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Early Childhood EducationJournal ISSN 1082-3301Volume 38Number 6 Early Childhood Educ J (2010)38:411-420DOI 10.1007/s10643-010-0427-8

Kindergarten Transition Preparation:A Comparison of Teacher and ParentPractices for Children with Autism andOther Developmental Disabilities

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Kindergarten Transition Preparation: A Comparison of Teacherand Parent Practices for Children with Autism and OtherDevelopmental Disabilities

Nicole Quintero • Laura Lee McIntyre

Published online: 9 November 2010

� Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010

Abstract The transition to kindergarten represents an

important developmental milestone for children and may

pose unique challenges to children with disabilities, their

families, and teachers. The primary goal of the current study

was to investigate teacher concerns regarding the transition

to kindergarten as well as teacher and parent-reported

transition preparation practices and involvement for a

sample of children with autism spectrum disorders (n = 19)

and children with other developmental disabilities

(n = 76). Teachers reported significantly more concerns for

children in the ASD group than for children in the DD

group, although there was no difference in total involve-

ment in transition practices between groups. Although

teacher and parent involvement in transition preparation

was generally high, generic less individualized practices

often were utilized. Study findings are discussed in the

context of future research directions to help facilitate kin-

dergarten transitions for young children with disabilities.

Keywords Transition � Preschool � Kindergarten �Autism � Disabilities � Parent involvement

Introduction

Kindergarten entry is an important milestone for children

as it signifies the beginning of more academically-oriented

elementary school and the end of more play-based early

childhood education (Rimm-Kaufman and Pianta 2000). In

kindergarten, children may say good-bye to snack time and

nap time as they take on the formal roles of students

(Eckert et al. 2008). Elementary school entry not only has

symbolic meaning to children and families, but brings

along new task demands. Comparisons between preschool

and kindergarten activities, curriculum, and instruction

suggest that students in kindergarten are expected to

complete tasks more independently and rely on large-group

instruction with less teacher support than preschool stu-

dents (Carta et al. 1990; Le Ager and Shapiro 1995; Rule

et al. 1990).

In addition to heightened academic demands, evidence

suggests that there is a dramatic decrease in parent-teacher

communication in kindergarten. Furthermore, parent-teacher

contacts in preschool may be more positive and less negative

than parent-teacher contacts in elementary school (Rimm-

Kaufman and Pianta 1999). Thus, families may feel less

involved and connected with their child’s kindergarten tea-

cher which may make transition more difficult for families.

Although the majority of children transition to kinder-

garten successfully, a significant number of children

experience difficulties. Data gathered from a nationally

representative sample of 3,595 kindergarten teachers sug-

gests that approximately half of general education students

encounter some problems in transition (Rimm-Kaufman

et al. 2000). Children with developmental disabilities may

be at heightened risk for transition difficulties given their

deficits in communication, problem-solving, and adaptive

behavior (McIntyre et al. 2006). These children are also at

heightened risk for developing severe behavior problems

(Emerson 2003; McIntyre 2008). In addition to cognitive

and behavioral difficulties, children with disabilities may

experience shifts in services and educational programming

N. Quintero

University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

L. L. McIntyre (&)

Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences,

University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5208, USA

e-mail: [email protected]

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Early Childhood Educ J (2011) 38:411–420

DOI 10.1007/s10643-010-0427-8

Author's personal copy

during transition, creating additional challenges for chil-

dren and families (Fowler et al. 1991). Indeed, parents of

children with disabilities report more transition-related

concerns than parents of children with typical development

during kindergarten entry (McIntyre et al. 2010).

Although teachers perceive students with disabilities to

have more kindergarten entry problems than children with

typical development (McIntyre et al. 2006), kindergarten

teacher implementation of transition practices to support

students with disabilities may not reflect best practices

(Vaughn et al. 1999). For example, practices such as school

and home visits, communication with parents and pre-

school staff, transition planning meetings, and developing

specific child interventions may be especially useful given

that these practices increase communication between

home, preschool, and kindergarten contexts (Pianta and

Kraft-Sayre 2003). Unfortunately, teachers may not always

view these activities as feasible (Forest et al. 2004; Vaughn

et al. 1999).

