know at home. She talks all the time and loves to sing and dance, but I know it is going to take her some time to get used to this new place and people. [00:31:16] I really want to help make sure the staff is comfortable and confident in caring for Tamaya. I want to be open and honest with them for information that the staff [inaudible], and try to share what life is like. Leaving Tamaya is going to be so hard for me. I hope the staff can help us because this is a big transition for all of us. [upbeat music] [00:31:42] Sonia: So of course we hear from the mom that, you know, and I think this is something that’s really important for public school people to really think about is that, you know, children are precious to their families. And that this is the first time that they are going to really have very little control over how their child’s life is going, because there’ll be away from them for sometimes two or sometimes, you know, as much as five or six hours a day. [00:32:17] And that’s scary. That’s really scary, especially when you have a child that has fairly significant delays, or needs. So you know, helping, that’s why helping families feel comfortable is so important. Because I know I would have a really hard time letting my child go. So I always try to remind public preschool people of that. That, you know, a child is the most precious thing a family has, and they’re entrusting you to have them. So it’s really trying to think about those family needs and the kind of information we need to provide them is really important. [00:32:52] And then finally, it’s really important to think about the child. What kind of information do we need to provide to them? And what can we do to make sure that transition is successful, that they feel comfortable in that new setting and with what’s going to happen. [00:33:08] So I think now we’re going to talk them out. Some things to do to support that transition. [00:33:17] If there aren’t, no more, any questions, there aren’t any questions so far? [00:33:22] Stella: I do have another question. [00:33:25] Sonia: Okay. [00:33:26] Stella: Hang on one second, let me pull it up. It says, do you know what the plans will be for children who turn three during pandemic? While first step services are paused? [00:33:39] Sonia: That’s a really good question. [chuckles] [00:33:42] So school districts have been talking about that and about what to do about it. So what the guidance from the state, the Kentucky Department of Education, the office of Special Education and Early Learning has been to, for school districts to try to go ahead and schedule those transition meetings by phone or video conference with families. [00:34:05] So trying to work with that first steps service coordinator to go ahead and get those transition service, those transition meetings planned. And meet with the family virtually to see, you know, what can be done to start planning that transition. And of course it’s going to be difficult. I know a lot of districts are starting now to sort of try to do some evaluations and screenings with children, just, you know, minimizing the contact with people. Maybe just the child comes in and not the family, which is not the best way to do it, but trying to make sure some of those things are getting done, in terms of evaluations and determining eligibility. [00:34:50] And then also the federal government did, I’m not sure it was passed by the Congress, but the Department of Education, the federal department of education did recommend that those early intervention services be allowed to continue until eligibility, past that third birthday if necessary, until eligibility can be determined. [00:35:14] But, that’s kind of where it’s at, is they’re trying to make sure they’re still holding those transition meetings. Even if they can’t be in person and try to make sure that eligibility is determined, if possible, and if not, have a specific timeline for when it will be addressed. Was that good? [00:35:35] Stella: Yes. I think that was, that was great. And then one more and then we’ll move on. If first steps children are denied preschool eligibility, can they appeal or is there a reevaluation? [00:35:48]Sonia: They, I mean, you can, you can ask for, you can go. There’s a whole process, a due process procedure. So if you disagree, you can use due process procedures to say, I really think they should qualify and you can follow those due process procedures to make that determination. Families can also request an additional evaluation, if they don’t agree with the evaluation results. [00:36:20] So there is a whole, yes there is an appeal process that we call due process, and it’s your family’s due process rights to question that and get more information if they, I think there’s an error. [00:36:35] Stella: That’s great. Thank you. [00:36:37] Sonia: You’re welcome. [00:36:43] And I also want to say that families, just one more thing about that, is that families, can always bring an advocate with them to the ARC meeting. So you have to tell the ARC chairperson who sets up the meeting ahead of time, I’m bringing this person with me. But families always have the right to bring whomever they want to bring