A collaborative model for providing support to parents during their child’s transition from infant intervention to preschool special education public school programs

By utilizing collaboration between the sending and receiving programs, the model described in this article assures that parents do not experience an abrupt cessation of professional support but are supported throughout the transition period. A month-by-month timeline for providing services to parents through three phases of the transition is presented. A worksheet which parents can use to develop their child’s IEP and a list of parent resources also are included. Parent’s evaluations of the services provided by the model indicate that they were very satisfied with the support they received. MAs my daughter’s third birthday ap-proached, I lived in dread, not wishing to leave the familiar, comfortable environment of her infant program. The infant program had become home away from home for rrie. It was supportive and intimate. I had made some lifelong friendships, as well as having established a comfortable routine in our lives. I saw making the transition to a preschoo