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A Guide for Families in Wisconsin
Ann Hains and Marianne Smith, Editors
Planning Ahead
Transitions are natural events for all children, families, and the professionals that support them. Successful transitions begin as people think about the future, plan ahead and work together.
As your child nears age 3, he or she may transition from Birth to 3 services to Head Start, to community preschools, to child care programs or to early childhood special 'education. Some of these programs have special requirements which guide the actions that must be taken. This family guide is a tool to assist you in making decisions for your child.
Your family's cultural and linguistic background brings a unique set of values, beliefs, customs, and behaviors that are likely to influence transition planning and activities. This family guide provides general recommendations which you will need to tailor to meet your family's situation.
Several resources may be helpful as you begin to think about transition: friends who have young children, local parent organizations, and a family with a child slightly older than yours. You may wish to contact: First Step (I800-642-7837), the Parent Education Project (Wisconsin's parent training and information center, 1-800-231-8382; in Milwaukee 328-5520) or Child Care Resource and Referral Network (1 -888-713 -KIDS).
Some questions to consider
What do we hope for our child? What does our child need now - to grow and develop? Where do we want our child to play and learn? Where would our child be if he or she didn't have a developmental delay or disability?
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What programs or activities should we consider after our child leaves the Birth to 3 program?
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To plan ahead..
Our family can —
- Talk with relatives and friends about our hopes for our child and family
- Imagine what kinds of things we would like to see our child doing (for example, playing with another child)
- Imagine an "ideal" day for our child, and consider what steps should be taken to make it happen
- Discuss what resources are available and what types of programs or services we wish to pursue
- Talk about transition with our service coordinator
- Determine what needs to be considered in transition planning
- Decide if we want a friend, relative or another provider to participate in the process with us
- Decide if we need an interpreter or translator
- Write transition outcomes for our IFSP (Individualized Family Service Plan)
- Give written permission to our Birth to 3 Program for the transition planning conference
- Decide if and when to refer our child to the next program
Birth to 3 Program staff will —
- Offer our family information about transition planning and related community resources
- Explain the differences between Birth to 3 and other programs
- Begin the transition process by developing plans with our family in the IFSP
- Decide with our family if, when, and where to make referrals
- Invite appropriate people from other agencies to a transition conference meeting with our family at least 90 days before our child's third birthday
- Send written notices confirming the conference to team members (including the family in their native language)
Receiving Program will —
- Develop transition planning procedures with Birth to 3
- Prepare to attend the transition planning conference with appropriate information and forms
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"I think parents have been searching for a road map to help us decipher 'the system.' The task is extremely complex. —Mother |
A Look at MyChild's Development
This worksheet is provided to help parents think about their child's strengths and needs.
This information will be useful in transition planning.
Area of development |
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Some things my child knows or already does in this area |
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Some things I would like my child to learn in this area |
| Play - sharing, taking turns, playing by self and with others | |
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| Language - sharing needs, following directions, listening, concepts such as up, down, in, on | |
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| Dressing - taking clothes off and on, zipping, buttoning | |
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| Toileting - sitting on or standing at a potty, time scheduling, toilet training, wiping, indicating when wet or soiled | |
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| Reading - looking at pictures, listening to stories, favorite characters, pointing to familiar objects | |
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| Meals - eating with utensils, eating variety of foods, table manners | |
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| Thinking - cause and affect, colors, sorting, solving problems, counting | |
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| Moving - walking, running, coloring, building with blocks, playing ball, fine motor grasping | |
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| Other - please list | |
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign