Starting school is an important milestone in any child and family’s life. For families of children with developmental delay or disability, transition to school requires additional thought, time, planning and support to make the process as smooth and as positive as possible.
Adjustment is a term used in school systems to refer to any changes or ways in which the curriculum is adapted or modified to meet a child's individual needs. Another word which may be used is "individualisation."
A consultant is a professional who provides specialist advice, training and support. For example: an early childhood intervention (ECI) professional who is working as a consultant in a school, may provide strategies and information about how to encourage a child with a disability to participate in classroom activities.
Curriculum is the range of subjects and the skills that children are taught at school.
The subject areas of the NSW curriculum are: English; Maths; Science and Technology; Human Society and its Environment; and Personal Development and Physical Education. These subject areas are also known as Key Learning Areas (KLAs). The skills children are expected to learn in each grade (K-6) are set out in syllabus documents.
intellectual disability refers to:
lower than average intellectual functioning according to a psychometric intelligence test
IQ (intelligence quotient) is assessed as 70 or under
deficits in at least two areas of adaptive behaviour i.e. communication, self-care, social skills, self-direction, leisure, and learning
before the age of 6 years, the term "global developmental delay" is often used instead of intellectual disability
The level of intellectual disability is defined in the following categories:
mild
moderate
severe
School readiness skills are skills to work towards which can help children adjust to life at school.
School readiness skills include:
following routines
waiting a short period of time for their turn
being able to calm themselves when upset
playing independently and with other children
responding to an adult’s directions
sitting and attending to group time
completing table-top activities
identifying and looking after their own belongings such as school bag and lunch box
feeding themselves as independently as possible
using the toilet as independently as possible
Getting ready for school is the responsibility of your whole team.
Forming a team is important in order to:
In order for your transition team to work effectively, it is helpful to decide on the roles and responsibilities of each team member. These roles will vary from one child and family to another. Roles may change during the transition to school process.
Your family is at the centre of the transition to school process. A good working relationship with the school and other support professionals is one of the most important factors in a successful transition to school. You can decide who you would like to assist you to plan your child’s transition to school. Some people may attend planning meetings. Others, such as professionals from a diagnostic and assessment service, may only provide information to help with the planning process. You may like to include someone from your child’s:
You may also choose to draw on the experience of other parents you have met along the way. The school also has members on your child’s transition team. School representatives may include:
Your family As parents or carers, you know your child the best. Sharing your knowledge of your child’s strengths and needs can assist the new school with planning for your child. Other ways you can be involved in the transition team:
It is possible that you may be still be waiting for confirmation of a placement at your preferred school. If this is the case, talk to your team about arrangements and steps you can take to begin preparing your child.
Your early childhood intervention (ECI) service
If your child has received support from an ECI service prior to school, you may like someone from this service to be on your transition team. There may be one person who has worked with your child and family over a period of time and knows your child and family well. They may have worked with you to develop an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) and worked with your child at home and/or in their early childhood education and care (ECEC) setting. This person, who some services refer to as a “key worker”, may be the best person to support you and your child in the transition process. They could offer support by:
Early childhood education and care (ECEC) Service
Examples of an ECEC Service is preschool or day care teacher or carer.
If your child has been attending preschool or child care, their teacher or carer may be a useful person to have on your team. In ECEC settings, children are encouraged to become as independent as possible, follow a daily routine, and interact with other children. These are skills that will be useful at school. A preschool or child care teacher will know how your child manages these activities and how they respond in a larger group of children. Your child’s teacher or carer may have developed specific strategies which are already working to support your child’s learning. Sharing what has worked for a child in one setting can assist the school greatly in understanding how to best support your child. They could offer support by:
Diagnostic and Assessment Service
It can be helpful to have had some form of assessment in the year before your child starts school. Assessments may be formal or informal and may be completed by a:
Click here for more information on assessments. Assessment information can assist in planning for your child’s transition to school by:
Assessment reports may also include information from questionnaires you have completed about your child or discussions the assessing professional has had with you about your child’s development and progress.
Support Staff associated with the school system There are a number of support professionals who may become involved in the transition process. The support staff vary between educational systems. Before your child starts school, below are the most likely support staff to be involved:
Support staff could help by:
School staff Initially, the school principal and/or assistant principal will be your main contacts in the school. Once your child’s teacher has been identified, they may be included in the transition team. However, it is possible that you may not know who will be your child’s teacher until your child starts school. School staff could offer support by:
See the Who is who at school? section of the website for more information on staff roles in schools.
Once your child’s enrolment has been accepted, a transition to school meeting is held. Transition to school meetings:
Who usually attends?
The school representatives may include:
You may wish to ask in advance who is likely to be attending and what the roles of these people are. See the Who is who at school? section of the website for more information about staff roles.
What is my role as a parent in the meeting? You should be at the centre of the transition plan as you know your child best. Your role is to make sure people know and understand:
During the meeting, you may come up with new questions or thoughts about your child’s transition to school which you may like to raise during the meeting so that the people there can provide answers for you.
What usually happens in transition planning meetings?
How can parents and the team plan to make transition to school meetings successful?
Some questions you may wish ask:
Having a clear agenda and agreed expectations will lead to a more successful meeting that builds relationships and achieves successful outcomes. You may also find it helpful to review the following information on What to find out about school. What might I be asked about my child at the transition meeting? Generally questions in NSW Department of Education meetings will focus around 5 main areas also known as “domains”:
What if I am unsure of the process or of language used? You may find that language used by the school system is different to what you have been used to in ECI or other settings. Just like families have their own familiar ways of talking to each other, all settings have their own “jargon”. It is your right to ask people to explain what they mean if they use words, ideas or concepts that you don’t understand. What happens next? You can ask what you can expect to happen after the meeting and when you can expect any follow up actions to occur. Sometimes another meeting is planned to discuss progress on the transition plan.
