Transitioning from Early Intervention to School Age
When students are receiving Preschool Early Intervention Supports (usually through the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit - MCIU), in the year BEFORE they are eligible for kindergarten, there is a planned transition process. This is a collaborative process between the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU), our team, and your family. This process begins in October (nearly one year before your child comes to Kindergarten) and lasts until the following October (once Kindergarten has started).
Beginning in October, the process begins with the MCIU sharing information (with family consent) with the district about your child's current programming, supports and areas of need.
Once the records have been shared, during December - February a scheduled transition meeting occurs. The transition meeting is pre-scheduled and allows our team to have an opportunity to meet with you and learn more about your child as we begin the transition process into Kindergarten. The purpose of our meeting is to learn more about your child, their strengths and needs, and to ensure you have an understanding of the process of transition. Transition only begins with this first meeting – and likely continues in varied forms through mid-October as your child acclimates and becomes comfortable with their Kindergarten year.
Here are some hints to help at the Transition Meeting:
- At the transition meeting, you should expect to meet our full team of therapists, the building principal and special education personnel.
- You do not need to bring your child with you to the meeting.
- Our meeting will occur in the Library at Enfield Elementary.
- We will likely ask you about your child’s current therapists, school schedule and contact information.
- Our district registrar will be present to help get you started with registration. (*Just a hint – registration is a must before any re-evaluation process can formally get underway*)
- Here's a link to Registration Information
After the transition meeting, the re-evaluation process is ready to begin. Here are some hints to keep the process moving:
- it is important that you complete the registration process with our district. We cannot begin the transition process until the registrar indicates that you have met the preliminary residency verification requirements.
- Once registration is complete, we will be sending out a Permission to Re-Evaluate (PTRE). Please sign and return this to us as soon as possible so we can get started!
Once the PTRE is signed and returned to our office, we will begin sending out the team of evaluators to gather evaluation and assessment information.
As you know, we need your help in obtaining any input from outside providers, therapists or clinicians who can help us get a comprehensive understanding of your child and their needs.
Likely, during the spring and upon completion of the Re-Evaluation, an IEP meeting will be scheduled in our district to construct a plan for Kindergarten Entry. That IEP will then be ready to go in September.
After the start of the school year, your child’s case manager from the district will work with you on systems of communication and what you can expect in the way of indicators of progress.
We are hopeful that this information helps you feel confident in our steps moving forward. In the event you have questions, want additional information, or have concerns about the transition to Kindergarten, please do not hesitate to reach out.