Early transition of children with special needs

The transition from one service program to another may create discontinuity in a young child's developmental progress. The interruptions in services and child development may be due to a number of factors. These include differences in regulatory requirements that delay the start of new services, family or staff expectations about the child's readiness for a change in services, or simply the failure to share assessments and records about a child's current developmental status. This article examines factors that influence the smooth transition of very young children from early intervention programs to preschool programs and to kindergarten or primary programs.