Transition to School Entry for Children with Special Needs – Plan Early for Success

Starting school for any child is a big change, however for a child with special needs entering school is change on a whole different level, and planning early is the key to a successful transition to school. The following is a summary of what I would suggest that parents of students with special needs initiate with your school.  As well, I have given an approximate timeline of when this should happen prior to September.

February/March:

·        This is typically the time of the year that JK registration is happening and is the first opportunity to inform the school of your child’s special needs.  It is important to take this opportunity to arrange a quick meeting with the principal after registration begins. The goals of this meeting would be to introduce yourself to the principal and provide a brief background of your child and their needs.

March/April:

·        Follow up with the school principal to invite staff from the school to attend a guided observation of their child in the setting they are in (i.e. preschool, early intervention program, etc.). After the observation have a short de-briefing meeting – Was this a typical day? Did some of his/her strengths and challenges come through during the observation, etc.  This will give school staff a snapshot of your child that will help when they are planning their program later on.

·        Begin compiling a Needs Statement by meeting with the members of your child’s community team.  These members could include: Early Childhood Educator, SLP, Applied Behaviour Analysis Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Social Worker, input from school staff that attended the observation, etc.  The statement should summarize what you feel needs to happen for your child to be successful in school. This should be thought of as “communicating the priorities”. Some of the key things that the school will need in place: staffing, support, equipment, physical modifications to the environment, specialized programs. If members of the community team are open to reviewing and providing input into the needs statement, you should take this opportunity to help improve the document.

April/May:

·        Once your child is registered, ask in writing for a Case Conference to discuss your child’s need for special education programs and services. In the letter you should indicate the community team members who will attend. This meeting will be to determine their needs and placement, as well to discuss any technology, strategies, training or support staff that will be required.  Ideally, the meeting should take place by the end of April.  Often school staffing decisions are made in May, so the needs of your child need to be considered before school staffing is assigned.

May/June:

·        Get an interim plan in place that outlines the programs and services that will be put in place for the first day of school in September, until an official Identification, Placement Review Committee (IPRC*) can be held.  Ask for an IPRC, in writing, on the first day of school your child attends.

Planning this transition to school early is the key, as your child’s teachers need a plan so they can get the school year off to a successful start in September.

*Note: In Ontario, Canada these committees exist at each District School Board. They confirm the identification of the student as an exceptional pupil and determine the placement decision of the student.

Crawford Dedman

Special Education Advocacy Consultant

www.challengingminds.com