Very few empirical investigations focus on kindergarten

transition for children with autism; however, there is a

growing interest in early education practices for children

with autism (Denkyirah and Agbeke 2010). We found only

two published studies examining the transition to kinder-

garten for children with autism. Forest et al. (2004)

examined transition practices for three children with high-

functioning autism. Kindergarten teachers rated practices

on both perceived level of importance and implementation.

Results indicated that, with the exception of identifying the

students’ placements 6 months prior to transition, all

practices were perceived as highly important, and nearly

half of the practices were perceived as imperative in the

transition process. Although nearly all transition practices

were identified by teachers as important, fewer practices

were implemented (Forest et al. 2004). Denkyirah and

Agbeke (2010) surveyed preschool teachers in Ghana and

the United States and asked teachers to endorse transition

preparation practices that they viewed as important for

supporting students with autism. Similar to the findings of

Fowler et al., Denkyirah and Agbeke reported that all

practices on the survey were important, with practices

initiated early and involving multiple stakeholders (pre-

school, family, elementary school) as essential. The extent

to which these practices are implemented for students with

autism and other disabilities is relatively unknown.

Given that early school experiences are predictive of later

school outcomes (e.g., Alexander and Entwisle 1988; Ladd

and Price 1987; Pianta and Kraft-Sayre 2003), fostering

successful kindergarten adjustment emerges as an important

education priority. The extent to which parents and teachers

prepare students with disabilities for kindergarten transition

remains relatively undocumented in the empirical literature

(McIntyre and Wildenger 2011) and has important service

and intervention implications for schools and families.

Furthermore, it is unknown if involvement in transition

preparation activities and concerns surrounding transition

vary as a function of child characteristics, including specific

disabilities such as autism.

Study Goals

The overarching goal of this study was to explore kinder-

garten transition practices in preschool children with aut-

ism spectrum disorders (ASD) and children with other

developmental delays or disabilities (DD) across two time

points. Specifically, teacher and family experiences in

transition practices and teacher concerns were investigated.

Method

Participants

Participants were teachers and parents of 95 children with

disabilities attending their final year of preschool and

receiving special education and related services. Child

diagnoses were based on parental report and not verified by

medical or educational records. Children in the ASD group

(n = 19): (1) had an active Individualized Education Pro-

gram (IEP); (2) had a parent-reported diagnosis of ASD

(i.e., autism spectrum disorder, autism, autistic disorder,

pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified,

or Asperger’s disorder); (3) were in their final year of

attendance in an early education program; and (4) had lived

with their primary caregiver for a minimum of 1 year prior

to study initiation. Inclusionary criteria for the DD group

were identical to inclusionary criteria for the ASD group;

however, they had a diagnosis of developmental delay or

other developmental disability (excluding ASD). Partici-

pants in both groups were excluded if: (1) parent/caregiver

did not hold legal guardianship, (2) parent/caregiver did not

hold educational rights for their child receiving special

education, or (3) parent/caregiver was unable to complete

measures in English.

Data were collected at two time points over the pre-

school to kindergarten transition period. Time 1 data were

collected during the spring (May/June) of the child’s final

year in preschool and consisted of both parent and teacher

reports. Time 2 data were collected during fall (September/

October) of the child’s kindergarten year and consisted of

parent report only. Demographic information, standard

scores of children’s cognitive functioning, and educational

history are reported in Tables 1 and 2 for children in the

ASD and DD groups. Approximately 70% of the children

in both groups were male, with an average age of

58 months in the spring of their preschool year. At Time 1,

412 Early Childhood Educ J (2011) 38:411–420

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children in the ASD group were reported to have the fol-

lowing diagnoses: autistic disorder (n = 13; 68.4%) and

pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified

(n = 5; 26.3%). One child’s diagnosis was pending. Time

1 diagnoses within the DD group included: speech delay

(n = 36; 47.4%), global developmental delay (n = 26;

34.2%), and other delay or disability (n = 14; 18.4%).