In addition to the information you provide, the early childhood intervention (ECI) practitioners and early childhood education and care (ECEC) educators who know your child can also provide information that will assist the school to plan for your child.
They can provide information about:
By sharing this information with the school:
Q. I am worried about who will have access to information. How can I make sure that confidentiality is assured for my child?
A. All early childhood education and care and early childhood intervention professionals and staff employed by schools are bound by a code of conduct which reflects the Privacy Act. This includes a responsibility to keep all information about children confidential and only to share information with others with permission from parents. Parents should be asked to sign a “permission to contact” form which enables professional/s to communicate with your child’s teacher by phone or email. You will need to list the names of all the professionals who you give permission to contact the teacher (e.g. preschool teacher, physiotherapist, psychologist).
Q. Wouldn’t it be better for the new school to get to know my child without any preconceptions and develop their own strategies?
A. Research, including feedback from many families and professionals, shows that when information is shared and everyone works together, transition to school is more successful. For more information about how to share information about your child with the new school, see the website section What do I know about my child?
The "Snapshot of my Child" is a brief template you can fill in to tell your child's new teacher the most important things about how your child learns.
The NSW Department of Education also has a more detailed "Transition to School Statement" template which includes sections which can be completed by families and early childhood education and care staff to share information about your child with your child's new school.
Click here to view the NSW Department of Education transition to school resource.
Q: What is an assessment for?
A: Assessments can:
While assessments can provide useful information about a child’s skills and development, it is important to note that assessment scores have limitations. Assessments do not accurately reflect:
Although completing a formal assessment is not an essential requirement in order to attend a local public school, it can provide some useful information.
Q: Why might certain assessments be recommended in the year before my child starts school?
A: Your child might be asked to have an assessment to:
Q: What type of assessments are there? A: Assessments of a child’s development may include a combination of methods such as observation (e.g. watching how your child behaves and relates), and the use of “standardised” testing (developmental and intelligence assessments are often used prior to starting school). Other types of assessments include:
Q: What does standardised mean? A: ‘Standardised’ means that the test being used is given to everyone in the same way. The person assessing your child (assessor) cannot adjust or change the assessment in any way. The reason for doing standardised assessments is so that the results can be compared with children of the same chronological age. Some of the requirements of standardised tests include:
Q: I am concerned that the psychologist is assessing my child in an unfamiliar place and that he/she doesn’t know my child well. Will this impact on the assessment results? A: A psychologist will use a standardised assessment which must be given in the same way to all test takers, so that the results can be compared. Assessment results are used together with any additional information you can provide so that the school has access to all the information it may need. Q: What is likely to happen in an assessment? A: Some time is spent with parents asking questions about areas such as your child’s:
Usually a child is asked to complete some activities and answer some questions with the person who is assessing him or her. The activities and questions vary based on the child’s age. Parents may not always be able to be in the assessment room with their child during these activities, because of the requirements of the test. The person assessing your child should, however, provide you with detailed feedback about the results of the assessment. Q: What happens if my child doesn’t do what he or she is asked to do in the assessment? A: It is useful to the assessor to see how a child has responded to their requests in a standardised assessment, even if they are unable to complete the full test. It is not uncommon for young children to have difficulties with completing an intelligence test if they have difficulties in these areas:
These areas may also have an affect on your child's ability to complete some activities within a standardised developmental assessment. If this is the case, other types of assessments such as an adaptive behaviour assessment, or other means of gathering information about a child’s skills, such as observation and talking to parents (also known as "parental report") may be used. Helping assessments to go smoothly Share your knowledge about your child: An assessment process is usually conducted in collaboration with the family and any professionals involved with the child. It may help to make some notes beforehand about any questions you may have or points about what you feel are your child’s strengths and needs. See What do I know about my child? Seek input from those who know your child well:
Reduce any anxiety for you and your child:
Q: Where can I get an assessment? A: Talk to your ECI, GP, Paediatrician or your local community health service about whether an assessment prior to starting school would be helpful and where to go in your local area. Some assessments are provided through health services and child development assessment clinics around Australia. These are usually free of charge but often have waiting lists. It is also possible to access assessments privately through a consultant developmental paediatrician and/or psychologist. However, a referral from your GP or community health service may be required. Q: When is the best time to have an assessment? A: Ideally between 6 to 12 months prior to school. This can provide time to think through options and discuss them with your family and team. Due to waiting lists for assessments, it may be necessary to contact the assessment service around 6 months in advance. Some assessments are provided through health services and child development assessment clinics around Australia. These are usually free of charge but often have waiting lists. When children have a developmental delay, there are two main types of standardised assessments used; developmental tests and intelligence (also known as psychometric) tests.
Intelligence test (IQ)
What are some examples of these tests?
Griffith's developmental scales Bayley's scales of infant development
Stanford Binet (SB) Wechsler (WPPSI)
These assessments:
Across Australia the National Disability Insurance Scheme is currently rolling out.
Click here for more information on the ECEI approach.
Click here to find an ECEI provider in your local area.
Parent Line (Ph. 1300 1300 52). For the cost of a local phone call, the NSW Parent Line (which incorporates the Early Childhood Intervention Info line) can provide information about a range of services for young children and their families in NSW, including those seeking early childhood intervention.
Early childhood education and care services can be found through the My Child website.
Community play groups can be found through Playgroups Australia.