Part C Part B CDS Birth 2 and 3yr old Transition Improving transitions for young children with disab

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Part C Part BCDS Birth 2 and 3yr old
Transition Improving transitions for young
children with disabilities as they move from
Early Intervention into Preschool Special
EducationErica Thompson Distinguished Educator
DOE CDSDebra Hannigan CDS State DirectorMADSEC
Fall Conference 2007
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• Icebreaker
• Think of time in your life when you made a
  significant change
• got married
• new job
• expecting a child
• moving away to college
• other?
• What supports and planning helped prepare you for
  a successful transition?

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• Now think of a time in your life when a change
  happened and you didnt have the time to plan
• a loss of job
• a transfer
• other?

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• Now imagine you have no voice, youre only two
  and others are planning for you!

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• What the Federal Law Says for Part C
• IDEA Section 637(9) a description of the
  policies and procedures to be used(A) to ensure
  a smooth transition for toddlers receiving early
  intervention services under this part (and
  children receiving those services under part
  635(c)) to preschool, school, other appropriate
  services, or exiting the program, including a
  description of how(i) the families of such
  toddlers and children will be included in the
  transition plans required by subparagraph (C)
  and (ii) the lead agency designated or
  established under section 635(a)(10) will(l)
  notify the local educational agency for the area
  in which such a child resides that a child will
  shortly reach the age of eligibility for
  preschool services under part B, as determined in
  accordance with State law (ll) in the case of a
  child who may be eligible for such preschool
  services, with the approval of the family of the
  child, convene a conference among the lead
  agency, the family, and the local educational
  agency not less than 90 days (and at the
  discretion of all parties, not more than 9
  months) before the child is eligible for the
  preschool services that the child may receive

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• What Maine Chapter 101 Unified Special Education
  Regulations Say (page 53)
• . Early Transition From Part C to Part B At
  age 3 20 USC 1437(a)(9)(A) and 34 CFR 303.148
  The regional CDS site Board is responsible for
  ensuring that all children age 2 who have been
  identified through the child find process as
  meeting the eligibility criteria for early
  intervention services have an IFSP Team meeting,
  at least ninety (90) days prior to the childs
  third birthday with parental consent, for the
  purpose of developing an IFSP/IEP for
  implementation, at no cost to the family, when
  the child turns age 3 in the case of a child who
  may not be eligible for such preschool services,
  with approval of the family, make reasonable
  efforts to convene a conference among the lead
  agency (Maine Department of Education or its
  regional representative), the family and the
  providers of other appropriate services for
  children who are not eligible for preschool
  services under Part B to discuss the appropriate
  services that the child may receive and to
  establish a transition plan, including, as
  appropriate, steps to exit from the program.

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• What does this all mean?????
• Birth to three service coordinators need to plan
  for a childs eventual transition out of early
  intervention throughout the time the child
  receives Birth to Three services. Transition
  planning activities usually start to increase by
  the time the child is two years old. Theres a
  big jump in activity during the six months before
  the child turns three.

You may delay but time will not Benjamin
Franklin
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• What are Transition activities????
• IFSP Transition Plan includes
• Date of Childs 3rd birthday
• Date for Transition conference ( timeline
  reminder included)
• Date child Exited from EI Program
• Anticipated Date of transition
• Nine activities listed on the IFSP Transition
  Plan with
• Person(s) responsible
• Date Initiated
• Date to be completed

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• Transition Conference
• Maine IFSP requirements
• A Transition Conference must be convened at least
  90 days prior to the anticipated date of
  transition but no later than 90 days prior to the
  childs third birthday. Invite parents, early
  intervention personnel, local education agency,
  Head Start, and other community providers as
  appropriate. Use Signature Page to document
  attendance/participation of team members.

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• Review with parents the program options for their
  child from the childs third birthday through the
  remainder of the school year
• With parental consent, transfer records
  (including evaluation and assessment information
  and current IFSP).
• Decide what other activities need to be completed
  before the child moves into the new service
  setting (including enrollment immunizations
  transportation issues, medical needs etc.)
• Review current evaluation and assessment
  information. Decide if any further evaluations
  are needed to determine eligibility prior to
  transition.
• Schedule IEP meeting date (at least 90 days
  before first day services are to be provided) if
  the child will transition into preschool special
  education.
• Help family to decide where their child will
  transition to and when.
• Decide if there is a need for post transition
  follow-up (including service coordination,
  consultation with new staff).
• Decide how to evaluate whether the transition
  process was smooth and effective.

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What are the major differences in services and
placements for children?

• Service Comparison Table - Page 114 126 of
  Chapter 101
• Developmental Delay or One of 14 eligibility
  categories in Chapter 101 ( pages 61-77)
• IEP instead of IFSP
• Least Restrictive Environment vs. Natural
  Environment

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How are CDS sites meeting transition
requirements?

• Establishing procedures for staff to follow to
  ensure compliance.
• Aroostook sample timelines
• Sample IFSP transition pages from PEDS and
  Piscataquis

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Time to Share!

• Take time to talk with someone from another site
  and ask
• What are you doing???
• What are some barriers?
• What is working well?
• How did you set up the process?

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Summary

• Each CDS site must establish a transition process
  for children transitioning form part C ( B-2) to
  Part B 619 (3-5)
• It must include transition activities that occur
  before the child is 2.6 and determinations of any
  evaluations that may be necessary to determine
  eligibility for Part B services.
• A transition conference must occur no later than
  90 days before the childs third birthday to
  determine eligibility for Part B services
• If the child is found eligible, parents must
  consent to placement and the IEP must be in place
  on the childs third birthday. All EI services
  that are not PART B services must end at the age
  of three.

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Questions and Answers