Children who were categorized in the ‘other’ delay/dis-

ability category had a variety of diagnoses, ranging from

ADHD to sensory disorders, resulting in a broad, hetero-

geneous comparison group representing children receiving

early childhood special education and related services.

Children in the ASD and DD groups did not signifi-

cantly differ on standardized assessments scores of cogni-

tive functioning; however, there was a trend approaching

significance such that children in the ASD group had lower

scores (M = 79.82; SD = 18.66) than children in the DD

group (M = 92.22; SD = 18.22), t(32) = 1.84; p = .08.

Significant differences were detected regarding the number

of therapeutic services received, with children in the ASD

group receiving more services (ASD M = 3.21, SD =

1.44) than children in the DD group (DD M = 2.43,

SD = 1.14; t(94) = 2.47; p = .01). Additionally, signifi-

cant differences were found regarding type of preschool

program. All of the children in the ASD group were

enrolled in a special education preschool, in contrast to

72.4% (n = 55) of children in the DD group. The

remaining children in the DD group attended a Head Start

program, v2 (1, N = 95) = 6.74, p = .009.

There were no significant group differences regarding

gender or race at Time 2. Consistent with findings at Time 1,

there was a significant difference between groups at Time 2

regarding the number of therapeutic services received, with

children in the ASD group receiving more therapies (ASD

M = 3.11, SD = 1.17) than children in the DD group (DD

M = 2.17, SD = 1.08, t(43) = 2.31; p = .03).

Table 3 displays parent/family demographics for ASD

and DD groups at Time 1 and Time 2. There were no

significant group differences at either time point. The

majority of respondents were biological mothers with an

average age of 36.83 years (SD = 4.78) and 34.66 years

(SD = 7.88) in the ASD and DD groups, respectively.

Approximately half of respondents in both groups reported

to have some college education or higher, were employed

at least half-time, and reported to have an annual household

income of $35,000. The majority of respondents in both

groups reported living with a partner (ASD = 84.2% and

DD = 68.4%).

Table 1 Child demographics

by group at time 1 (ASD

n = 19; DD n = 76)

� p \ .10, * p \ .05, ** p \ .01

Variable ASD n (%) DD n (%) t or v2

Gender

Male 14 (73.7) 52 (68.4) v2 = 0.20

Age in months 58.84 (4.59) 58.66 (3.54) t = 0.19

Race v2 = 3.55

White/Caucasian 16 (84.2) 60 (78.9)

Black/African-American 0 (0.0) 6 (7.9)

Hispanic/Latino 0 (0.0) 2 (2.6)

Asian 0 (0.0) 1 (1.3)

Native American 0 (0.0) 1 (1.3)

Mixed 3 (15.8) 6 (7.9)

Autism diagnosis

Autistic disorder 13 (68.4) – –

PDD-NOS 5 (26.3) – –

Asperger’s syndrome 0 (0.0) – –

Diagnosis pending 1 (5.3) – –

DD primary diagnosis

Developmental delay – 26 (34.2) –

Speech delay – 36 (47.4) –

Other – 14 (18.4) –

Number of different therapies M (SD) 3.21 (1.44) 2.43 (1.14) t = 2.50*

Cognitive standard score M (SD) (ASD n = 11;

DD n = 23)

79.82 (18.66) 92.22 (18.22) t = -1.84�

Current preschool placement v2 = 6.74**

Special education preschool 19 (100.0) 55 (72.4)

Head start 0 (0.0) 21 (27.6)

