Abstract
Transitioning young children with autism spectrum disorder from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) Part C to Part B 619 is a multifaceted process. This process may leave families stressed, worried, and frustrated due to the lack of awareness of expectations and their rights. Educators can better prepare parents and caregivers for the changes in service delivery and transitions to formal school settings using family-centered practices and in turn reduce the feelings of uncertainty associated with this transition while promoting family competence, confidence, and advocacy skills. Building better relationships with families and including the families in the planning, developing, and implementation processes can help prepare families for this significant transition.
Families often perceive the change from the natural environment service delivery of early intervention for infants and toddlers to the more structured Part B Section 619 (i.e., hereafter referred to as Part B) school settings for preschoolers as challenging. Families have reported challenges such as not understanding the transition process, being offered limited options, and not understanding the differences in service delivery (Curle et al., 2017; Mawdsley & Hauser-Cram, 2013). These challenges can leave families feeling worried, frustrated, and stressed (Brandes et al., 2007; Mawdsley & Hauser-Cram, 2013). Early intervention provides specialized services to infants and toddlers who have or may be at risk of developmental delays and disabilities. The early intervention service model differs from Part B significantly, in part because it places significant emphasis on the child and family needs (see Table 1). Outcomes in the intervention plan are family-focused rather than child-focused (Brandes et al., 2007). Part B provides special education services for children ages 3 to 5 who have developmental delays or disabilities. This service model transitions the focus from a family-focused approach to a child-centered approach. This new focus and change in service delivery structure can be daunting for families if they are not appropriately prepared for the transition.
Characteristics of IDEA Part C and Part B.
Note. IDEA = Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act; IFSP = Individual Family Service Plan; IEP = Individual Education Program.
Transitioning from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA; 2004) Part C to Part B involves switching students from early intervention implemented in natural environments such as a family home to public school Pre-K settings. The IDEIA (2004) requires early intervention providers (e.g., service coordinators, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists) to engage families in the transition process at least 90 days and up to 9 months prior to the child’s third birthday. The transition should support successful adjustment and positive outcomes for both children and families utilizing planned and timely strategies (Division for Early Childhood [DEC], 2014). Effective strategies should be implemented before, during, and after the process. This transition process can be especially difficult for young children with developmental delays, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Smooth transitions are often difficult for this student population because it can be challenging to identify and access appropriate supports for their delayed social and communication skills in new settings. Relationship-building and effective collaboration with families are particularly important, yet the transition often includes changes in communication structures and expectations (Denkyirah & Agbeke, 2010; Starr et al., 2016). This column discusses strategies teachers may use to better prepare families of children with ASD for the transition process.
Preparing Families
A successful transition process requires families of children with ASD to be appropriately prepared for the changes in service delivery. Preparing families for the transition to formal school settings is an ongoing process rather than a single event (Turnbull et al., 2010). Effective preparation can greatly reduce stressors for children with ASD and their families as they will better understand what to expect from the new environment (Denkyirah & Agbeke, 2010). Teachers should focus on two major components when preparing families to transition to formal school settings: (a) family–professional relationships and (b) classroom settings.
Family–Professional Relationships
Transitioning
One of the most crucial aspects of the transition from Part C to Part B services for families is the movement from the family-focused Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) to the child-focused Individualized Education Program (IEP). However, partnering with families and early intervention professionals during the transition can ultimately ensure that the IEP focuses on the child while still addressing the concerns of the family. Teachers can meet with families and ask for copies of the most recent IFSP. In addition to the teacher using this to understand the child’s current levels of development and recent outcomes, with families, teachers can look at the IFSP and IEP side by side to help families identify the similarities and differences between the documents and Part C and Part B expectations.
During this meeting, teachers can also request families to sign a consent form for a release of the child’s early intervention information. If signed, teachers can then exchange contact information with early intervention professionals and continue communication for future follow-up and concerns. Most commonly, the families’ service coordinator would be an appropriate initial point of contact. Following up with early intervention providers could include how the child is adjusting to the new environment and additional changes that could be made to support the child better and build a positive relationship with the family (Branson & Bingham, 2009). To continue communication, teachers may request written strategies by email from previous early intervention providers to further understand how they can support the child and family needs.
Teachers may also use a person-intervention-compare-outcome (PICO) chart to identify the needs of the student and family concerns (Rous et al., 2010). A PICO strategy can be used to ensure the family’s concerns and goals from the IFSP are translated into effective strategies on the IEP. Teachers should collaborate with families and early intervention professionals to answer questions specific to the strengths and needs of the child and/or family (Rous et al., 2010). To complete the chart, teachers can hold a meeting with the family and early intervention providers (e.g., special instructor, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist) to discuss each PICO component. Teachers should ask questions about the student’s likes, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses. Ideas from these questions should then be used to complete the P (person) portion of the PICO. Next, teachers can discuss previously used interventions and the impact of these interventions with early intervention professionals and families. Ideas delivered from this discussion should then be put into the intervention and comparison sections. For example, for children with ASD who have had success using visual supports in their homes, teachers could implement the use of picture exchange communication system (PECS) in their classrooms to continue supporting the child’s social and communication skills. Teachers could also work with families and early intervention providers to identify ways to modify their classroom environment specific to the needs of the child (i.e., creating a sensory corner with soft spaces, preferred textured toys, and overhead lighting filters). Finally, teachers should discuss with families their ultimate goals, concerns, and priorities for their child’s education, to be used for the outcome section of PICO. Figure 1 shows an example chart. Once completing the chart, teachers can create a useful written report that can offer ideas to help develop goals, accommodations, and modifications on the IEP. The PICO chart could be revisited every 8 to 9 weeks or before the 6-month and annual review dates to update information and gain family input for the next IEP review.
