1. 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 Management
Logan, UT
2 New England Center for Hearing Rehabilitation
Hampton, CT
3 UTD/Callier Center for Communication Disorders
Dallas, TX

2. 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.

3. 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

4. People and Places in the Process Identification to age 3
Adults Children Environment parents siblings home family speech, language centers hearing and other early and/or intervention professionals home

5. Language Development From 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

6. Language Development From 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

7. People and Places in the Process Age 3 (entering preschool)
Adults Children Environment parents siblings home family teacher classmates school

8. Language Development Age 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/

9. Language Development Age 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

10. “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

11. 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

12. Timeline Referral to LEA Investigate Observe preschools
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.

13. “When you come to a fork in the road, take it”
- Yogi Berra

14. 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

15. Things to consider Assistive Technology Classroom amplification FM
determining the need
school obligation FM
compatibility with child’s hearing aids/cochlear implant
Use with audio-visual equipment
interference with other wireless devices

16. 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

17. 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

18. Things to consider Part time preschool Extended school year
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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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)

22. Things to consider Assessments Communication Evaluation
Auditory Perceptual Evaluation
Academic Evaluation
Audiological Evaluation
Classroom Environment Assessment

23. Positive Partnering with LEAs

24. 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

25. 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

26. I E P P R O C E S S UNDERSTANDING PROMOTES SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS the
empowers families to
participate in the process in a way that
I E P P R O C E S S
PROMOTES SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS

27. 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.

28. Assessment School 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

29. 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.

30. 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 and
other rights of children who are deaf or hard of hearing
Good to know specifics of your state

31. Accommodations and Supports
The IEP contains a statement of the supports that are
needed to help achieve the goals and to make progress in
the 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.

32. Goals - Considerations
The 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;

33. Goals - Considerations
The 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.

34. 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.

35. Least Restrictive Environment
One
Interpretation
A setting as typical as possible for a preschool child that meets the child’s needs and supports communication and academic achievement.
Definition
To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities are educated in the regular education environment with children who are not disabled.

36. Schedule and Location Length of the school day/week
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

37. Suggestions for Partnering
Make your wishes known in advance
Surprises rarely benefit anyone
Relate requests to specific educational needs
Examples -
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)

38. 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