Transition to School
Starting kindergarten is an important milestone for children and families. VIVA works collaboratively with caregivers, schools, and district partners to support a smooth and positive transition.
Because every child has unique strengths and needs, transition activities and supports are individualized.
The following process is based upon A Guide for the Transition from the Preschool Autism Program to Kindergarten from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. VIVA works closely with the school districts to plan and implement the school transition process, with each party having specific responsibilities as outlined in the guide.
Fall (October—November) Prior to School Entry
- Caregivers are encouraged to register their child for kindergarten early in the school year.
- With caregiver consent, VIVA begins coordinating with the school and district.
- Transition planning begins and can include multiple collaborative meetings throughout the year.
Winter Prior to School Entry
- Caregivers are asked to inform their Behaviour Consultant (BC) or Clinical Supervisor (CS) about any school or district activities (e.g., orientation dates, Early Years Evaluation—Direct Assessment [EYE-DA], appointments).
- A VIVA team member can attend or support as needed in school appointments.
Spring Prior to School Entry
- Your CS or BC will collaborate with you to prepare a transition report for the school. This includes:
- A summary of your child’s strengths
- Learning needs and preferences
- Relevant assessment information
- Current therapeutic programming
- With caregiver consent, VIVA will share:
- The child’s most recent Personalized Learning Plan (PLP)
- Recent assessment summaries
- Caregivers are invited to attend collaborative meetings with school personnel (and sometimes district staff). These meetings allow everyone to:
- Share information
- Ask questions
- Plan transition activities
- When appropriate:
- School personnel may observe the child in their therapeutic setting.
- The child may participate in one or more school visits to become familiar with the environment and routines.
Prior to the end of the school year
The VIVA team may meet with the school team, and caregivers to collaborate to develop or update an individualized School Transition Plan, which includes:
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- Priorities for September
- Identified supports and responsibilities
- A communication plan
- A plan for gradually fading VIVA support
Late August/Beginning of September
- Updated information about the child’s strengths and support needs is shared with the school (with caregiver consent).
- The school team provides the VIVA team with the September schedule and VIVA collaborates to determine how support will be provided.
September
- As of the first day of school, the child is under the responsibility of the school. The school team becomes the primary point of contact for the family.
- During this time, VIVA’s role is to provide guidance and support throughout the transition by sharing information about the child’s learning history, strengths, needs, and effective teaching and behaviour support strategies.
- VIVA support is individualized and follows a collaboratively established fading plan in collaboration with the school team.
- Final transition information is shared to support continuity of learning in the school setting.