Deirdre Curle, Nancy Norman, and Janet Jamieson The University of British Columbia

1. Moving on Up: An Investigation of Effective Professional Practice for a Successful Transition from Early Intervention to School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children Deirdre Curle, Nancy Norman, and Janet Jamieson The University of British Columbia

2. Other Research Team Members Anat Zaidman-Zait, Ph.D. & Brenda Poon, Ph.D. UBC Human Early Learning Partnership Noreen Simmons, Ph.D. BC Family Hearing Resource Society

3. Special Thanks to British Columbia Provincial Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

4. Research Questions What is the transition process for deaf and hard-of-hearing children in B.C. as they move from early intervention to kindergarten? • What are the current policies? • What is the process from the perspective of: • Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing? • Families?

5. Today’s Focus Education in BC • What research tells us about transition • Transition policies in BC: • From the perspective of EI programs • From the perspective of TDHHs • Some preliminary findings about parent experiences

6. Education in Canada • Provincial responsibility • Special needs criteria, services, and funding differ across provinces

7. Placement Options for D/HH Students in British Columbia • Three early intervention programs • Enter school at age 5 • One School for the Deaf • Two Elementary D/HH Resource Rooms • Integration in neighbourhood school

8. Early Intervention Options in BC Program 1 • Auditory-Oral • 130 local families, 10 outreach • Children with additional needs: 35% • 8 entered Kindergarten in 2011 • All entered the private auditory-oral school Kindergarten

9. Early Intervention Options in BC Program 2 • Primarily sign language-based • 35 - 40 local families, 6-7 outreach • Children with additional needs: 10-20% • 6 entering Kindergarten in 2011 • 1 to the BC School for the Deaf • 5 to neighbourhood schools

10. Early Intervention Options in BC Program 3 • Variety of communication options • 163 local families; 94 outreach • Children with additional needs: 50-55% • 35 entered Kindergarten in 2011 • 2 to Auditory-Oral school • 1 to BC School for the Deaf • 1 to district resource rooms • 31 to neighbourhood schools

11. What Does Research Tell Us? • Focus on family shifts to focus on child’s education and development (e.g., Zaidman-Zait, 2007) • Parent concerns: • Programming (e.g., Valeo, 2003) • Lack of information and response from school (e.g., Malsch et al., 2011)

12. What Does Research Tell Us? When children transition into school there is a new set of child & family needs: • Advocacy skills • Information about services • Teachers’ knowledge of child’s unique needs • Resurgence of parent grief • (Jamieson et al., 2011; Janus et al., 2007)

13. Scarcity of literature with a singular focus on children who are deaf and hard of hearing transitioning from early intervention to school

14. Research Question #1:What are the Policies in BC? Method • Interviewed: • Directors of 3 EI programs • Vice-Principal of elementary BC School for the Deaf • 2 Provincial Outreach Coordinators • Will use thematic content analysis

15. Transition Policies: Similarities among EI Programs • Transition support to parents • Start in the fall of the year before • Ask parents about preferences • Contact the receiving TDHH and arrange meetings, visits, or observations • May retain child one year in preschool for readiness

16. Transition Policies: Differences among EI Programs • Established transition procedures and resources • Parent nurturing vs. development of advocacy skills • School placement recommendations • Facilitation of contact with school personnel

17. Parent Transition Workbook . www.bcfamilyhearing.com

18. EI Programs:What Facilitates a Smooth Transition? • Clear communication • EI and parent • EI and receiving school • Receiving school and parent • Clear Guidelines and Policy • One individual assigned to track the transition process

19. EI Programs:What are Barriers to a Smooth Transition? • Receiving teachers don’t always follow the EI’s recommendations • Home district not always knowledgeable about BCSD entry procedures • Not enough D/HH resource rooms for students who are not yet ready to transition into the mainstream • Insufficient TDHHs available for rural and independent schools

20. Research Question #2a: What is the transition process from the perspective of TDHHs? Method • Anonymous online survey to a provincial list • 38 responses out of 120+ • Provided descriptive information and comments about facilitators and barriers to smooth transition • Descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis

21. Transition Policies: What is the process? • Information gathering (file review, phone calls, meetings, observations) • Referrals for educational support (FM, School for the Deaf) • Contact with families prior to Kindergarten entry

22. Transition Policies: What is the process? • Initial meeting in previous school year • Visits to new school/classroom before Kindergarten • Information sharing with allied professionals

23. TDHHs: What Facilitates a Smooth Transition? • Advance notice and early involvement • TDHH hired before September • Timely set up of FM equipment • Realistic parent expectations for services and involvement

24. TDHHs: What Are Barriers to a Smooth Transition? • Class placement not established before school starts • Support staff may not be in place before September • Resistance to in-service on the part of the teacher

25. Research Question #2b: What is the lived experience of the transition process from the perspective of families? Method • Recruited families through EI programs • 11 parents participated • Interviewing parents at 4 points through the transitional year • Thematic content analysis

26. Preliminary Findings: Parents • Very stressed prior to transition • Areas of concern: • Services for child • Peer relationships

27. Parent Quote: Stress “…even though I feel like I haven’t slept in the past week, for sure E. was fine, and his behaviour was normal, and he had no idea that kindergarten was starting and he was going somewhere new. But as a parent, I think we just over-think, and over-prepare sort of, you know, getting all this stuff ready…Even though he is transitioning, I mean, I don’t know, for their kids, ‘cause everyone’s different. But for us, we just found it was – us that was getting all worked up, and E. was enjoying his summer.”

28. Preliminary Findings: Parents (cont’d) • Need for clear communication from all partners in the transition process: • If school-to-parent communication not clear, parents may consult EI program about school concerns

29. Parent Quote: Communication “Elementary school didn’t know who was going to be [the] hearing resource teacher, [they] had no idea…that's okay… they're going to get it done, but okay, who will [it] be? We don't know. So…[it has] been difficult to get all the information, or because it's cut…I don't know why is the reason, but they say they… ‘We used to have a teacher, but I'm not sure that person is going to come back’, or they have no idea. ”

30. Preliminary Findings: Parents (cont’d) • Familiarity with school and school personnel decreased stress prior to and during transition

31. Parent Quote: Familiarity with School “It’s your first kid going to Kindergarten, how does it all work, so I think for people with a first kid, there would be a lot more anxieties? But because I’ve put a child with needs in already, and I’ve put myself and positioned myself in – so that the school knows who we are – that has alleviated a lot of my stresses.”

32. Some Concluding Thoughts:Implications for Professional Preparation • Importance of willingness and ability to communicate with parents personally • Understanding of the meaning of transition for the child and family • Knowledge about services for deaf and hard of hearing students beyond their school district • Initiative and skills to use technology to disseminate information to parents

33. Thank you!