Get Help in Rhode Island
From Preschool to Kindergarten/Elementary School
On this Page
As you child prepares to go from preschool to kindergarten or elementary
school, you and your child may have some concerns. Your concerns may be slightly
different from those of your child’s medical home or teachers. This page offers an
outline of the possible concerns with your child’s education and transition.
What to Expect
It seems that your child just gotten used to preschool, and now it’s time
for the next transition. As with all transitions, it helps to have a
well-thought-out plan, and to know a little about what to expect from and for your
child. Talk with your child about what goes on at school; stay on top of her
day-to-day activities, challenges, and successes. When it is appropriate, support
your child’s growing independence at home and at school.
Meet with the New School Team
Before your child starts school, you’ll want to meet with his “school
team.” This team will likely be made up of his future teachers, those involved with
setting up his Individualized Education Program (IEP), and a school health or
accommodation team. You may also choose to invite your child’s therapist(s) and
preschool teachers who know your child. This team, along with you and your child,
will work to look at and document concerns during this transition. You’ll set up a
plan for handling these issues, designating who is responsible for carrying out
actions, and setting goal dates for completion and/or re-evaluation. Some school
teams also fill out a student profile, addressing your child's individual needs and
health issues. You’ll also want to use this meeting to update child’s health care
plan.
Points to Address in the School Plan (IEP/504/Health Care Plan)
This checklist can serve as a guide for making a school plan. Before you
meet with the transition team, you can prepare for the meeting by writing down your
thoughts and questions. Of course, there may be other plans and discussions based on
your child’s needs, but we hope this will help you get started.
- Are the required courses well-matched to your child's abilities? Will your child be able to succeed in the general curriculum or will they be in a special education class? Are there any classes they may have difficulties with and need accommodations for, such as physical education (P.E.) or computer keyboarding?
- Does your child need any individual accommodations to make sure that she can access and understand the general curriculum, such as books on tape, adjusted reading level, homework accommodations, etc.?
- Are there safety or mobility issues? (Does your child need to go to classes up or down stairs? Are trailer classrooms accessible? Can he get to and open his locker? Can he have extra time to get to class?, etc.)
- Keep in mind your child’s social skills, communication, self-help, and self-advocacy skills. Will she be able to get her lunch in the cafeteria and sit with friends, or will she need help? Is bullying a worry, and how will it be dealt with?
- Should pre-vocational skills be introduced or encouraged?
- Are there any health issues your child will need to make changes for, such as adjustment of medications for longer school hours and homework time?
Common Family Concerns
As your child enters kindergarten or elementary school, you may be nervous
about the change in her setting. As your child takes on her new role as “student,”
you and she may find that this new role comes with new worries. How will she get
along with her new peer group? Will she like her new teachers? If your child is
medically fragile, do you agree with the care she will have at
school?
Your child may have new responsibilities, like taking the school bus, or
doing homework. These are normal concerns, and it’s likely you may have more. The
best way to address these worries is to talk about them with your child’s teacher,
health team, and, of course, with your child. Talking on a regular basis with your
child and their education team is always helpful in easing your mind and keeping you
"in the know" about what is going on at school.
Common Teacher Concerns
Your child’s teacher will likely share some of your concerns, but will
have their own questions and concerns, too. Some teachers have not worked much with
children with special needs or health issues, and as you know, each child presents
their own challenges. Teachers often express that they need to know more about what
special care your child needs. You can help your child’s teacher by listening to
their questions and concerns ahead of time, and helping them to understand your
child's needs.
A few common teacher questions include how to use needed special
equipment, wondering about your child’s learning challenges, behavioral issues, or
if they are able to work in a group. They may wonder who else will be involved in
caring for your child at school, and whether your child will spend much time away
from their classroom, in special education, or working with a therapist. As always,
talking often with your child’s teachers can help both you and the teachers more
easily meet your child’s needs, and better know the challenges that each of you face
in helping your child reach his educational goals.
What Might You Expect from the Medical Home?
During your child’s transition into elementary school, your child’s
medical home will still be involved. They may be helpful in looking at and asking
for needed accommodations for your child. For example, your child may need an aide
in the lunchroom (to watch for choking while eating), they may need an augmentative
communication evaluation or device, or a letter from your medical home may be needed
to ask for accommodations needed in physical education classes. You might ask for
their help to work with the school on changes in health or needs, and for helping to
keep the IEP up to date.
Based on your child’s needs and health problem, this might be a time when
you start helping your child to work more directly with his medical home. During
appointments, your child’s doctor will likely encourage self-care by teaching your
child about his special health care needs and medications. They may encourage your
child to take part in hobbies, sports, activities, recreation, and groups, such as
Scouts or Special Olympics. And of course, they will answer your questions, and
suggest ideas and resources that can help you to help your child at
school.
Suggestions to Help Your Elementary School Student
- Let the new school know, well before of the first day, of your child's health issues and needs.
- Take your child to visit the new school and classroom before the school year starts.
- Learn the layout of the new school; find bathrooms, classrooms, the lunch room, the main office, and the nurse’s office.
- Meet the new teacher and establish preferred means of communication, i.e., phone call, meeting, email, etc.
- Meet with the school nurse to come up with a health plan.
- Take your child to meet other people she will see at school, such as the office clerk, lunch workers, or custodian.
- Teach your child routines needed for the new school, such as where to wait for a ride home, where to go if the ride is late, or how to alert his teacher if something is wrong.
- Talk about transportation, health, and cost issues in IEP meetings.
- Learn about school rules and your rights and responsibilities.
- Celebrate your child’s growth and successes.
Resources
Information & Support
For Parents and Patients
Center for Parent Information and Resources (DOE)
Parent Centers in every state provide training to parents of children with disabilities and provide information about special
education, transition to adulthood, health care, support groups, local conferences, and other federal, state, and local services.
See the "Find Your Parent Center Link" to find the parent center in your state; Department of Education, Office of Special
Education.
State Education Contacts and Information
This page has contact information for state school resources, including the department of education, the higher education
agency, special education agency and adult education agency in any state, commonwealth, or territory; U.S. Department of Education.