MOVING ON: FROM PRESCHOOL TO KINDERGARTEN

Transitions are hard for all of us. The quotations throughout this booklet are from parents of both typical children and children with special needs. Can you guess which are which?

• "Leaving is harder than being gone!"
• A Few Thoughts To Share With You
• Confused?
• Some Questions and Answers
  • Moving On: The Process
• Working with Your School District
  • Getting to Know Your School District
  • Who are the Players?
  • You May Want to Ask
  • Before Your CSE Meeting
  • At Your CSE Meeting
  • Other Questions You May Have
  • Coming to Agreement When There is a Difference of Opinion
  • Tips for Parents
• Educational Disabilities: Classifications
• What Do All Those Letters Mean?
• Parent to Teacher: Helping Make Transition Smooth
• Teacher to Teacher: Helping Make Transition Smooth

Can you really believe it? Can you believe your child is moving on to kindergarten? This move from preschool to kindergarten is a major milestone. It is a very important transition. You may have thought you would never see the day. You may be feeling scared, sad, excited or relieved! Maybe you are experiencing all these feelings at the same time.

As with any change, this transition creates challenges and opportunities for growth. And as with any change, this transition can cause stress, anxiety/fear or confusion. That is why we wrote this booklet. We want to try to answer some of your questions, give you information that you may need, give you tips to help you make sure the special needs of your child are met by his/her school district and provide you with a timeline so you know what to expect.

You probably know the staff and other parents at your child's preschool program and feel comfortable with them. You may be unfamiliar with the new people you and your child will be relating to. You may have concerns about the size of classes, the attention your child will receive, your child's ability to cope or the support you will receive. Depending on the needs of your child and the resources of your school district, some transitions require more planning than others.

An important thing for you to know is that you can continue to have input into your child's education. You will be meeting many NEW people who will care about your child and you.

Our hope is that you find some useful information in this booklet, no matter what your particular situation.

Remember that you are an expert about your child. You know what she is good at and what she needs help with. Your opinions matter. Please share them freely.

It is your right to ask questions and offer suggestions. That is how you and the school staff make certain you understand each other and everything about your child's school program.

This is a good time to think about what you want most for your child. As you plan for kindergarten, it is helpful to think about the one thing that would be most important to your child's well-being and success at school. Working toward what you want most for your child can provide the framework for his or her entire school program.

The people who put together this booklet are, first of all, parents of children with special needs who have "transitioned" into kindergarten. Some of us are also professionals who have worked for many years with parents of "transitioning" children. All of us have tried to use our own experiences and those of others to provide some guidance and assistance to parents like you, who are new to this process.

We wish you well as you begin what, we hope, will be a smooth and wonderful journey.

"The year my child transitioned from preschool to kindergarten was my "Di-Gel" year."

Not sure where to turn? If you have questions about school or about services in the community...

If you have questions or don't even know what questions to ask...

Give us a call.

We can help you sort out what might be wrong and send you useful information. We are free, confidential and easy!

Early Childhood Direction Center. We are a statewide network. Call 1-800-962-5988 for the Center nearest you.

"I felt as if I were sending Brian into a huge, black abyss when I sent him to kindergarten. There is so much more contact between parents and school, parents and teachers, in preschool...."

Getting to know your school district and elementary school is an important step in the transition process. Here are some ideas:

1. Take advantage of what your district or school offers to all new parents of kids entering kindergarten:
   • kindergarten orientation programs for parents and kids

   • school visit days

   • tours of a school or group of schools.

2. Create other or new opportunities for getting to meet district and school personnel. Invite school personnel to visit with you and your child in the preschool setting.
   • Ask to meet with the principal and kindergarten staff to share your thoughts about your child and the school.

   • Visit kindergarten classes.

   • Visit non-classroom settings as well. Think about your child in the library, cafeteria, auditorium, gym, computer lab, etc. Do you have any special concerns about your child's needs in any of these settings that should to be addressed in the IEP?

3. Talk to other parents of kids with (and without) special needs who have already transitioned from preschool to kindergarten.
   • Contact a member of an existing parent support group.

   • Talk with members of the parent-teacher organization.

   • Ask friends, family members, acquaintances or the school to suggest names of parents who would be willing to speak with you.

   • Call an advocacy agency (see Confused? or ask your preschool or district to suggest one).

"Preparing for Derrick's transition seemed like preparing for the trial of my child's life."

The Therapists

Physical therapists (PT) focus on large muscle and motor activities, such as crawling, sitting, walking, etc. They work on reflexes and mobility. They also help order and fit equipment such as walkers and wheelchairs. A PTA is an assistant to the PT.

Speech therapists focus on a child's ability to communicate. They work on speech sounds, language development, and listening skills. Speech therapists also can specialize in feeding and swallowing disorders.

The Teaching Staff

Teacher assistants and teacher aides help to carry out IEP activities. They can be assigned to a classroom or to a particular child.

Consultant teachers or resource teachers work with a child or group of children individually as well as with the classroom teacher to coordinate special education activities with classroom activities.

