Effective Transition from Early Intervention to Preschool

Antonia Brancia Maxon, Ph.D., CCC-A1, 2

Karen Clark, M.A.1, 3

1 National Center for Hearing Assessment and ManagementLogan, UT

2 New England Center for Hearing RehabilitationHampton, CT

3 UTD/Callier Center for Communication DisordersDallas, TX

Faculty Disclosure Information

In the past 12 months, we have not had a significant financial interest or other relationship with the manufacturer of the product or provider of the services that will be discussed in our presentation.

This presentation will not include discussion of pharmaceuticals or devices that have not been approved by the FDA.

Transitions

• There are always transitions in life

• There are always options in the transition periods

• Knowing options and goals helps to navigate through the process

• There is more than one way to get through the transition with a positive outcome

People and Places in the ProcessIdentification to age 3

Adults Children Environment

parents siblings home

family

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

speech, language centers hearing and other early and/or intervention professionals home

Language DevelopmentFrom Identification to age 3

– Discriminates people’s voices– Discriminates songs– Soothed by the presence of

familiar voice– Recognizes many familiar

words and phrases– Auditory memory of two items

in a phrase (Put Elmo on the table)

– Can produce most consonants and all vowels

Language DevelopmentFrom Identification to age 3

– Understands common verbs – Understands “What” and

“Where” questions– Produces sentences with a

subject and verb– Uses plurals (doggies) and

present progressive (Doggie is walking)

– Likes to sing– Can (and will!) repeat back

‘naughty’ words– Speech is intelligible to familiar

adults

People and Places in the Process Age 3 (entering preschool)

Adults Children Environment

parents siblings home

family

------------- -------------- -------------

teacher classmates school

Language DevelopmentAge 3 to 5 (home)

• Understands and can attend to longer stories at night

• Beginning to use conjunctions such as “and”.

• Understands ‘knock-knock’ jokes

• Able to tell stories and ‘tattle’ on siblings

• Able to produce more consonants and some ‘blended’ sounds such as /br/

Language DevelopmentAge 3 to 5 (preschool)

• Can attend to short stories at circle time.

• Can follow teacher’s instructions• Can talk with other students, know

when to ask for clarification and how to clarify when he/she is not understood

• Can verbally engage in play• Uses pronouns he/she, him/her • Answers most “WH” questions• Asks “Why?”• Able to follow three step

commands

“What’s the difference”

Goals of Early

Intervention• Strengthen families to

meet the developmental and health-related needs of their infants and toddlers who may have delays or disabilities

• Families must be involved with the process to develop the IFSP

Goals of Special Education

• Educate the child with a delay or disability

• Families must be members of the IEP meetings that make decisions on the education of their child

Definitions

• LEA - Local Education Agency• LRE - Least Restrictive Environment• FAPE – Free Appropriate Public Education• IEP - Individualized Education Plan• IEP Team• Transition meeting• Special Education Continuum

– Mainstream class– Integrated class– Self-contained class (a class for children who are deaf or hard of

hearing may be one type of special education class)– Related services

Timeline

• Referral to LEA

• Investigate– word of mouth, phone calls to Special Education

Director, Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, or other people in the school system with which you are familiar

• Observe preschools– neighborhood preschools, special education

preschools including preschools for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it”

- Yogi Berra

Things to consider

• Services– Audiological services

• hearing evaluations• earmolds• “aided” performance

– Individual speech, language, listening services• center-based vs. school-based services• professional with expertise• coping with school personnel who think they “know”

– Consultations• Arranging for professionals to assist school personnel

Things to consider

• Assistive Technology– Classroom amplification

• determining the need• school obligation

– FM• compatibility with child’s hearing aids/cochlear

implant• Use with audio-visual equipment• interference with other wireless devices

Things to consider

• Assistive Technology– MAP adjustments

• relationship to classroom performance• compatibility with FM

– Troubleshooting• daily monitoring of hearing aids, speech processor, FM• trained personnel on site

– Supplies • back-up replacement supplies• batteries

Things to consider

• Classroom Environment– assessing room acoustics

• making necessary modification

– teaching style• ensuring the child has access to the information

– language of other students• good language and speech models

– willingness of teacher to make modifications • speech, language, auditory considerations

Things to consider

• Part time preschool – Is the child able to be home for the rest of the day or

is another preschool or daycare involved? – Availability of full-time preschool?