Early Childhood Educ J (2011) 38:411–420 413

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The 95 participating families represented 48 different

classrooms. Of the 48 teachers representing the total par-

ticipating children, 43 returned their packets, resulting in

an 89.5% response rate. The 43 teachers taught 84 of the 95

(88.4%) total participating families; thus, teacher data were

missing for 11 children at Time 1. Table 4 reports the

participating teacher demographics. One hundred percent

of the teachers were Caucasian, and the majority were

female (93.0%). The majority of teachers held a master’s

degree (81.4%) and were certified in early childhood

education (65.1%). Teachers reported having taught

Table 2 Child demographics

by group at time 2 (ASD n = 9;

DD n = 36)

* p \ .05


Gender

Male 8 (88.9) 26 (72.2) v2 = 1.08

Race v2 = 3.58

White/Caucasian 8 (88.9) 28 (77.8)

Black/African-American 0 (0.0) 2 (5.6)

Hispanic/Latino 0 (0.0) 2 (5.6)

Asian 0 (0.0) 1 (2.7)

Native American 0 (0.0) 1 (2.7)

Mixed 1 (11.1) 2 (5.6)

Autism diagnosis

Autistic disorder 6 (66.7) – –

PDD-NOS 3 (33.3) – –

Asperger’s syndrome 0 (0.0) – –

Diagnosis pending 0 (0.0) – –

DD primary diagnosis

Developmental delay – 10 (27.8) –

Speech delay – 17 (47.2) –

Other – 9 (25.0) –

Number of different therapies M (SD) 3.11 (1.17) 2.17 (1.08) t = 2.31*

Current kindergarten placement v2 = 0.77

Inclusion 7 (77.8) 32 (88.9)

Self-contained 2 (22.2) 4 (11.1)

Table 3 Family demographics by group at time 1 (ASD n = 19; DD

n = 76)


Respondents v2 = 4.16

Biological mother 18 (94.7) 62 (81.6)

Biological father 0 (0.0) 5 (6.6)

Adoptive mother 1 (5.3) 2 (2.6)

Other relative 0 (0.0) 2 (2.6)

Legal guardian 0 (0.0) 5 (6.6)

Age in years M (SD) 36.83 (4.78) 34.66 (7.88) t = 1.51

Education v2 = 2.21

No degree 1 (5.3) 13 (17.1)

High school/GED 7 (36.8) 29 (38.2)

Some college 6 (31.6) 21 (27.6)

Bachelor’s or higher 5 (26.3) 13 (17.1)

Employed part-/full-time 9 (47.4) 42 (55.3) v2 = 0.38

Household (living with

partner)

16 (84.2) 52 (68.4) v2 = 1.86

Family income (C$35 k/year) 10 (52.6) 31 (40.8) v2 = 0.87

Family size M (SD) 4.06 (0.87) 4.53 (1.31) t = -

1.85

Note. None of the group comparisons reached statistical significance

Table 4 Teacher demographics (N = 43)

Variable N Percentage (%)

Female 40 93.0

Race

White/Caucasian 43 100.0

Years teaching M (SD)

Preschool 10.51 (8.71)

Other 2.73 (4.10)

Education

Master’s degree or higher 35 81.4

Bachelor’s degree 7 16.3

Associate’s degree 1 2.3

Certification in early childhood 28 65.1

Type of classroom

Inclusion 33 76.7

Self-contained 10 23.3


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preschool for an average of 10.51 years (SD = 8.71), and

three-fourths (76.7%) of the teachers reported teaching in

an inclusive education classroom. Overall, the results

indicate that the participating teachers were well-educated

and experienced in early childhood education.

Procedure

Program directors of 20 early education programs serving

students with disabilities were contacted in the Spring

(March/April) of the academic year to participate in the

study. All programs were in and near a mid-size city the

Northeast United States. Fourteen (70%) programs agreed

to participate, two declined to participate, and four did not

respond to multiple contact attempts. Three of the pro-

grams had multiple sites, which operated under the same

director, resulting in a total of 32 different sites. Data were

received from 24 (75%) of the participating sites.

Time 1 (Spring)

Upon receipt of program director consent to recruit from

their centers, special education preschool teachers were

contacted and asked to send study materials home to par-

ents of students with IEPs who were in their final year of

preschool. Parents who wished to participate completed a

consent form and three questionnaires (the focus of this

study is the transition practices survey; however, parents

also completed measures examining parenting stress and

child behavior). Parents completed an additional consent

form if they agreed to allow their children’s teachers to

provide the researcher with their children’s most current

standardized test scores (e.g., cognitive, adaptive behavior,

speech/language). These scores allowed the researcher to

estimate the child’s overall level of functioning and

severity of impairment. Teachers filled out a brief demo-

graphic form and a transition measure for each participat-

ing child in their classroom. To encourage participation,

teacher and family participants were entered into a raffle to

receive a $50 gift card to a book store (teachers) or local

grocery store (families). Each participating site provided

information regarding the number of students with IEPs in

their final year of preschool. A total of 434 packets were

distributed across the 32 sites. Family response rates at

Time 1 were 25.7% for the ASD group and 21.1% for the

DD group, with an overall response rate of 22.1%.

Time 2 (Fall)

Upon the child’s kindergarten entry, parent participants

were contacted by mail and invited to participate in a

follow-up assessment. All but one family agreed to be

contacted at Time 2, thus 94 families were mailed the same

questionnaires. One packet was returned via the United

States Postal Service due to the family not residing at the

location, resulting in 93 successfully disseminated packets.

Nine parents from the ASD group and 36 parents from the

DD group returned the follow-up packets, resulting in a

47.4% response rate across both groups. Multiple mailings

and follow-up packets were not sent to participants due to

the time sensitive nature of the data collected. That is, we

were interested in family experiences regarding their

child’s transition to school upon kindergarten entry.

Measures

Teacher Demographics

Each participating teacher was asked to fill out a short

teacher demographics form developed for the study. The

one-page form assessed the teacher’s ethnicity, teaching

experience and credentials, and classroom setting (inclu-

sive versus self-contained). Total administration time was

less than 5 min.

Teacher Transition Concerns and Transition Practices

The Teachers’ Perceptions on Transition (TPOT), a mea-

sure developed for the current study, was completed by the

preschool teacher with respect to each participating pre-

schooler in the classroom. The TPOT consists of infor-

mation regarding the length of time the teacher has known

the student and questions concerning the use of 15 com-

monly utilized transition preparation activities (e.g., tran-

sition planning meeting, kindergarten classroom visit,

home visit). The teacher indicated which practices had

been used with the student, when they were used (i.e., they

were asked to check whether the practice was used in the

fall, spring, summer, or throughout the year), and any

future practices that were intended to be implemented to

facilitate transition to kindergarten. The current study used

a Total Teacher Involvement score, created by summing

the transition practice items that teachers indicated they

engaged in at any time (possible range 0–14; alpha coef-

ficient = .67). Teachers provided an Overall Concerns

score by indicating how concerned they were regarding the

transition to kindergarten for each student using a 5-point

Likert scale (0 = No Concerns, 1 = Minimal Concerns;

2 = Some Concerns; 3 = Many Concerns; 4 = Very

Many Concerns). Open-ended questions were provided to

elicit responses from teachers regarding their major con-

cerns regarding transition. The questionnaire provided

space for teachers to report recent psychological evaluation

test scores on students whose parents consented to have


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testing scores released. Total administration time was

approximately 10 min for each student.

Parent Kindergarten Transition Involvement

The Family Experiences and Involvement in Transition

(FEIT; McIntyre et al. 2007) questionnaire was used to

assess family experiences and involvement in transition

during preschool (Time 1) and kindergarten entry (Time 2).

