Transitions happen all around us. As parents, bringing our child home from the hospital is the first of many enormous transitions we will encounter. Then there will be transitions into child care, into schools, and between different teachers. The formal transition from early intervention services begins when a child is 2½ years old.
The newly revised When I’m Three Transition Guide, created by the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Human Services with input from parents and professionals, helps families prepare to transition out of early intervention services into services through their local school district. The new version replaces the widely recognized “When I’m 3, where will I be?” workbook.
This guide addresses only one transition, but this particular one can be scary as young children and their families are moving from a “known” system into an “unknown” system.
This guide describes the process, includes checklists to help throughout the process, outlines the transition timeline, and provides tips, strategies, talking points for families to help with a more smooth transition. It also provides a list of state resources that will support families along this journey.
This guide can be accessed from the Illinois Child Find page. It is also available in Spanish, Arabic, and Polish and can be ordered for free from Child Find.
Related Resource(s)
- Tip Sheet: Transition at Age 3: Leaving the Early Intervention Program
- Tip Sheet: Transition: Understanding Family Rights
- Resource Guide: Transitions in Early Intervention