Transitions in Early Intervention

Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIC) are funded to provide information and training to parents of children of all ages (birth to 26).

This article answers frequently asked questions about the transition process from early intervention into early childhood services.

As of January 2022, some children who are in Early Intervention (EI) may be eligible to extend EI services past the child’s third birthday. Only some children will qualify. This document will help to answer the questions that you may have and provide you with resources as you make the best decision for your child and family.

It is important to understand your family’s rights throughout early intervention (EI) and into the next step in your child’s journey. You are a critical part of your child’s IEP team.

This comprehensive resource walks readers through every key step of the early intervention journey with children birth to 3, from the crucial first meeting with a family to the child’s transition out of intervention.

This parent guide is designed to empower families to ask the right questions and seek the most relevant information from the professionals to help make effective transition-related decisions for young children with special needs

Introducing Me is one of a series of books called Me, Too! written for parents to help with the transition into preschool of young children with special needs. These short books are designed to be read with children. These books help parents with selecting a preschool, building relationships with people in the community, understanding their child’s behavior and their child’s friendships, and creating schedules and routines.

This guide covers what parents and advocates need to consider when a child is not succeeding in an early childhood program or school: seeking an evaluation, planning an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), understanding classroom placement options, and monitoring progress.

With a focus on how families and professionals can collaborate effectively so that infants and toddlers learn, grow, and thrive, this book reflects research and best-practices in the field of early intervention. The book includes a chapter on assessment and planning outlining how parents and professionals can work together throughout the process.

This how-to guide provides a step-by-step model showing how families and professionals can work together to design effective transitions for young children with special needs.

This book brings together writings on early childhood transitions from leading researchers and practitioners around the world. Focusing on both vertical and horizontal transitions, the expert contributors give readers in-depth guidance to enhance and improve transitions.

This 6 part webinar series breaks down the components of the IEP to ensure that you have clear an understanding of your child’s IEP. Supporting documents, including PowerPoint presentations, are available for each video.

This webinar will help families prepare for your child’s transition from Early Intervention services to preschool. It covers: Differences between EI and Early Childhood services, transition steps & timelines, and why they are important, eligibility for school based services, parent rights under the law, exploring your options, sharing what you know about your child, and preparing to be an active participant in the educational planning for your soon-to-be preschooler.

This video facilitates collaboration between professionals and parents as they help young children make the transition from early intervention to preschool. The video answers questions and concerns about IEPs, gives viewers an accurate picture of the process, and promotes dialogue between families and professionals.

Hear from two parents (one a former teacher), who are also on the Understood team, on what they wish they’d known before their IEP meetings. From who to bring to how to prepare, get inside tips from moms who’ve been in your shoes.

This recorded webinar focuses on the transition from EI at age three in regards to the CFC Procedure Manual. A PDF of the PowerPoint slides can be downloaded on the YouTube page.

This workshop will help parents understand how to use the Individualized Education Program (IEP) to benefit their child. Participants will learn how each required part of the IEP can be developed to meet their child’s needs and how to participate effectively in the annual IEP meeting. Includes some information specific to Minnesota. Also available in Spanish, Hmong, Somali.

This video, produced by Illinois Child Find, discusses the transition process from early intervention to early childhood special education services. Topics addressed include planning, evaluation, eligibility, and options. This is a supplemental video to a three-part series on transition.

This video shows interviews with early intervention professionals and parents to explain the transition from early intervention to preschool. It discusses important points for best practices.

This video explains the age 3 transition from Part C to Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) through interviews with families, providers, and school officials.

This video discusses the importance of understanding your child’s strengths, needs, and abilities in order to develop appropriate outcomes for your family.

The Early CHOICES inclusion initiative promotes increasing high quality inclusive early care and education for each and every child birth to age 5. The goal is to increase the number of children with disabilities receiving specialized services in regular early care and education settings.

Family Matters provides disability-related information, referrals, telephone consultation, parent trainings, a lending library, and more for families of students and adults with disabilities. Live and online conferences, workshops, and other events are available. Family Matters serves all Illinois counties except Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will.

Created by parents, professionals, and volunteers, FRCD seeks to improve services for all children with disabilities through parent training, special education rights seminars, and information assistance and support through telephone and mail requests. They also maintain an extensive list of Parent Support Groups

In this article, a mother describes her journey with her daughter through the transition from early intervention services.

This article uses one family’s story to illustrate some of the challenges for families of young children with special needs as they make the transition out of early intervention programming.

This article provides an overview of the transition from Part C to Part B services and discusses methods of dealing with issues or problems that might arise during the process.

This study was designed to describe the experience of families exiting the early intervention (EI) system and transitioning into early childhood special education (ECSE) programs. Findings indicate that the transition out of EI is associated with parental anxiety and uncertainty, which can be allayed through strong relationships with EI service providers.

Using the story of Lanie and her son Harry, this article explains collaboration between parents and professionals during the transition process.

This FAQ answers questions about the general transition process, late referrals, timelines, extended services, and the Early Childhood Transition System for LEAs.

Educational Rights & Responsibilities is a guide to help understand Special Education in Illinois and the rights of families and children receiving services.

This interactive, mobile-friendly, video-based resource for families in the autism community is divided into six simple sections filled with videos and tools to guide you in the right direction as you navigate the IEP journey and the school system with your child. Sections include IEP basics, getting an IEP, developing an IEP, changing an IEP, changing an IEP, disputing an IEP, and important things to remember.

The SpecialQuest Multimedia Training Library supports the inclusion of young children with disabilities birth–five and their families, in early care and education settings. The SpecialQuest materials and approach have been used nationwide, refined over a period of ten years, and have been shown to create and sustain change. Materials on this website are provided at no cost with funding from the Office of Head Start.

This instrument, developed by the Heartland Equity and Inclusion Project at Heartland Community College, is designed to assess quality inclusive practices within early childhood environments measuring access, participation, and supports. Parents can use the checklist as a conversation starter with early childhood programs.

Written by a parent, this article provides three tips that may help families navigate the IEP process.

Transitions are the times when children change from one activity to another. Young children sometimes react to transitions by engaging in challenging behaviors. Consistent classroom routines may help, but young children can still find transitions difficult. Good planning helps teachers smooth the way.

This training session includes handouts, videos, presentations and scripts used in the SpecialQuest Inclusion Training. Session activities provide an opportunity for participants to consider specific strategies to promote best practices before, during, and after a child’s transition at age three.

This workbook was created by parents and early intervention and school personnel. It guides Illinois families through their child’s transition from Early Intervention Program services. This online booklet is designed to help parents with setting goals, sharing information with professionals, understanding the evaluation process, and preparing for the first Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting. A three-part video series and an FAQ video are also available to supplement this workbook.

This tip sheet from the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center provides guidance for families as they journey through the transition process from early intervention to preschool special education services.