Online ISSN: 2325-7466
2006
Triannual
National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)
United States

Articles

Improving Transitions from Early Intervention (EI) to School: Strategies to Decrease Caregiver Stress and Increase Collaboration Between Families and School Professionals

  • Kristina Rios, Ph.D. (Author) California State University of Fresno image/svg+xml
    Kristina Rios, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Literacy, Early, Bilingual, and Special Education at California State University of Fresno. Her research interests include parent advocacy for Latinx families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
  • Molly Buren, Ph.D. (Author) National Louis University image/svg+xml
    Molly Buren, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education and the Director of the Disability and Equity in Education major in the EdD Teaching and Learning Doctoral Program at National Louis University. Her research focuses on the experiences of families with children with disabilities who are historically marginalized, family advocacy, and new approaches to home-school partnerships.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.572
Abstract
Early intervention (EI) plays a crucial role in supporting infants and toddlers with developmental needs and helping families understand how to meet their child’s needs. However, once a child reaches the age of three, these services come to an end and families must transition to school services. Surprisingly, there is a lack of research focusing on how families perceive this transition from EI to school services. To fill this gap in the literature, a qualitative study was conducted, involving semi-structured interviews with 14 parents. This study aimed to explore the transition process and the experiences of parents during this crucial phase. The results indicate that parents generally had positive experiences with EI, particularly with the EI team. However, a noteworthy finding was that parents reported heightened stress levels during the transition from EI to school services. They often relied on EI and school professionals to navigate the system and secure services, with limited involvement in the Individualized Education Program (IEP)process. These findings have important implications for both research and practice in the field.
Keywords
Anxiety, Caregiver Attitudes, Child Caregivers, Early Intervention, Educational Legislation, Equal Education
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There are 27 references in total.
How to Cite
Rios, K., & Buren, M. (2025). Improving Transitions from Early Intervention (EI) to School: Strategies to Decrease Caregiver Stress and Increase Collaboration Between Families and School Professionals. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 20(1), 119-129. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.572

Winter 2025

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  • Submitted December 27, 2024
  • Published February 15, 2025
  • Issue Winter 2025
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