Page 94 - Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Resource Guide

Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12 Draft To ensure successful transitions, schools and school boards can implement
a number of strategies, including, but not limited to, the following:
• encouraging parents, and community partners who have parental consent, to notify the board about a student with special education needs well in advance of the student’s entry or transition to school
• encouraging parental involvement in the entry or transition to school planning process
• establishing and maintaining links with community partners that provide services for students with special education needs and their families
• identifying key individuals who will play a role in the student’s transitions – for example, individuals who have worked with the student in the past at preschool support services or other community agencies and who will continue to work with school board staff;4 those who will play a role in supporting the child in the new school environment; and one person who will coordinate the transition process
• holding a case conference to share and review information and develop a plan involving, as necessary, the principal, the classroom teacher(s) and early childhood educator, special education staff, the guidance teacher/counsellor, secondary subject teachers, the educational assistant, community agency staff, and parents
• gathering information from parents and any community agencies or professionals who might have worked with the student (e.g., relevant assessment reports, documentation and records, program and service recommendations)
• providing orientation opportunities for students and parents
• providing training for school staff to ensure they are familiar with
effective strategies
In addition, a school board can develop, in consultation with community service agencies, a detailed protocol for the transition process, and can regularly review the effectiveness of the process, using feedback from community agencies and parents.
On the following pages, some of the key transitions are described, as well as methods to ensure that they are as smooth as possible.
4. For many students, including those with autism, the transition to school is of particular importance. For example, if a student is currently working with a community service professional, that professional should be involved in the transition process.
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