Teachers should work with families to identify each component of PICO. The answers from this chart will help generate ideas to include when developing an IEP.
Communication structures
In addition to using the PICO chart to facilitate the translation of IFSP outcomes to IEP goals, teachers should continuously work to develop a cooperative partnership with families through strong systems of communication. Moving services from families’ homes to schools often leaves parents feeling left out or missing what is happening in their children’s learning. Effective communication with families throughout the transition process can ameliorate such feelings by ensuring that they continue to understand what services and supports their children are receiving and how they can continue to support their children’s development. Teachers can use technology-based applications, communication notebooks, or a communication bulletin board to communicate with families (Sabol et al., 2018). Using a daily reporting system (i.e., communication notebook) can be particularly helpful for the families of young children with ASD because children are often learning to generalize skills across settings and parents play an integral role in helping children develop and generalize learned skills (Fenning & Butter, 2018). Such reporting systems should emphasize the goals the student worked on during the day, related services provided, and accommodations and modifications used. Teachers can also share photos or videos of the child engaging in their daily activities so that families can reference them when talking with the child about their day or implement similar strategies in the home. Thus, consistent communication with families could facilitate families’ continued ability to support their children’s development outside of school, similar to the Part C service delivery model.
Teachers may also develop classroom-specific social media forums to facilitate communication that allows families to connect (Sabol et al., 2018). This strategy allows families of children with ASD to build relationships within the classroom community and feel comfortable seeking support from other families (DEC, 2014; Starr et al., 2016). Technology-enabled communication systems could potentially be easier to individualize to the needs of specific families and more easily facilitate bidirectional communication. For example, teachers can develop an ASD-specific electronic resource list for families using Google Drive, Dropbox, or Facebook. Using these formats allows families to add and share helpful community resources with each other and build a system of supports and services that ultimately creates a sense of belonging for families (DEC/National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC], 2009; Starr et al., 2016). Teachers could collect a list of families’ emails at the beginning of the school year. Then, with family permission, the teacher can develop electronic folders and documents, allowing everyone editing privileges and inviting them to add resources they have found helpful or useful for their child. A discussion space can be available for families to celebrate their children and family successes and seek advice during challenging situations. Examples of resources could include local and national autism support groups, community therapy providers, applied behavior analysis providers, recreational activities, or advocacy groups available through the state’s parent information center.
Self-reflection
A key component of effective collaboration is ongoing self-reflection to ensure responsiveness (Turnbull et al., 2011). Teachers can use a self-reflective checklist to set goals toward parent engagement and check their progress throughout the school year to determine how well they engage families in their transition practices. Such reflection can also help teachers identify areas where they desire improvement. Figure 2 provides an example of self-reflection checklist.
Self-reflective tools can identify areas of strengths and needs in teacher–parent collaboration throughout the transition process.
Classroom Settings
Preparing families for the classroom setting is another important component of the transition process. Children may transition into a variety of classroom settings, including inclusive, self-contained, full-day, and half-day programs (Pang, 2010). The options available for families are often a major factor in families’ decisions on whether to send their child to a school-based program (Brandes et al., 2007; Curle et al., 2017; Pang, 2010). To help families understand their classroom setting options and select a preferred placement, educators should share information with families before and during the initial IEP meeting regarding the details of classroom options. Relevant classroom details would include (a) class size, (b) staff-to-student ratios, (c) daily schedule and activities, and (d) teacher’s knowledge and experience working with students who have ASD (Starr et al., 2016). Teachers can also provide families and children with ASD opportunities to visit potential settings with early intervention providers and talk with teachers and administrators about available supports and services in the new environment before transitioning (Denkyirah & Agbeke, 2010).
A change in the educational environment may be particularly unsettling for children with ASD. To help children with their transition to a classroom setting, teachers might employ a variety of strategies. For example, scripted stories have proven to be effective to help children with ASD (Ghanouni et al., 2019). Teachers can use PowerPoint or Microsoft Word to create scripted story templates to prepare for new daily routines, such as riding the bus or eating lunch at school, and new school-specific experiences, such as music class or physical education (Denkyirah & Agbeke, 2010). These templates could be used to individualize the story for each student in the classroom. To individualize stories, teachers should include real-life pictures in each scripted story, such as photos of the child, their family, new school, and new teacher engaging in the specific tasks highlighted throughout the story. Scripted stories should be created to give a quick snapshot of the event from start to finish. Scripted stories can be used before and during the first weeks of their Part B placement. Also, scripted stories are a good support for young children going through the transition process because they can be easily shared with families. Giving families a copy of scripted stories used in the classroom would help families both understand their children’s new classroom setting and support their children through the changes taking place.
Conclusion
Families of children with ASD face a variety of transitions throughout their lifetime. Transitioning from early intervention to school-based programs can be hugely impactful and give families fear and anxiety due to the change in service delivery. However, with thoughtful support throughout the transition process from professionals, the experience can be more positive for both children and families. Although structured school settings focus more on the child’s educational goals rather than on family goals, it is essential that educators partner with families in the Part B transition process. Preparation for families and professionals regarding the transition process is key: It helps families through the emotional rollercoaster they may be experiencing and helps educators feel confident in providing appropriate, effective services for young children with ASD.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.