Ann Higgins Hains

Planning School Transitions: Family and Professional Collaboration

The following paper addresses some of the key issues involved in planning transitions for young handicapped children who are moving from special education preschool programs to mainstreamed kindergarten placements. The roles of the child, family, sending and receiving teachers, and educational agencies are discussed. Activities to encourage successful transitions and to support collaborative planning efforts are suggested.

Early Childhood Intervention and Education The Urgency of Professional Unification

Issues of critical current concern in early intervention focus on the goals of expanding the quantity and enhancing the quality of existing services. Unification between the fields of early childhood special education (ECSE) and early childhood education (ECE) may be necessary to achieve these goals. As reported in this article, a comparison of the two fields in the areas of policy and practice documented greater commonalities than differences. Shared philosophical and theoretical perspectives that highlight the importance of providing flexible child- and family-centered services are moving the fields in converging directions. Why, then, do we continue to construct policy and design practice in ways that emphasize the separateness of ECSE and ECE, rather than join together as a unified profession dedicated to the single mission of providing appropriate services to support the development of all young children and their families?

The Evolution of Transition Policy for Young Children with Special Needs and Their Families Past, Present, and Future

Early childhood transition policies provide an excellent case study of the types of events that can lead to policy change over time. This article describes the types of early childhood transitions that have received policy development and the types that remain unguided by federal or state policy. Some of the influences on the evolution of transition policy, including model demonstration and technical assistance projects, research data, and positions of professional organizations are examined. The authors suggest that bidirectional influences on transition policy have connected the decisions of policymakers at multiple levels with the actions and advocacy of family and practitioner stakeholders. New federal policies have stimulated state policy development. The article describes current challenges to effective transitions in early childhood and explores the characteristics of guidelines that may make a positive difference for young children and families in transition. Finally, the authors suggest areas in which additional research and policies might improve transitions for children, families, and service providers.

Transition planning with families in early intervention programs

Transition planning is a key component of the Individualized Family Service Plan. Successful planning requires family and professional collaboration. This article examines some common concerns expressed by families during early transitions and suggests ways that the early intervention team, which consists of families and professionals, can address those concerns through careful planning.

The Transition between Early Intervention Services and Preschool Services: Administrative and Policy Issues.

By creating two programs to serve young children with handicaps, P.L. 99-457 divided early childhood services into two age groupings: birth through age 2, served by the Early Intervention Program for Handicapped Infants, Toddlers and Their Families; and age 3 through age 5, served by the Preschool Incentives Grant Program. This article will briefly discuss the issues related to the transition of children between the two new programs that may affect state administration of the program and local agency administration. Recommendations for facilitating the family and childs transition and ensuring continuity in services will be provided.

Instructional Technology and Personnel Preparation

Advancements in instructional technology offer an array of unprecedented opportunities and challenges for persons engaged in personnel development. This article first defines instructional technology, identifies current issues in higher education, and then identifies specific instructional designs, strategies, and media applications for persons involved in early childhood special education personnel preparation.

Strategies for Preparing Preschool Children with Special Needs for the Kindergarten Mainstream

This study examined the effects of reducing teacher support during reading activities on the on-task behavior of 11 young children with special needs in three cross-categorical early childhood special education classrooms. The results showed that on reduction of teacher attention, the children in two of the classrooms performed their reading tasks appropriately. The children in the third classroom did not maintain their on-task behavior with minimal teacher support; however, on implementation of a simple checksheet procedure, three of the four childrens performance improved. A discussion follows of implications for arranging instructional environments to promote successful experiences for children with special needs in regular classrooms.

Parents as Co-Instructors in Preservice Training A Pathway to Family-Centered Practice

The joint participation of family members and faculty in training activities has been an effective strategy for assisting both faculty and students in gaining knowledge and skills for implementation of family-centered practice. This article describes faculty-parent co-instruction in preservice settings. Coals for co-instruction and implementation issues such as recruitment and selection of parents, preparation for co-instruction roles, student evaluation in co-instruction settings, supports for parents and faculty in co-instruction roles and diversity issues are addressed. The experiences of several co-instruction teams are described as well as the benefits and challenges of this approach for teaching about family-centered practice.

The Use of Distance Education in a Collaborative Course in Early Childhood Special Education.

Eight faculty members from five different campuses across the state of Wisconsin collaboratively taught a seminar course in early childhood special education through distance education technologies. A description of the course development and implementation is provided followed by summaries of the qualitative and quantitative analyses of student and faculty data. While the initial purpose for the course was program improvement through shared faculty expertise, comfort and skill in using distance education technologies also grew as a result of the course for both students and faculty. Students positively rated their acquisition of content as a result of the on-line and in-class activities.

Innovative practices: Parents as co-instructors in preservice training: A pathway to family-centered practice.

The joint participation of family members and faculty in training activities has been an effective strategy for assisting both faculty and students in gaining knowledge and skills for implementation of family-centered practice. This article describes faculty-parent co-instruction in preservice settings. Coals for co-instruction and implementation issues such as recruitment and selection of parents, preparation for co-instruction roles, student evaluation in co-instruction settings, supports for parents and faculty in co-instruction roles and diversity issues are addressed. The experiences of several co-instruction teams are described as well as the benefits and challenges of this approach for teaching about family-centered practice.