Classroom teachers are responsible for the entire classroom setting. Sometimes 2 teachers work as a team and share this responsibility for all the children.

Other Support Staff

Psychologists do testing, diagnosis and treatment of kids with behavior, learning and/or developmental problems. A school psychologist specializes in working with teachers and children to improve a child's ability to learn and function in school. Psychologists are not able to prescribe medication.

School nurses provide health care and give prescribed medication at school.

Social workers provide a variety of services for kids and their families, such as counseling, support groups and help with finding community services.

Vision specialists work with kids with impaired vision. They can be teachers of the visually impaired who assess skills and help the classroom teacher make adaptation or mobility trainers who assist a child to learn to move about in his environment.

Administrative Staff

The principal is a very key player, setting the tone of the building. He/she provides support to parents and teachers and often makes the children's classroom assignments.

The CSE chairperson is responsible for running the CSE meetings, making sure that there is an appropriate IEP and that the IEP is being carried out.

The parent advocate is a parent of a child with special needs. She/he attends the CSE meeting and can be a resource or support to you.

Others

"We feel excited for Matthew, for all he will learn and the friendships he will develop. Still, we have some anxiety ... we hope he will be in a warm and caring environment in kindergarten."

Here are a few questions that might be important to you and your child's kindergarten program:

• Where will my child attend school... In the neighborhood? At a different school in the district? In a different school district?

• How many adults and children will be in the classroom?

• Does my child need an assistant?

• Will my child go to school full day? Half day?

• Will my child be in a typical kindergarten classroom with other children? A small class with all special needs children? A resource room and classroom?

• Will my child need any special equipment?

• Will my child need any teaching or testing modifications?

• Will my child go to summer school (twelve month programming)?

• Will my child ride a school bus? Will there be an aide on the bus? Will it be a special bus?

1. Take time to read your child's past records ahead of time. Preschool reports, medical history, etc., may have information that will be helpful to your new school. Your child's preschool program or district CPSE chairperson can provide you with these reports if you don't have them.

2. Call the CSE chairperson and ask for copies of any recent reports and materials to be presented at your child's meeting.

3. Invite others (a teacher or therapist, a family member or friend) to come to your CSE meeting. Any of these people may be helpful, even if they come with you to listen.

4. If the time of the meeting is not good for you, request that it be rescheduled. Be considerate of everyone's schedule. Let the CSE chairperson know as soon as possible if you do need to change the date of the meeting.

Issues that are important to you can and should be dealt with on your child's IEP. Your views and priorities for your child are important! Some questions to think about:

1. What skills would you most like your child to learn?

2. Are there concerns about your child's functioning at home that could be helped by work at school? (Toilet training? Self-help? Talking/communicating? Behavior?) \

3. What do you believe to be your child's strengths and weaknesses?

4. What methods have you found to be effective with your child at home? What does he like to do? What rewards work for her?

5. To what extent does your child interact with children in the neighborhood? Do you want help increasing your child's social skills?

6. What are your feelings about providing opportunities for your child to interact with "typical" children?

Write down any additional questions you may have about your child's program, the people who will be working with him/her, what activities and supports there are for you, or anything else you are wondering about!

"As I send the last of my three children off to kindergarten, I have feelings of the freedom that I longed for and now no longer want."

• Enter into discussions with a positive attitude.

• Begin by identifying and acknowledging those areas you do agree on. This will provide for common starting points.

• Express your differences or concerns clearly and calmly.

• Know your priorities and make these the focus of your discussion.

• Identify specifically what it is that you want (e.g., changes, additions or deletions to the proposed IEP).

• Be a good listener. Give others a chance to express/explain their points of view.

• Remember that differences can often be resolved through clarification and/or compromise.

• Allow for some flexibility on both sides.

• Maintain a level of fairness and reasonability throughout the process.

• Express your willingness to meet again if final agreement cannot be reached within the allotted time.

• Try to remain optimistic that some form of agreement can be reached.

• You are an excellent source of information about your child.

• Your input to your child's program is valuable and important.

• Let school people know that you want to be involved. It is your right to work with the people who are teaching your child.

• A team approach, in which you and the school district are working together, is the best approach.

• Make sure you understand the implications of test results, written reports and discussions related to your child. ASK QUESTIONS about ANYTHING you don't understand. REMEMBER YOU DON'T HAVE TO SIGN ANY PAPERS UNTIL YOU ARE COMFORTABLE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE.

• It is always helpful to keep good records. Organize folders or boxes early so that you have a place to store medical records, written reports, test results, etc. This will help you later if you need them.

• Try and meet and talk with other parents. Get to know parents through informal talks or by joining a parent group at your preschool or in the community. Other parents are a wonderful source of support and information.

• Contact your child's teacher on a regular basis. Informal conversations, phone calls, notes, and meetings are all excellent ways to stay informed and establish a relationship with your child's teacher.

• Pay attention to your child. Listen when he/she talks about school. Pay attention to his/her feelings and to behavior changes that may be early signs that something is wrong. Also, share any positive changes or observations with school.

