Date Presented 04/03/2025
This study addresses the literature gap related to families' perception of the transition from early intervention to the school. Themes identifying the components of successful transition planning and strategies to support OT practice are discussed.
Primary Author and Speaker: Jeryl D. Benson
Additional Authors and Speakers: Johnna Estep, Kelly Gregoire, Halie Mayfield
PURPOSE: Under IDEA parents must be involved in the transition process from early intervention (EI) to school-based services (Chang, et al., 2023). The process includes families, service providers, and agencies working together to decide the best course of action for the child (Douglas et al., 2022). This study explored the perspectives of parents of children transitioning from EI to an educational setting. This study addressed the underrepresentation of this group in the literature answering 1. What are the experiences, perceptions, and needs of families as they transition to school-based services? 2. What actions do parents identify as supports during the transition process?
DESIGN: This phenomenological study utilized purposive sampling. Participants were parents of children ages 2.5–6 currently in the transition process.
METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 participants. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Open and axial coding was completed by 4 researchers supported by MAXQDA® software.
RESULTS: Eight themes emerged: 1. Navigating the System 2. ‘You’re the expert’ 3. Are we connected? 4. Making it happen 5. The parent’s educational journey 6. Family Centered Care 7. ‘It’s kind of like starting over’ 8. There is no crystal ball.
CONCLUSION: Results indicate that parents experience a range of emotions during the transition process. The impact of collaboration, the parents learning curve, and navigating the system were key indicators of success. Current literature supports these findings describing a successful transition as a process of development and parental empowerment (Chen, et al., 2020). Teams should address collaboration, emotional support, communication, and education on the transition continuum. Impact Statement: An understanding of the parent perspective provides occupational therapists the tools to support family centered care during the transition process.
References
Chen, N., et al. (2020). “The big wide world of school”: Supporting children on the autism spectrum to successfully transition to primary school: Perspectives from parents and early intervention professionals, Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, 8, 91–100 https://doi.org/10.21307/sjcapp-2020-009
Chang, YC, Hunt, N., & Dodds, R. (2023). Building Better Bridges Perceptions of Transition From Early Intervention Programs to Preschool From Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Parents, Early Interventionists, and Preschool Special Educators, Infants & Young Children, 36 (2),164–174. https://doi.org/10.1097/IYC.0000000000000237
Douglas, S.N., Meadan, H., & Schultheiss, H., (2022). A Meta-synthesis of Caregivers’ Experiences Transitioning from Early Intervention to Early Childhood Special Education, Early Childhood Education Journal, 50, 371–383 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01165-6