The FEIT was originally developed to assess family expe-

riences and involvement in transition practices for general

education students. As a result, four questions were slightly

modified for use with families with children receiving spe-

cial education. This revised FEIT is comprised of 67 items

measuring five domains: (1) child educational history (11

items; e.g., previous enrollment in early educational pro-

gram, special education and related services received); (2)

parent concerns regarding kindergarten transition (12 items;

e.g., academics, behavior problems, following directions);

(3) identified needs during kindergarten transition (14 items;

e.g., more information about their child’s kindergarten

program or new teacher); (4) parent involvement in kin-

dergarten transition practices (16 items; e.g., transition

planning meetings, visits to child’s future kindergarten

classroom); and (5) family demographic information (14

items, e.g., caregiver education, income). Two items in the

parent involvement section were open-ended and asked

parents to report on ‘‘other’’ forms of involvement. Parent

involvement in kindergarten transition activities at Time 1

was discerned by asking parents to select between three

options: whether they ‘‘participated in’’, ‘‘wanted to par-

ticipate in but hadn’t’’, or ‘‘didn’t participate and did not

wish to’’. Those items that parents indicated that they par-

ticipated in reflected their reported involvement in transition

practices. The FEIT domains used in the current study

included child educational history, family demographic

information, and parent involvement. The current study used

a Total Parent Involvement score from Time 1 and Time 2,

created by summing the transition practices items that parents

indicated they participated in (possible range 0–14; Time 1

alpha coefficient = .77; Time 2 alpha coefficient = .77).

Total completion time was approximately at 20 min.

Open Ended Questions

Teacher-reported concerns based on the open-ended ques-

tions in the TPOT were identified and coded by two

research assistants. The first author identified themes based

on teacher responses. A second research assistant then

re-examined the data and categorized teacher responses

into the themes identified by first author, as well as pro-

vided feedback on the accuracy and sufficiency of the

original themes. No additional categories were created

based on the second researcher’s feedback. When coding

differences emerged, consensus coding was used. Mean

interrater agreement on themes/categories was 96.4%

(range 92–100%).

Data Analysis

SPSS 15.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) was used

to conduct all analyses, including descriptive and inferen-

tial statistics. Chi-square and t-tests were used to analyze

differences in demographic variables between ASD and

DD groups. Independent samples t-tests were used to

examine differences between groups on Total Teacher and

Parent Involvement in transition and Total Teacher Con-

cerns. Pearson bivariate correlations were calculated to

assess the strength and direction of the relations among

measures.

Results

Sample Differences Across Time

The sub-sample of families (N = 45) that participated in

Time 2 follow-up data collection did not significantly differ

from the original Time 1 sample (N = 95) in child or

demographic variables.

Teacher Perceptions on Transition

Teachers were significantly more likely to report higher

concerns (some, many, or very many concerns) for children

with ASD than children with DD v2 (1, N = 43) = 4.35,

p = .047 (see Table 5). There were no differences in Total

Teacher Involvement in transition practices; however, there

was one specific practice in which teachers of students with

ASD and DD differed. Teachers endorsed visiting students’

assigned kindergarten classroom more for children in the

ASD group than the DD group, v2 (1, N = 43) = 11.44,

p = .001.

Parent Involvement

Table 6 addresses Total Parent Involvement in transition

across both time points. No significant differences were

found in parent involvement in transition activities between

groups at either time point, although significant differences

were found in the endorsement of individual practices. As

shown in Table 6, parents in the DD group reported par-

ticipating in a transition planning meeting significantly

more than parents in the ASD group at Time 1 (31.6%

versus 5.3%), v2 (1, N = 95) = 5.43, p = .02. At Time 2,


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parents in the DD group reported to have received written

communication regarding the transition from the kinder-

garten program significantly more than parents in the ASD

group (88.9% versus 44.4%), v2 (1, N = 45) = 8.89,

p = .003.

Relations Among Teacher and Parent-Reported

Variables

Pearson bivariate correlations were used to determine

interrelations among Total Teacher Involvement, Overall

Teacher Concerns, total years teaching preschool, and

Total Parent Involvement in transition at Time 1 and Time

2. No significant correlations were found across any of

these variables.