with them to the meeting. [00:37:09] So I think that’s an important thing to kind of remember, is that, if you have a support person, somebody that you trust that you think would be helpful in those meetings, I think that’s important because sometimes you might feel outnumbered, I guess, as a family member. And I’m coming from the school side, like I’ve always worked in the school program, but I just think it’s important to have that support sometimes. [00:37:34] So helping families prepare for transition then, things that really providers should consider when they’re helping families is, you know, create opportunities for families to come together with the professionals and talk about concerns. [00:37:50] Like we heard Tamaya’s mom saying I’m really concerned about leaving her. She’s always been with me and her providers she’s had since birth and I don’t know how things are going to go. So, you know, sort of talking through all those concerns and questions is really important. [00:38:09] Helping families talk to one another. So if there’s a family in the program in the public school program already, that has, you know, gone through the transition process, connecting those families if they want. So they have someone to talk to who can answer questions about what it was like from their perspective. [00:38:27] Allowing families to visit. We always used to invite families to come observe in our programs. Of course, now nobody can observe anywhere, but hopefully that will get better eventually, but, you know, allowing families to come in and see what it’s like, in the new setting. [00:38:46]Allowing a transition, like a slow transition so that letting families come in and stay with their child for a little bit, or, you know, letting the child come in for an hour a day with the family staying with them to help sort of smooth that transition and help them feel comfortable. [00:39:03] And then once the child is in the program, just, you know, sending information to the family about the successes and what they’ve done that has been successful. I know I’ve had children, obviously a three year old going to a new setting, like that is just scary for them. And so they might cry when the family dropped them off, but we would send pictures or call the family and say, you know, he’s fine now everything’s going well. So just helping the family feel comfortable and know that things are going well. [00:39:33] And I want to point out, I tried to put pictures of handouts anytime I had them, so I’d remember to tell you this. So there are a couple of things in the handout packet. [00:39:40] There’s one, that’s called information about my child. So it’s kind of a little, sort of help family members think about things that they might want to ask or things that they want to make sure they say about their child when they have those meetings, those transition meetings, those eligibility meetings. But to make sure that they are sharing things about their child that they think are important. So it’s kind of some questions that help families brainstorm things that they might want to bring up. [00:40:10] And then I also put in, from the early childhood technical assistance center, a handout that shares information about the children moving from early intervention to preschool for families. So things that help families feel more comfortable with that move. [00:40:26] So that there’s also a handout there for you about that. [00:40:38] And this is a video actually from that guide. That is a family member sharing her transition experiences from early intervention into preschool. [00:41:00] Video: Having your child go off to school from the first time is naturally hard. When it came time for my son who has special abilities, that was terrifying. Because of his disabilities he qualified for special education preschool at age three. [00:41:17] Just the thought of lot of letting my three-year-old go off on a school bus was much more than I thought we were ready to handle. After all at three, he was still my baby. Our early intervention specialists and school district consultants and teachers came to my home and met with me. We sat together and developed a plan for my son. [00:41:38] The plan included everything from his educational and therapy goals, to his medical needs at school. They explained how special education preschool could benefit my son and to help him catch up as much as possible before kindergarten. Next we scheduled the time to go to the school and observe the classroom. I got to see for myself that I have less to fear than I thought. [00:41:59] I think it was the unknown that I was afraid of. Because the specialist, consultants, therapists and teachers included me and helped me to understand the special education process, I came to the conclusion that it would be a good thing for my son to go to school. [00:42:13] Along the way I was able to be completely involved as a team member in my son’s education, the professionals recognized me as someone who knows him very well. And my input was valued. As it turns out, it was a good thing. He’s now 12 years old. And by the way, he is still my baby. And looking back, I can say those two years before