"We were worried that my daughter wouldn't find the same kind of caring people to work with her in kindergarten that worked with her in preschool. Fortunately, we knew that we didn't have to worry once we and she met the kindergarten and therapy staffs."

Autism is a behaviorally defined syndrome which may occur in children of all levels of intelligence. There is usually difficulty in responding to people, events and objects. Responses to sensations of light, sound and feeling may be exaggerated and delayed speech and language skills may be demonstrated. These difficulties are usually observed before two and one-half years of age.

A student who is deaf has a loss of hearing so severe that it prevents processing linguistic information through hearing. The severity of this hearing loss usually necessitates the use of specialized training, through an alternative means of communication or use of speech sounds

Such students have difficulties in school that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or health factors. Over a long period of time, the student is usually unable to build satisfactory relationships, may be generally unhappy, may develop physical symptoms or have fears associated with his or her school experience, or have inappropriate behaviors or feelings.

A student in this category has a hearing impairment which adversely affects his or her educational performance. The hearing loss mayor may not be permanent. He or she may have difficulty following instructions or have difficulty in other areas relating to the hearing loss; they may have problems discriminating speech, sounds, or have speech and/ or language difficulties, as well as frequent middle ear infections.

A student with both a hearing and visual impairment, which causes educational issues that can't be accommodated in programs solely for students who are deaf or blind.

These students have a psychological processing disorder that causes them to have a problem in understanding or using language. A child who is learning disabled has difficulty listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, or doing arithmetic. This child is learning at only about half or less than half of the level expected for him or her in that subject or 1 skill area. A learning disability is not primarily due to a physical, mental or emotional disability or to environmental, cultural or economic reasons.

These students have a general intellectual functioning level that is 1.5 or more standard deviations below the general population. This is determined by a comprehensive evaluation, which must include an individual psychological evaluation.

A student with two or more disabilities that result in sensory problems (e.g., vision and hearing) and motor problems and/ or significant developmental lags. Students in this category need a special education program that is different than anyone disability would require.

Students in this classification are physically disabled and have a severe orthopedic impairment which adversely affects their educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by congenital anomalies, impairments caused by disease and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, amputation, and fractures or burns which cause contractures).

Such students have limited strength, alertness or vitality due to health problems that impact on the ability to learn. This can include (but is not limited to) heart conditions, asthma, sickle cell anemia, diabetes and leukemia.

These students have a communication disorder such as stuttering, an inability to correctly produce speech sounds, a language impairment, or a voice disorder.

A student who has had injuries caused by medical conditions (i.e., stroke or brain tumors), or physical force which results in impairments affecting educational performance. This term does not include injuries that are congenital or caused by birth trauma.

Such students may be partially sighted or blind. The visual disability, even with correction, adversely affects their education.

1. What activities do you think that____________________(name) likes best at school?

2. What does______________________(name) like to do at school?

3. When __________________(name) is happy, how does he/she show it?

4. When __________________(name) is not happy, how does he/she show it?

5. What do you think _____________________(name) would like his/her new teacher to know about him/her?

6. What are the things that you think will help the new teacher build a relationship with ____________________(name)?

7. If you wish to add any other comments, please do:

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Parent's Name__________________________________________________________

Student's Full Name____________________________________________________

Preschool Program/Nursery School_______________________________________

When a youngster's new teacher knows something important about him/her, the transition from preschool or nursery school can be a smooth one. Please take a few minutes in to answer some questions about your student. Try to include the most significant information.

1. What activities does _____________________(name) like best?

2. When _____________________(name) likes an activity, how does he/she show it?

3. When _____________________(name) is happy, how does he/she show it?

4. When _____________________(name) is not happy, how does he/she show it?

5. What do you think _____________________(name) would like his/her new teacher to know about him/her?

6. What are the things that you think will help the new teacher build a relationship with _____________________(name) ?

Teacher's Name_______________________________________________________

These forms have been adapted from Information on Transition from Preschool Special Education to School District Kindergarten by The Regional Council for Education Services, Nassau BOCES.

Distribution of this document is supported in part by the National Resource Center on Supported Living and Choice, Center on Human Policy, School of Education, Syracuse University, through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), through Contract No. H133A990001. Members of the Center are encouraged to express their opinions; however, these do not necessarily represent the official position of NIDRR and no endorsement should be inferred.

This booklet was created by the staff of Paving the Way To Kindergarten, a project seeking to maximize successful transitions to kindergarten and community resources. It was funded through a grant from the New York State Disabilities Planning Council.

We would like to thank all the parents and professionals who gave us suggestions, especially:

Our Advisory Group

Carol Nash, DDPC

Kerry Wiley, DDPC

Beverly Albies, Parent

Creola Phillips, Parent

Chris Voinier, Parent

Chris Vona, Parent

Amanda Fenlon, Baldwinsville School District

Chris Johns Kirby, Syracuse City SETRC

Lynn Radicello, Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES SETRC

Chris Vogelsang, Syracuse City School District, Early Childhood

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