Your child’s involvement in school is an important milestone. In this section, you will find information regarding transitions from home, daycare and school according to your child’s age. A transition may occur any time a child enters a new school. The Ministry of Education has developed a transition guide. From this link: www.edu.gov.on.ca please follow the following links: English, parents, special education, transition planning, and select Planning Entry to School: A Resource Guide.
In elementary school years, difficulty with school work and underachievement may signal a more serious symptoms of learning problems. Students with learning disability symptoms that do not improve over time with appropriate interventions may have learning disabilities. Suspect learning disability symptoms when students:
- Make poor grades despite significant effort;
- Need constant, step-by-step guidance for tasks;
- Cannot remember problem solving steps because they do not comprehend tasks or the logic behind them;
- Have poor memory of spoken or written material;
- Have difficulty mastering tasks or transferring academic skills to other tasks;
- Cannot remember skills and facts over time;
- Have strong general knowledge but cannot read as in dyslexia, write as in dysgraphia, or do math as in dyscalculia at that level;
- May have difficulty with communication and language processing, expressive, and receptive language;
- May be very frustrated with school and homework; and
- May have low self-esteem.
Junior Kindergarten – High School
This period is usually defined by your child’s transition from an elementary setting to an intermediate setting. The following schedule is recommended by the Timmins Transition Committee partners:
January of the year of entry to the new school:
- All appropriate assessments need to be completed. Please access referrals for more information.
- Parents/caregivers meet with the present school principal to initiate the transition process to the new school.
February:
- A case conference is scheduled with the new school and with all current and potential service providers/educators to discuss the strengths and needs of your child.
- Develop an action plan for steps to be taken to ensure all supports and services are in place for transition to the new school.
May/June:
- A follow up case conference is scheduled to review documentation and ensure support is in place for a successful entry to the new school.
- The school or parents/caregivers can request a meeting to review their child’s IPRC.
September:
- Another case conference is scheduled to review transition process and strategies/recommendations with teachers and support personnel to ensure a successful transition.
- The school or parents/caregivers can request a meeting to review their child’s IEP.
High School – Adulthood
This period is usually defined by your youth/young adult’s transition from an intermediate setting to a secondary setting.
The following schedule is recommended by the Timmins Transition Committee partners:
January of the year of entry to the new school:
- All appropriate assessments need to be completed. Please access referrals for more information.
- Parents/caregivers meet with the present school principal to initiate the transition process to the new school.
February:
- A case conference is scheduled with the new school and with all current and potential service providers/educators to discuss the strengths and needs of your youth/young adult.
- Develop an action plan for steps to be taken to ensure all supports and services are in place for transition to school.
May/June:
- A follow up case conference is scheduled to review documentation and ensure support is in place for a successful entry to school.
- The school or parents/caregivers can request a meeting to review their child’s IPRC.
September:
- Another case conference is scheduled to review transition process and strategies/recommendations with teachers and support personnel to ensure a successful transition.
- The school or parents/caregivers can request a meeting to review their youth/young adult’s IEP.
Guidance Counsellors at a high school level and / or the resource department special needs in post secondary settings may be helpful to guide the individual with the appropriate services and supports needed to attain educational goals.
*At age 14 the transition plan must be in their IPRC out of high school
Addition resource for students going to post secondary. This can help a parent/student figure out how to get support when transitioning to post secondary.
Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/tcu/students/transitions/whodoitalkto.html
Beyond Secondary School
- Updated assessments may be necessary to ensure continuation of services in the post-secondary setting and/or workplace environment.
- Please access employment for transition to the workplace.
Below are suggestions to follow should your youth/young adult be transitioned to post-secondary education:
This process should be initiated preferably more than one year before entry to post-secondary school as extensive planning may be required. As soon as the student is aware of their choice of study:
- The student is encouraged to visit or contact the schools’ special needs/resource department in order to see what services they may be able to offer.
- Updated assessments may need to be completed. Please access referrals for more information.
- Case conference with service providers/student to detail all the components to consider for the student to make an informed decision in their transition to post-secondary education.
- Develop an action plan for steps to be taken to ensure all supports and services are in place for transition to school.
- Student to follow application process.
At the time of acceptance:
- A case conference is scheduled with all current and potential service providers/educators to review and implement the plan of action and ensure the supports and services are in place for the student’s transition.
September:
- Another case conference is encouraged to review the action plan to ensure a successful transition.
Resources / Links
Local School Boards
Northeastern Catholic District School Board (NCDSB)
268-7443
www.ncdsb.on.ca
District School Board Ontario North East (DSBONE)
360-1151
www.dsb1.edu.on.ca
Conseil scolaire public du Nord Est de l’Ontario (CSDNE)
264-1119
www.csdne.edu.on.ca
Conseil scolaire catholique de district des Grandes-Rivieres (CSCDGR)
267-1421
www.cscdgr.on.ca
Colleges and Universities
Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology
www.northernc.on.ca
College Boreal
www.borealc.on.ca
Universite de Hearst
www.uhearst.ca
Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities (MTCU)
www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/tcu
Educational Resources
Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)
www.wrdsb.ca/programs-and-services/special-education/special-education-advisory-committee-seac
Ontario Ministry of Education
www.edu.gov.on.ca
What is an IPRC? What is an IEP?
www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/hilites.html
Comhnadh Consulting
www3.sympatico.ca/l.moir/
Equipment Assistance
Equipment and Resource Catalogues for Children with Special Needs:
Flaghouse
1-800-795-7900
www.flaghouse.ca
Sammons Preston
1-800-665-9200
www.pattersonmedical.ca
School Specialty
1-866-519-2816
www.schoolspecialty.ca
Jennifer Ashleigh Foundation
(905) 852-1799
www.JenniferAshleigh.org
Bridges Assistive Technology Sourcebook
1-800-353-1107
www.bridges-canada.com
OT ideas
1-877-768-4332
www.otideas.com
Spectrum
1-800-668-0600
www.spectrumed.com
Microcomputer Science Centre Inc.
1-800-290-6563
Dragonfly
