Early Intervention Transition Policy/Procedures
The Illinois Department of Human Services identifies policy and procedures for transition activities in the CFC Procedure Manual (updated October 2015).
Family Rights Handbook - State of Illinois Infant/Toddler & Family Rights under IDEA for the Early Intervention System
Español: Derechos de infantes y familias bajo “IDEA” para sistemas de intervención temprana
(Updated July 2016) This resource describes a child's and family's rights, as defined by Part C of IDEA, and includes provisions for early intervention services for eligible Illinois children starting at birth.
FAQ on Transition (pdf)
The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Transition document is a list of answers to questions received during and shortly after the Insurance Webinars held in October 2015 to assist CFCs, EI Stakeholders and Providers in understanding and further clarifying the topic of transition in Early Intervention. As stated during the Webinar, this information does not reflect a policy change. The questions and answers are grouped by categories to make this a useful tool. You may also find additional information, such as the recorded Webinar on Transition and the webinar's PowerPoint (pdf).
Transition at Age 3: Leaving the Early Intervention Program
This tip sheet from the Early Intervention Clearinghouse is designed for families to help explain the steps in transition and their role in the process.
FAQs about Transitioning from Early Intervention (EI) to School Services during COVID-19
This blog from the Early Intervention Clearinghouse provides answers to common questions about transition during COVID-19 and includes resources from state agencies to help explain the policies and procedures.
Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Resources on Transition
Most resources are found on the ISBE Indicator 12: Early Childhood Transtion page and the Early Childhood Special Education page.
When I'm 3, Where Will I Be? A Family's Transition from Early Intervention Workbook
A workbook designed as a resource and a planner for families as their child transitions from Early Intervention services. The book and accompanying resources can also be ordered for free from the Child Find page.
Parent Guide - Educational Rights and Responsibilities: Understanding Special Education in Illinois
(Revised August 2020) This guide explains Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) special education laws, procedures, rights and responsibilities for parents, school professionals, and others. The Parent's Guide is available in English and Spanish in PDF and online format on the site.
Early Intervention to Early Childhood Special Education Transition
This page focuses on resources related to the transition between EI and an LEA for Early Childhood Special Education, including guidance and requirements, family resources and school/provider resources. A sample of resources include the following:
Information for Parents with Children in Illinois Special Education
A great starting place for parents as they exit Early Intervention (Part C) and transition into Special Education (Part B) services.
ISBE Early Childhood Education
This resource goes directly to the Early Childhood (EC) Education page of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), where resources include information on EC Special Education Programs, Preschool for All, Prevention initiatives, and various other resources pertinent to the 3-5 year old population.
ISBE Early Childhood Education, Preschool Inclusion/LRE
Here you'll find resources and links for LRE and preschool inclusion. Information about models of inclusion for young children is located here as well.
ISBE Special Education Programs SPP/APR Indicators
This main page for information regarding the SPP/APR Indicators links to indicators 4, 7, 8, 9-14. Please note the following:
Early Childhood Inclusion in Illinois (pdf) or Inclusión de la Infancia Temprana para Cada uno y Todos los Niños en Illinois (pdf)
This brochure from ISBE defines inclusion and early childhood programs, as well as provides context for that inclusion means in early childhood programs in Illinois.
DEC Recommended Practices on Transition
DEC Recommended Practices on Transition
The Division of Early Childhood's Recommended Practices on Transition, which is taken from the full list of the DEC Recommended Practices.
ECTA Center resources on DEC Recommended Practices on Transition
This site includes checklists and videos related to Transition in English and Spanish (Español).
Modules and Trainings
Online training modules that provide information on the goals of transition, options available to children and families when they leave early intervention, and the responsibilities of all who are involved in the transition process.
Modules
To receive EI credit for the eligible modules, you must register for the online training through EITP Online (Moodle) Events page and complete the course in our learning management system (Moodle).
- Transition: Partnering with Families as They Leave EI* is an online training from EITP broken into four modules that provide an overview of the transition process along with the goals of transition, the options available to children and families when they leave early intervention, the responsibilities of all who are involved in the transition process, and some special timelines that pertain to exceptional circumstances.
- Overview and Goals of Transition - This training module will provide an overview of the transition process along with the goals of transition, the options available to children and families when they leave early intervention, the responsibilities of all who are involved in the transition process, and some special timelines that pertain to exceptional circumstances.
- Transition Options - This training module reviews the transition options that may be available for children and families exiting early intervention. Please note that some children exiting early intervention will not qualify for special education services so it is important to be aware of all the options for transition.
- Transition Roles and Responsibilities - This module covers the roles and responsibilities of the families, service coordinators, local education agencies, and early interventionists during the transition process. Please note that local education agencies may also be referred to as “school districts” throughout this presentation.
- Transition: Special Timelines- This module reviews some special timelines to consider during the transition process.
The Federal Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs Module is an online module developed by Early CHOICES and reviews the Federal Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs that was issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services U.S. Department of Education on September 14, 2015. The module is not currently eligible for EI credit, but is posted as a resource and includes the following:
- Introduction to the policy statement: an overview of what inclusion is and why it is important.
- Strategies to overcome challenges to inclusion within early childhood program
- Partnerships to build a culture of inclusion
- Summary of the module
- Resource guide
- Understanding Inclusion* - Developed by Early CHOICES and EITP, the Understanding Inclusion series contains 6 topics that explore key ideas about inclusion in early childhood. The series covers a range of topics from defining inclusion to understanding the benefits to advocating for inclusion. Developed for families with family input, it is just as meaningful and useful for practitioners working with families who have children from birth to 5. In each module topic, a topic guide is available for reflecting and applying what you learn to your own experience. The guide also has additional resources to explore the topic further.
- Please share the Early CHOICES Understanding Inclusion page with families! It includes all the resources and modules from the series, and as of May 2021 everything is available in both English and Spanish (Español).
This helpful infographic developed by ISBE reviews the required attendees and discussion topics for the Transition Planning Conference (TPC).
You can view or share the following with families in its entirety (one 28-minute video) or simply share the individual part(s) you think is most helpful to them:
The following tools were developed by CFC 7 to help quickly determine dates and schedules for the transition of children from EI to ECSE:
