When children turn three, they are no longer eligible for Early ACCESS services. The transition from Early ACCESS requires timely and effective coordination and collaboration. Service coordinators and other team members support a smooth and successful transition for families and children by providing details about what to expect as they prepare for the transition. Team members ensure families understand early intervention services end for children at the age of three.  Transition means families and children will exit Early ACCESS services and may start a new preschool program or services in the community, continue attending a program, or begin receiving special education services. Refer to the Transition Planning Pathways below.

Beginning the Transition Process

Planning for transition includes: developing steps and services to be taken to support the smooth transition of the toddler and the toddler’s family; preparing for exiting Early ACCESS; and ensuring access to appropriate services and support when Early ACCESS services end. The IFSP team may also develop outcomes that are related to transition, if applicable. 

When a learner is between 2 years 3 months to 2 years 6 months, the service coordinator and other providers will begin talking about transition with the family. ALL toddlers must have a transition planning meeting prior to the age of 2 years 9 months to develop a written transition plan.

Transition Planning Discussions

The transition planning discussions and the date the discussions began are documented on the transition plan that is part of the learner’s IFSP. These discussions and any steps or services that will be taken to prepare the learner and family must occur not fewer than 90 days before the learner’s third birthday.  Discussions that teams have with families when they begin the transition planning process include:

• Sharing information about the transition process.
• Discussing the vision the family has for their learner as this will help guide the transition process.
• Exploring the learner’s capabilities, preferences, interests, and needs with the IFSP team.
• Sharing emotions, worries, hopes, expectations, questions, and possibilities about what may be next.

The Transition Toolbox is a resource that supports IFSP teams with the above discussions.

Transition Planning Pathways

There are two transition planning pathways for children and their families who are preparing to exit Early ACCESS:

• Transition from Early ACCESS to special education 
• Transition from Early ACCESS to community-based services.

IFSP teams consider and discuss the following to help determine the transition planning pathway for learners and families:

• Discuss the possibilities for what may be needed to support the learner’s continued development if specialized educational support and services are not received, regardless of the learner’s present level of development.
• Discuss services, support, and resources which may be needed after exiting Early ACCESS.
• Discuss and determine whether the learner is potentially eligible for special education (see information below on potentially eligible).
• Discuss if the family approves of involving special education staff, regardless of whether the learner is potentially eligible or not.
• Complete the Consent to Release and Exchange Information with other programs or agencies that are under consideration for the child.

These discussions can occur during a transition meeting which is held in conjunction with an initial, periodic, or annual meeting OR can be done outside of a meeting.

Potentially Eligible

The IFSP team is responsible for determining the children who may be potentially eligible for special education.  Teams are to answer the following potentially eligible questions:

1. Are there data to suggest that a child has a diagnosis of a condition and the condition is causing delays in meeting age appropriate expectations for child’s performance?
2. Are there data to suggest that a child is not meeting age appropriate expectations and is unique when compared to peers of the same age?
3. Are there data to suggest that a child has received high quality early intervention across routines, and the child’s performance is not meeting age appropriate expectations, and child is not progressing towards meeting age appropriate expectations?
4. Are there data to suggest that a child has received high quality early interventions across routines, and is meeting age appropriate expectations or is progressing towards meeting age appropriate expectations, but the child requires continued and substantial effort that may include the provision of special education services?

If any potentially eligible question is answered “yes”, the IFSP team will seek approval from the family to involve special education staff. With family approval, special education staff must be invited to participate in the IFSP transition meeting. Families may also request the involvement of special education staff when the learner is not potentially eligible. For learners who are determined as NOT potentially eligible for special education, the family and IFSP team will develop a transition plan to community-based services.

Note: The AEA and school district has access to a learner’s early intervention records in Iowa’s data system. A parental consent to release and exchange information is not needed.

Transition Meeting Timeline

Meeting by 2 years 9 months

A transition planning meeting is required for ALL toddlers prior to the age of 2 years 9 months to develop a written transition plan, unless the family declines a meeting. 

The transition meeting must be held in conjunction with an initial, periodic, or annual IFSP meeting and include all required meeting participants. The IFSP team must provide written notice of the IFSP meeting and include transition planning.  All procedures for holding an initial, periodic, or annual IFSP meeting must be followed.

Meeting declined or delayed

If the transition meeting is not convened or the transition meeting is held less than 90 days before the learner’s third birthday (2 years 9 months), the IFSP team must document on the transition plan the reason for the meeting either being delayed or not held.

A parent has the right to decline a transition meeting. The service coordinator informs the family that if they have concerns about their learner’s development in the future, they can contact the area education agency (AEA) or local school district to request an evaluation. 

Late Referrals

If the learner is referred and determined eligible for Early ACCESS between 135 and 90 days prior to the child’s third birthday, the transition planning meeting will be held in conjunction with the initial IFSP meeting. The IFSP team must follow the procedures for the transition planning pathway to community programs or the pathway to special education. If planning for special education, the team must involve special education staff, with family approval, in the meeting.

If the learner is referred and determined eligible for Early ACCESS between 90 and 46 days prior to the learner’s third birthday, the transition planning meeting will be held in conjunction with the initial IFSP meeting. The IFSP team may involve special education staff as appropriate.

If the learner is referred to Early ACCESS fewer than 45 days prior to the learner’s third birthday, the learner is referred to special education and will not be referred to Early ACCESS; therefore, transition planning is not required.

Transition Meeting

The transition meeting must be held in conjunction with an initial, periodic, or annual IFSP meeting and include all required meeting participants. Transition meetings must be held in settings and at times that are convenient for the family and in the native language of the family or other mode of communication used by the family unless it is clearly not feasible to do so. Families must be given written notice of the meeting early enough before the date of the meeting to ensure that they will be able to attend.

Teams will update the transition plan to reflect discussions, steps and services that have been completed and/or identify additional steps needed to ensure a smooth transition.  

Based on previous discussions and/or previous transition planning meeting(s), the team holds the transition meeting to discuss and finalize the transition to either community based services or special education.

Transition Requirements for ALL Children

The transition meeting is an opportunity to get the family, other IFSP team members, community program staff (if applicable) and special education staff (if applicable) together to do the following for ALL children:

• share progress on the IFSP outcomes, parent’s vision for their learner, the transition process including exiting from Early ACCESS, and any concerns
• discuss with, and training for, parents, as appropriate, regarding future settings and any other matters related to the learner’s transition
• identify transition services and other activities that the IFSP team determines are necessary to support the transition of the learner to a new setting
• identify strategies to prepare the learner for changes in service delivery, including steps to help the learner adjust to, and function in, a new setting
• provide and review Part C Procedural Safeguards Manual for Parents
• determine how and when team decisions will be made regarding the Early Childhood Outcome process upon the learner’s exit from Early ACCESS.

Below is additional information for teams to discuss and complete during the transition meeting depending on the pathway.

Requirements for Transition to Community-based services

The family, other IFSP team members, and community program staff (if applicable) do the following for learners who are planning to exit to community-based services:

• Discusses potential community services for the learner when they turn three, including eligibility requirements and enrollment details.
• Discuss existing program(s) or environment(s) they attend and how they will continue without the support of Early ACCESS.
• Complete the Consent to Release and Exchange Information with other programs or agencies that the learners plan to participate in when Early ACCESS services end.

Requirements for Transition to Special Education 

During the IFSP Transition Planning Meeting for learners who may be exiting Early ACCESS to special education, the family, other IFSP team members, and special education staff must:

• Review available data which includes the Potentially Eligible information reported in the Transition Plan.
• Determine if the learner is suspected of having a disability and if a full and individual initial evaluation is warranted.
• Provide parents with the Procedural Safeguards Manual for Parents Rights for Children Ages 3-21.
• Inform parents of the timelines for completing a special education evaluation and developing an Individualized Education Program (IEP), if determined eligible, prior to the learner’s third birthday.

NOTE: Transition planning for learners who turn three during the summer months may require more advanced planning to ensure all the necessary IEP team members are involved and present. 