Teacher Responses to Open-Ended Questions

Teachers were asked to describe their biggest concerns

regarding kindergarten transition, additional transition

practices that they participated in (not listed on the TPOT),

and any barriers that prevented them from engaging in

transition practices on the TPOT. Forty-three teachers,

representing 84 children, completed the TPOT. Additional

transition involvement activities included: daily or weekly

communication with the teacher (n = 8; 19.0%), comple-

tion of transition folders (n = 6, 14.3%), participation in

additional team meetings (n = 19; 45.2%), completion of

additional classroom visits to their kindergarten classroom

or school (n = 9; 21.4%), and participation in ‘‘other’’

activities, such as formal transition programs (n = 4; 9.5%).

The most commonly cited transition practice that pre-

school teachers reported they wanted but did not have, was

meeting with the kindergarten teacher (36.8%). Other

forms of involvement preschool teachers reported wanting

were: additional classroom visits (31.6%), increased col-

laboration between preschool and kindergarten teams

(15.8%), formal transition programs (10.5%), and ‘‘other’’

(31.6%), which included more idiosyncratic forms of

involvement for a particular student.

The most commonly reported barrier to engaging in

transition practices was lack of time (62.9%). Teachers also

Table 5 Teacher-reported

overall concerns and

involvement (ASD n = 19 and

DD n = 65)

* p \ .05, ** p \ .001


Overall teacher concerns v2 = 4.35*

Low (none, minimal) 2 (10.5) 23 (35.4)

High (some, many, very many) 17 (89.5) 42 (64.6)

Total teacher involvement M (SD) 9.68 (2.38) 9.05 (2.05) t = 1.15

Monthly contact with parents 16 (84.2) 59 (90.8) v2 = 0.20

Meetings with student’s school team 16 (84.2) 59 (90.8) v2 = 0.66

Attend transition planning meeting with preschool staff 19 (100.0) 64 (98.5) v2 = 0.30

Attend transition planning meeting with kindergarten staff 13 (81.3) 50 (76.9) v2 = 0.57

Visit K classroom with student 7 (36.8) 23 (35.4) v2 = 0.01

Visit student’s assigned K classroom 8 (42.1) 6 (9.2) v2 = 11.44**

Member of a transition planning team 18 (94.7) 49 (75.4) v2 = 3.41

Receive phone call from K teacher 8 (42.1) 16 (24.6) v2 = 2.20

Complete a home visit 12 (63.2) 44 (67.7) v2 = 0.14

Provide written info to parents 18 (94.7) 61 (93.8) v2 = -0.02

Work with K teacher on curriculum 7 (36.8) 11 (16.9) v2 = 3.47

Have K teacher visit preschool 14 (73.7) 43 (66.2) v2 = 0.38

Provide students with K orientation 11 (57.9) 49 (75.4) v2 = 2.20

Provide parents with K orientation 15 (78.9) 50 (76.9) v2 = 0.03

Table 6 Parent-reported

involvement in the transition to

kindergarten (time 1 ASD

n = 19, DD n = 76; time 2

ASD n = 9, DD n = 36)

* p \ .05, ** p \ .01

Variable ASD DD t or v2

Time 1

Total Parent Involvement M (SD) 4.89 (2.60) 5.62 (3.73) t = -0.80

Transition planning meeting—n (%) with kindergarten staff 1 (5.3) 24 (31.6) v2 = 5.43*

Time 2

Total parent involvement M (SD) 9.78 (1.86) 9.69 (2.72) t = 0.09

Received letter from kindergarten 4 (44.4) 32 (88.9) v2 = 8.89**


123


cited the following barriers: multiple school districts

receiving their outgoing preschool students (24.2%), diffi-

culty collaborating with kindergarten teams (10.0%), and

the proximity of elementary schools to the preschools,

especially problematic in more rural areas (6.5%).

