Transition
Transition refers to a time of significant change, such as from one system of services to another. Families with children with special needs often experience transition during periods when the child is changing from one source of services to another, such as from early intervention to public school, from high school to post-high school or from a pediatrician to a doctor administering adult care.
Transition in health care
Prepare your child to manage his/her own health care
Scheduling doctor appointments, submitting insurance claims, ordering medical supplies, refilling prescription are just some of the tasks that parents handle in taking care of their child’s healthcare needs. However, when a child reaches age 18, the parent can no longer play such an active role in their child’s healthcare. Your child will be considered by many pediatricians, insurance companies, state agencies and other healthcare providers and systems to be an adult — and, therefore responsible for his or her own health management and decisions.
Consider whether your child needs help with the following:
General Health
• understanding his/her diagnosis or health condition
• recognizing changes in his/her medical condition – and, know how to get medical help if needed
Doctor’s Appointments
• calling and making his/her own appointments
• preparing a list of questions and concerns
• talking directly to the doctor
• going into the exam room without you
Medications
• knowing the names of his/her medications
• knowing the dose and schedule for taking them
• understanding why s/he is taking the medications
• carrying a card listing the specific medications and
dose with them in case of emergency
• calling the pharmacy to refill prescriptions
Medical Supplies and Equipment
• using supplies and equipment without your help
• recognizing when equipment is broken or when supplies are almost gone
• knowing how to order more supplies or get equipment repaired
There are many activities you can do to help your child manage his/her own health, no matter what your child’s age and abilities.
Health care resources
Healthy & Ready to Work National Resource Center
http://www.hrtw.org/index.html
Resources and information for youth with special health care needs, their families, and providers to help manage successful transitions from pediatric to adult healthcare systems.
Talking with Your Doctor and Other Healthcare Professionals
http://hctransitions.ichp.edu/gladd/
Videos and other resources for youth with special health care needs from the University of Florida’s Institute for Child Health Policy.
Health Care Transition Workbooks (Youth and Parents versions)
http://hctransitions.ichp.ufl.edu/ddcouncil/resources_ch1.php
Three different workbooks (ages 12-14, 15-17, and 18+) for youth and their families to separately assess how prepared they are for transition, then to work together to create a healthcare transition plan. From Florida’s Developmental Disabilities Council.
Online Transition Training for Families and Healthcare Professionals
http://hctransitions.ichp.ufl.edu/ddcouncil/training_home.php
Five chapters of video clips and related resources to help families and providers develop and implement successful healthcare transition plans for youth with special needs. From Florida’s Developmental Disabilities Council.
Arizona Children’s Rehabilitative Services / APIPA
http://myapipacrs.com
Kids As Self Advocates (KASA)
http://www.fvkasa.org/resources/health.html
Educational Resources
There are many transitions in our children’s lives. Transition resources are grouped into age-specific groups: Birth to Five, Preschool to Kindergarten and High School to Adulthood. Transition for Birth to 5 is further divided into two age groups because eligibility criteria, the types of services and supports, and qualifications for service providers are drastically different. The Birth to 3 covers transition from the Arizona Early Intervention Program to Early Childhood Special Education. Transition from Early Child Special Education to Kindergarten (or school-aged services) is included in the 3-5 year old age group.
BIRTH to 3:
Transition from Arizona Early Intervention Program to Early Childhood Special Education:
“Preparing for Transition from Early Intervention to an Individualized Education Program”
PACER Center
http://www.pacer.org/parent/php/php-c158.pdf
“Understanding the Special Education Process”
Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers
http://www.taalliance.org/publications/pdfs/all17.pdf
“Just for Parents: Learning about Special Education Evaluation”
Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers
http://www.taalliance.org/publications/pdfs/all60.pdf
“Just for Parents: Your Child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP)”
Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers
http://www.taalliance.org/publications/pdfs/all61.pdf.
“Transportation and Children Who Have Disabilities”
Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers
http://www.taalliance.org/publications/pdfs/all55.pdf
“Family and Child Transitions into Least Restrictive Environments”
FACTS/LRE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
College of Education
http://facts.crc.uiuc.edu/facts4/frho3.html
“TOTS – N – TECH” (brochure- see Ideas to Share)
Thomas Jefferson University & Arizona State University
http://tnt.asu.edu
“Assistive Technology for Infants and Toddlers:
Families and Advocates Partnership for Education (FAPE)
http://www.fape.org/pubs/FAPE-12.pdf
“Childhood Skills Checklist”
PACER Center
http://www.pacer.org/parent/php/PHP-c76
“Young Children with Challenging Behavior: When Should Parents be Concerned?”
PACER Center
http://www.pacer.org/parent/php/PHP-c106.pdf
Raising Special Kids is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization. All programs and services are offered at no charge to families. For more information, call (602) 242-4366, or (800) 237-3007 toll free.