kindergarten were important to his education. Having support from the professionals who worked with my son was important to me. [00:42:46] Having your child go to school for the first time… [00:42:50] So we kind of heard all the steps. I turned my camera on by accident. We heard the family, we heard that mother talk about sort of this, all the steps we had previously mentioned, you know, being able to, you know, share her concerns with the service providers and visit the settings so that she felt more comfortable with it. [00:43:10] Sonia: So, you know, just making sure the family feels comfortable and able to share all the concerns they have. And then just sharing those successes is really important. And then we want to prepare the child and making sure the child is prepared for the transition. So, one thing that you can do is use children’s literature, books about going to school, books about making friends, books about leaving family. And I did provide there’s another handout in your packet that has a whole list of children’s books that really help with that transition to preschool. [00:43:45] Letting the child visit the new setting with the family before starting so that they feel comfortable and, you know, recognize the setting. That they sort of are learning about the routines in the new setting. [00:43:59] Having the new service providers, the teachers come visit the child in the current setting, if possible, is a really good way. And of course, in public preschool, public preschool teachers do home visits. It’s a, actually a part of the regulation in Kentucky is that public preschool teachers are required to do home visits with children, which helps children again, become comfortable with them. [00:44:23] Creating a book for the child taking pictures of the new setting. I had a really great, teacher, itinerant teacher preschool, special ed teacher who would go visit the new school, take pictures of the preschool teacher. Take pictures of the school, the outside of the school building, and make a little book for the children so they could keep look at those pictures and sort of help prepare themselves for what was going to happen. [00:44:48]Let the child meet children who will be in the new setting, so make friends, so start that friendship process. Connecting families with one another, so maybe they can meet and talk and let their children get to know one another. And then arrange for that phased in transition so that children, maybe can go for an hour a day for a while. And then two hours a day until they feel comfortable, and ready for the move. [00:45:16] Stella: Sonia I hate to interrupt you just a second, but we need to be sure that we are done at 1:55. We have another webinar’s starting. And so I just wanted to let you know. So we’re going to wrap up in about five minutes. If that’s okay. [00:45:31] Sonia: Yeah, that’s fine. I must talk too much. [inaudible] [00:45:33] Ok, I think.. [00:45:38] Stella: Not at all. [00:45:40] Sonia: [chuckles] Oh, and then finally, it’s really important that the professionals are prepared. We heard Tamaya’s teacher talking about how, you know, her concerns. So again, some handouts. There’s a transition profile form in that handout packet for families to fill out, to give information to the teacher or new providers. [00:45:59]Again, planning that visit, sharing information, having the current providers, the first steps providers talk to the preschool teachers and share information, of course, with family permission about the child. And then again, the family and child visiting together, the new environment and learning, becoming comfortable. [00:46:19] And there are a few handouts there. There’s another handout from the early childhood technical assistance center. And then there’s a transition checklist that providers can use to sort of make sure they’re following best practices. [00:46:36] Okay. So, that’s it, really. I just, you know, just to follow up, transitions really can be scary, especially for, well, for everybody, they can be scary for everybody teachers, family, child. So just that planning is super important to make sure everybody understands what’s going to happen and is comfortable with the process. [00:46:55]And again, that collaboration is what makes that work. [00:47:03] So any other questions? [00:47:07] Stella: I think that’s all, there might be a couple of more, but we will, I will send those to you to answer individually. And just to let everyone know that all of the handouts that Sonia has talked about, we will be sending in a followup email to everyone. And I apologize if there were any technical difficulties. My wifi was kinda being a little slow, so I hope everyone was able to hear, I didn’t get any complaints or anything. So I hope everyone was able to hear. [00:47:39] And Sonia, thank you so much for participating today. And if, just to let everyone know at the end of the webinar, you’ll be prompted to complete an evaluation and we would really appreciate you doing that. [00:47:53] Sonia: Thank you for inviting me. [00:47:55] Stella: Thank you Sonia. Absolutely. [00:47:57] Thank you so much. And I hope everyone has a wonderful day. [00:48:01] Sonia: Thank you.