If a learner is not suspected of having a disability or a parent does not provide consent for a full and individual initial evaluation for special education, the IFSP team follows the Requirements for Transition to Community-based services.

When a learner is suspected of having a disability, the AEA special education staff will obtain parental consent to complete the Child Find process for special education.  For information on the initial evaluation process, go to the Child Find Process for Special Education.

Note: The AEA and school district have access to the learner’s early intervention records. A parental consent to release and exchange information is not needed.

After the Transition Meeting

Following the transition meeting, the IFSP team, including the family, implements the transition plan. The service coordinator is responsible for doing the following for ALL learners:

• Monitor and assist with transition plan activities and services.
• Update the transition plan as steps and services are completed. 
• Inform families that records were sent to agencies or programs with whom families signed Consent to Release and Exchange Information.
• Prepare for the learner’s exit from Early ACCESS.

Transition to Special Education

For learners who are identified as transitioning to special education as a result of the transition meeting, special education staff is responsible for the following:

• Follow Special Education Procedures for Child Find.
• Utilize available IFSP information and assessment data.
• Follow the procedures for Individualized Education Program (IEP) in sections for Initial IEP Meetings, IEP Teams, and Meeting Attendance, if eligible for special education. 

Following the completion of a full and individual initial evaluation and the determination that the learner is eligible for special education, the initial IEP must be developed and implemented prior to the learner’s third birthday.

An invitation to the initial IEP meeting must, at the request of the parent, be sent to the IFSP service coordinator or other representatives of the IFSP Team to assist with the smooth transition of services. 

Note: The IFSP and IEP Teams collaborate to determine the Early Childhood Outcomes for the learner. 

• The initial Early Childhood Outcome (ECO) statements for special education are documented as part of the learner’s Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) in the IEP.
• The same ECO statements are documented as the learner’s final ECO statements in the IFSP for Early ACCESS. 
• The IFSP Team documents whether or not the learner has made progress in each ECO area since beginning Early ACCESS services.

A learner’s progress when exiting Early ACCESS is determined based on any of the following:

• Acquisition of a new skill or behavior
• Demonstration of increases in developmental abilities
• Independence in the mastery of developmental skills
• Progress toward achieving child outcomes
• Improvement in the quality of skills or developmental performance

The Transition Toolbox is a resource to support special education staff following the transition meeting.

Transition Plan in the IFSP

The IFSP team must have a transition plan in the learner’s IFSP no later than 90 days prior to the 3rd birthday (2 years 9 months). 

The transition plan includes:

• The date that the team began developing a transition plan to help the family and learner prepare for exiting Early ACCESS and discussed that Early ACCESS will be ending when the learner turns three. This could be as early as 2 years 3 months of age.
• Transition meeting dates. These dates appear on the transition plan when a Meeting Notice includes transition planning for the purpose in conjunction with an initial, periodic, or annual IFSP meeting. The transition meeting date must be held by 2 years 9 months of age.
• Reflection and looking ahead:
  • Learner’s progress, strengths and abilities;
  • What might be next for the family after exiting Early ACCESS; and 
  • What are our family’s priorities and goals for preparing the learner for the next setting.
• Potentially eligible responses:
  • Diagnosis of a condition;
  • Present levels of development;
  • Progress and comparison to age expectations;
  • Requires continued intervention.
• Involvement of special education staff. Yes or No.
• Steps or services that will be done to help prepare the learner for the next setting and leaving Early ACCESS.
• Steps or services that will be done to help prepare the family for the next setting and leaving Early ACCESS.

Transition Resources

The Transition Toolbox: A Guide for Families.  The full toolbox document, and individual sections (Transition Steps 1-6) are also located as fillable forms on the Early Intervention Resource Page, in the transition section.

Division of Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices associated with transition.

The Early Childhood Recommended Practice Modules (RPMs), Module 2: Transition.

The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) Practice Improvement Tools for Transition. The Eligibility Guidance for Transition from Early ACCESS to Special Education.

Additional resources are available on the Early Intervention Resource Page.