Below are resources related to the transition from early intervention (Part C) to early childhood special education (Part B) that are national, legal, and/or state-specific. Page contains the following sections:
Illinois Early Intervention (Part C) Resources on Transition
CFC Transition Tools
The following tools were developed by CFC 7 to help quickly determine dates and schedules for the transition of children from EI to ECSE:
- Transition-Discharge Schedule (pdf)- printable schedule to view all birth dates and see the exact dates for when the discharge meeting (120 days) and transition meeting (90 days) are due
- Transition Calculator (Excel file)- enter the child's birthday into the calculator to get the exact dates for meetings from the Transition-Discharge Schedule; a printable schedule is included in this file.
- Transition Timetable(pdf) - visual aid to identify the month when transition needs to begin (i.e. 6 months before the 3rd birthday) for a child based on their birth month.
Early Intervention Extended Services (EI/ES)
Families whose children meet the required criteria have the option to continue with their EI services 1) until the beginning of the next school year following their third birthday OR 2) exit early intervention and begin early childhood special education services through their local school district as of the IEP implementation date.
The following resources are from the IDHS Bureau of Early Intervention on EI/ES:
Illinois Early Childhood Special Education (Part B) Resources on Transition
Most resources are found on the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Indicator 12: Early Childhood Transtion page and the Early Childhood Special Education page.
Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Special Education Resources
- Early CHOICES is an Inclusion initiative from ISBE that promotes events, education, and resources around inclusion for families and professionals.
- Illinois Early Learning Project provides evidence-based, reliable information on early care and education for parents, caregivers, and teachers of young children in Illinois.
- ISBE 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 Special Education Programs SPP/APR Indicators - on this page, click on the section for "State Performance Plan & Annual Performance Report" for information regarding the SPP/APR Indicators 4, 7, 8, 9-14. Please note the following:
Illinois Inclusion Resources
- ISBE Preschool Inclusion/LRE has resources related to LRE, preschool inclusion, and models of inclusion for young children.
- Inclusion Brochure for families and professionals to better explain LRE and inclusion. The brochure is also available in Arabic, Cantonese, French, Japanese, Mandarin,Polish, Spanish, Urdu.
- Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): Family Resource Guide (pdf) - Created by Early CHOICES (October 2024), this guide is designed to support families in navigating inclusion in the early childhood system. Each resource in this document is accompanied with links and guidance to help families and providers understand and use the tools effectively. It is also available in Español (Spanish) and 中文 (Chinese).
DEC Recommended Practices on Transition
DEC Recommended Practices on Transition - The Division of Early Childhood's (DEC) Recommended Practices on Transition 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.
Transition: Partnering with Families as They Leave EI is an asychronous (self-paced) 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. To receive EI credit for the eligible modules, you must register for and complete Transition: Partnering with Families as They Leave EI in our learning management system (Canvas).
- 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.
Transition from Early Intervention to Early Childhood Services: Roles and Responsibilities (live, 3-hour webinar from STAR NET and EITP) addresses the requirements of the federal law, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) to ensure a smooth and effective transition process is in place for children and their families who will be transitioning from Early Intervention into Early Childhood Special Education. This training will cover requirements regarding timeline, role responsibilities, transition process meetings, state forms, as well as vital partnerships, collaborative relationships, and positive strategies. Check EITP Events page for any upcoming dates.
Overview of Illinois Early Intervention Extended Services is a live, 2-hour webinar offered by EITP that provides a comprehensive understanding of IL Early Intervention Extended Services (EIES), including eligibility criteria and key considerations for families navigating this transition. Participants will explore strategies to support families in making informed decisions related to EIES. Using a family-centered approach, this session will highlight ways to continue addressing Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) outcomes with a focus on strengthening caregiver capacities as families prepare to shift to school-based services. Through discussions and reflection, participants will review strategies to utilize a team approach honoring family voice to foster a smooth and supportive transition process that prioritizes each child and family’s unique needs. Check EITP Events page for any upcoming dates.
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. To receive EI credit for the eligible modules, you must register for Understanding Inclusion in our learning management system (Canvas).
- Early CHOICES Understanding Inclusion page is great for families! It includes all the resources and modules from the Understanding Inclusion series, and everything is available in both English and Spanish (Español).
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.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Transition (pdf) 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).
Legislation and Agreements related to Transition
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Amended PL 108-446, Dec 2004) Sections 612(a)(9) and 637(a)(9), which provides the federal framework for transition requirements from Part C Early Intervention to Part C Early Childhood.
- IDEA Part C Data Fact Sheet (pdf) - A fact sheet that pertains to federal regulations related to infants and toddlers who exit the early intervention program.
- Early Intervention Intergovernmental Agreement - ISBE & DHS (pdf) - (updated 2022) This document authorizes the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to disclose certain information to achieve smooth transitions and for cooperative "child find" tasks.
- School Records and Parents' Rights (pdf) - An "Action Information Sheet" from the PACER Center that provides information regarding parents' rights with school records.
- Resources about P.A. 100-0105: Preventing Expulsion of Children from Birth to 5- These resources related to expulsion and suspension legislation may be helpful to you as a PD specialist, to providers, and service coordinators.
- Illinois EI Extended Services (Illinois law, 325 IL CS, Section 11, amended by SB0820, Amendment 002) went into effect in January 2022. It states that EI Extended Services will be available for eligible EI Families. The new legislation applies to children with May 1 through August 31 birthdays only and provides eligible families the option to extend Illinois EI services past the child’s third birthday. If a child meets the criteria, families will be offered the option to continue with EI services until the beginning of the next school year! To view more details, please read the following 2 announcements:
Transition & Inclusion Advocacy
- Early CHOICES is an inclusion initiative that promotes increasing high-quality inclusive early care and education for each and every child from birth to age 5.
- Family Matters Parent Training and Information Center (PTIC), serves the entire state of Illinois outside of the Chicago metro area and provides information, referral, linkages, and training to parents, students with disabilities, and special education professionals. Also offered are free workshops on special education rights and responsibilities and related topics.
- Family Resource Center on Disabilities Parent Training and Information Center (PTIC), serves the Chicago metro area and provides information, referral, linkages, and training to parents, students with disabilities, and special education professionals. Also offered are free workshops on special education rights and responsibilities and related topics.
- Family Support Network of Illinois' mission is to unify individuals with disabilities and their families to advocate for funding, services, and community resources. The Family Support Network further seeks to ensure the continuation of all individual supports throughout the life span of the individual.
Transition Planning Conference
Transition Planning Conference Infographic - This helpful infographic developed by ISBE, reviews the required attendees and discussion topics for the Transition Planning Conference (TPC).
Transition Planning Conference Video Series - Developed by the Illinois Child Find Project for parents, early intervention, and early childhood personnel to provide information as a child’s approaches transition from Early Intervention services to early childhood services. 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:
Child Find also provided a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) video with a companion document that highlights the actual questions parents might consider: Questions Parents Should Ask About EI-EC Transition