• Extended school year– Are services available through the summer?– Make the case – do not have to wait for regression

Things to consider

• In-service– Technology: hearing aids, FMs, cochlear

implants – Teaching styles– Classroom modifications– Effects of hearing loss on language learning– Understanding interaction of language and

academic performance

Things to consider

• Potential Team Members– Parents (required)– Special Education Teacher (required)– General Education Teacher (required as appropriate)– Evaluation Specialist (required at initial meetings or when new

data is presented)– Speech-Language Pathologist – Audiologist/Cochlear Implant Specialist– Teacher of the Hearing Impaired (may be the special education

teacher on the team)– Qualified Administrator (required)– Anyone family or school thinks has knowledge or special

expertise regarding child

Things to consider

• Team Members– Identify a school-based case manager

• individual who is knowledgeable about hearing loss• individual who is able to work with outside consultants• individual who can maintain a good working relationship with

parents

– Parental role as advocate• transmitting information to school personnel• interaction at IEP meetings• knowledge of rights under Part B of Individuals with

Disabilities Education Improvement Act. (IDEA)

Things to consider

• Assessments– Communication Evaluation– Auditory Perceptual Evaluation– Academic Evaluation– Audiological Evaluation– Classroom Environment Assessment

Positive Partneringwith LEAs

Transition Means Change

“Change always involves others….the more extensive the change, the more individuals are involved.”

“All (individuals) come to the process with different perspectives, desires, and roles to play.”

Jim Greenman

Transition Requires Partnership

Partnership may be defined as a relationship of mutual respect between two or more competent persons who have agreed to commit to and share their knowledge, skills, and experience in meeting the

needs of the child.” SKI-HI Curriculum 2004

the

empowers families

to

participate in the process in a way that

IDEA 2004 – New Option

Under IDEA 2004 each state has the option of implementing a statewide plan that extends Part C services to the age when a child becomes eligible for kindergarten.

Only the Part B IEP process is considered in this presentation.

AssessmentSchool conducts full and individual evaluation to:• Determine eligibility• Determine educational needs of

the child

Assessment :• Is in the language and form that provides

accurate information on what child can do developmentally and functionally (feasibility statement is included in law)

• Uses variety of tools and includes information gathered from parents

IEP Meeting

Assessment drives the IEP process.

Assessment is reviewed as first step in IEP meeting.

Effect of hearing loss or other disabilities on participation in appropriate activities is

discussed.

Consideration of Communication Needs

• Child’s communication mode was determined through appropriate assessments

• Child’s communication needs were considered in development of the IEP

• There are and will continue to be opportunities for direct communication with peers and professionals in the child’s preferred communication mode

Some states have laws addressing communication andother rights of children who are deaf or hard of hearing

Good to know specifics of your state

Accommodations and Supports

The IEP contains a statement of the supports that areneeded to help achieve the goals and to make progress inthe general curriculum.

This is where to ask for specific supports:• Use of FM• In-service training • Language of classroom adapted to current language levels.• Additional checks for understanding in group situations.• Reduced visual distractions.

Goals - ConsiderationsThe recommended goals should:

• be directly related to information obtained from the assessment;

• meet the child’s current needs and provide a reasonable expectation for progress during the next year;

• enable the child to be involved in the general preschool curriculum or support progress in that direction;

Goals - ConsiderationsThe recommended goals should:

• support functional communication;

• represent a variety of areas including speech, language (receptive and expressive vocabulary and concepts, pragmatics, syntax), and listening;

• present a clear plan for how progress will be documented and reported.

Services Considered or Provided

• General education preschool classroom

• Special education classroom– Non-categorical (all) disabilities class– Deaf education class (oral, total communication)– May mainstream or integrate with Pre-K class

• Audiology• Speech-Language • Transportation• Other – occupational therapy, vision, health etc.

Least Restrictive Environment

DefinitionTo the maximum extent

appropriate, children with disabilities are

educated in the regular education environment with

children who are not disabled.

OneInterpretation

A setting as typical as possible for a

preschool child that meets the child’s

needs and supports communication and

academic achievement.

Schedule and Location

• What will happen during the school day.– Circle time– Centers

• Length of the school day/week– Half-day– Full-day– 2, 3, 5 days/week

• Amount of time for each of the services that are provided– Half-hour each day

• Where the services will be provided– Within the general education classroom– Within the special education classroom– Outside the classroom setting

Suggestions for Partnering

• Make your wishes known in advance– Surprises rarely benefit anyone

• Relate requests to specific educational needsExamples -

– Instruction in appropriate communication mode– Communication with peers who use same mode– Support to accomplish goals (speech/language

therapy)– Opportunity to hear at optimal level (ongoing

audiological assessment, FM, equipment monitoring)

Suggestions for Partnering

• Understand there is more than one way to achieve a goal.

• Listen to the school’s suggestions and ideas.

• Ask questions if something is not clear.

• Consider compromising on means but not on end.

• Refer to Pop-Up IEP website for suggestions to answer inappropriate statements made by educators.

National Center for Low-Incidence Disabilities web-site http://www.nclid.unco.edu/families.html