Planning Effective Transitions From Birth to 3 Programs to Special Education Services

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Planning Effective Transitions From Birth to 3
Programs to Special Education Services

• Jill Haglund, DPI
• Donna Miller, DHFS

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Topics to be Addressed

• Steps in the process
• Transition planning conferences
• Referral considerations
• Involving Birth to 3
• Problematic birth dates
• Other transition activities
• Sharing strategies
• How it is working in one community

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Your Questions
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Transition Part C To Preschool Special
Education Services

• Intent to ensure a smooth and effective
  transition to preschool programs.

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Terminology

• Transition process
• Transition plan
• Transition planning conference
• Referral for Special Education
• Interagency agreement

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Key Components Of Transition

• Involvement of the childs family
• LEA participation in the transition planning
  conference
• Establishment of a transition plan

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Steps in Transition Planning

• Birth to 3 helps parents understand the
  transition process and referral considerations.

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Steps in Transition Planning

• Birth to 3 discusses transition planning with
  family within IFSP process
• Birth to 3 convenes the transition planning
  conference
• Parent approval to invite LEA to conference
• Conference is scheduled at least 90 days before
  the childs third birthday.

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Steps in Transition Planning

• When a child may also be eligible for Head
  Start services, the Head Start program should be
  asked to attend the meeting.

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Steps in Transition Planning

• At the transition planning conference, the
  participants may discuss
• appropriateness of the referral
• special education eligibility criteria and
  program options
• the IEP team process, including evaluation, IEP
  development and placement
• parental rights and procedural safeguards
• other services/programs available at age three

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Steps in Transition Planning

• Before ending the transition planning
  conference, the Birth to 3 program updates the
  IFSP to include a transition plan that reflects
  the decisions made at the conference and the
  roles of each agency.

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Referral Considerations

• Most families will decide to refer at the
  transition planning conference
• Some families may decide to refer before the
  transition planning conference
• Some families may not be able to make their
  decision to refer until after the transition
  planning conference
• A family may not want a referral for special
  education

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How Can Birth to 3 Staff Be Involved in IEP
Meetings

• Referral
• Evaluation
• Review of existing data
• New testing, if necessary
• Development of Goals, Objectives, or Benchmarks
• Placement Decisions

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Placement/Service Delivery Options

• Consider an array of services and settings
  such as
• home,
• itinerant services in regulated child care and
  Head Start,
• joint programming, and
• early childhood special education classrooms.

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Requirement That Program Be In Effect For Child
Aged 3 - 5

• By the third birthday, an individualized
  education program has been developed and a
  placement has been offered.
• At the beginning of each school year, an IEP must
  be in effect.

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Summer Birthdays

• Children turning three during the summer may
• receive extended school year services (ESY)
  according to their IEP
• receive services upon the start of the school
  year according to their IEP
• when the IEP team determines that special
  education services will begin at the start of the
  school year, the Birth to 3 program can develop a
  transition plan to continue services until the
  IEP services begin
• receive other collaborative delivery of service
  as agreed upon by the parents and the programs

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Spring and Fall Birthdays

• Children turning three early in the school year
  may begin school services prior to age three as
  agreed during the IEP process.
• Children turning three in April or May could
  begin school services at three or with an IEP
  place, may receive services from the Birth to 3
  program until the beginning of the school year.

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Activities to Ease Transition

• Develop the IEPs in conjunction with the goals
  and outcomes from the childs IFSP.
• Arrange for LEA staff to observe the child in the
  Birth to 3 Programs service setting.
• Arrange opportunities for Birth to 3 Program
  staff to visit and observe in the new setting.
• Offer an opportunity for parents to visit the new
  setting and meet the teacher and other key
  staff.
• If the special education services are delivered
  in child care or Head Start, arrange a meeting
  between staff from all programs.
• Arrange activities to assist children in
  adjusting to the new setting, such as
  preplacement visits.
• Schedule post-transition conferences, with
  parental consent, that involve both the sending
  and receiving agencies.

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Resources

• Step Ahead at Age 3
• http//clas.uiuc.edu/fulltext/cl02917/cl02917.html
  
• DPI transition bulletin
• www.dpi.state.wi.us/dpi/dlsea/een/bul99-09.html
• Web site
• http//www.uwm.edu/annhains/transiti.htm
• State interagency agreement

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How Does It Work In A Community?
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What Strategies Have You Used?
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Most families will decide to refer at the
transition planning conference

• At the conference
• Birth to 3 will get signed consent to refer and
  to release supporting data
• LEA referral forms will be completed
• The conference date begins the LEA 90 day
  timeline
• The LEA will then proceed with the IEP Team
  process

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Some families may decide to refer before the
transition planning conference

• Birth to 3 program sends the LEA the written
  referral form, supporting data, and the
  invitation to the conference
• The date the school district receives this
  referral begins the 90-day timeline and therefore
  should be at least 90 days before the childs
  third birthday
• The transition planning conference and the IEP
  meeting can be combined

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A few families may not be able to make their
decision to refer until after the transition
planning conference

• Before ending the Conference, update the IFSP
  transition plan that includes
• the procedures and timelines to provide the
  parent with additional information
• the procedures for when and how the LEA will be
  informed of the parents decision

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If the family decides to refer after there has
been a transition planning conference

• Consent to refer and send date will be obtained
  and sent to the LEA
• The date the LEA receives the written referral
  will begin the LEA 90 day timeline

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If the family decides not to refer after there
has been a transition planning conference

• Birth to 3 will ensure that the LEA is
  informed of the parents decision

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A family may not want a referral for special
education

• Birth to 3 laws require parental consent
• If the family refuses consent, Birth to 3 would
  not invite the school to the transition planning
  conference or provide identifiable information to
  the LEA
• Birth to 3 should discuss potential impacts on
  the childs development
• Birth to 3 should inform the family about the
  process they can use to make a referral if they
  change their minds at a later date.

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Interagency Agreements

• Designate roles and responsibilities including
• Procedures for transfer of information
• Evaluation and assessment expectations
• Referral, transition, and evaluation timeframes
• Role of the sending program in the IEP process
• Parent involvement and education
• Activities for the child including visits to the
  receiving program