Assessing the Transition and Adjustment of Preschoolers with Special Needs to an Integrated Program

This study documents the transition of five young children with special needs into an integrated preschool program. Classroom observations were conducted throughout their first year of preschool to identify their patterns of adjustment to the program. Each of the children was referred to the integrated preschool by the Community Child Find Program due to special needs or conditions indicating risk for developmental delay. Three of the children showed high rates of unoccupied behavior during their first two weeks of school. One child cried for much of the first 7 days of school and another used a pacifier constantly during the first 3 weeks. The teachers used a variety of strategies to assist the children in adjusting to the class.