Discussion

Early childhood success has been linked to later positive

school outcomes (e.g., Alexander and Entwisle 1988),

although there is a lack of literature examining the efficacy

of theory-driven transition practices and children’s out-

come in kindergarten (Eckert et al. 2008). Children with

developmental delays or disabilities may require supple-

mental supports as they transition to kindergarten due to

their special needs. In particular, children with autism

spectrum disorders (ASD), given their significant deficits in

communication and social functioning, may require more

comprehensive transition supports than other children

(Denkyirah and Agbeke 2010; Forest et al. 2004); however,

there is limited research investigating the transition to

kindergarten for children with disabilities. Furthermore,

there are no known studies that compare transition prac-

tices across various diagnostic groups. Thus, it is unknown

if children with ASD experience more difficulties than

children with other delays or disabilities.

Our study investigated relations among teacher concerns

and teacher and parent involvement in transition in a

sample of children with disabilities who were transitioning

to kindergarten. Group comparisons indicated that teachers

reported higher overall concerns regarding the transition to

kindergarten for children with ASD than children with DD.

There were no significant differences in Total Teacher

Involvement between groups, with the exception that

teachers endorsed visiting students’ assigned kindergarten

classroom more for children in the ASD group than the DD

group.

An additional goal of our study was to investigate family

involvement in transition practices. Surprisingly, there

were no differences in Total Parent Involvement in tran-

sition preparation activities during both the spring of their

child’s preschool year and upon kindergarten entry in the

fall. Parents were asked about their child’s preschool tea-

cher’s involvement and kindergarten teacher’s involvement

in transition preparation activities. Parents in both groups

indicated that preschool teachers engaged in more transi-

tion preparation practices than elementary school staff.

This result is consistent with previous research indicating

that preschool programs provide more transition informa-

tion and support to families than kindergarten programs

provide (Fowler et al. 1991; Rimm-Kaufman and Pianta

1999). One explanation for this finding in the current study

may be that a large number of children were recruited

through Head Start Programs. The Head Start Program

philosophy historically places a strong emphasis on family

involvement in education.

Findings from the current study of children receiving

special education corroborate findings previously reported

in the general education literature. Current findings suggest

that in general, schools and families engaged in a set of

standard transition practices. Although teacher and parent

involvement in transition preparation were high, practices

were rarely individualized. The transition practices parents

endorsed, outside of federally mandated IEP meetings prior

to kindergarten entry, were primarily less intensive and

individualized, corroborating the kindergarten teacher

survey findings of Pianta et al. (1999). In the present study,

the most frequently endorsed transition practices during the

spring of the child’s preschool year by teachers were:

monthly contact with parents, attending a transition meet-

ing with preschool staff, and providing written communi-

cation regarding the transition to parents. Parents in the

current study were asked what practices their child’s kin-

dergarten teacher was involved in with respect to transition.

Results suggest that the majority of practices kindergarten

teachers engaged in occurred at the beginning of the school

year for all entering and returning students, rather than

practices that facilitate kindergarten transition per se (e.g.,

transition programs or planning meetings), a finding similar

to Pianta et al.’s (1999) study.

The most commonly cited barrier to engaging in kin-

dergarten transition practices reported by preschool teach-

ers in the current study was lack of time. This finding is

consistent with previous research (e.g., Rimm-Kauffman

and Pianta 1999). An additional concern that preschool

teachers reported was lack of collaboration between pre-

school and kindergarten staff. In the general education

literature, Early et al. (2001) reported that very few kin-

dergarten teachers reported that their transition practices

included involvement with preschools or other community

agencies.

Differences between parent and teacher endorsement of

transition practices were detected. Teachers reported that

they went to the elementary schools and had some involve-

ment with elementary school staff, whereas parents reported

that they wished to have more involvement with the ele-

mentary school during transition. Interestingly, both groups

indicated that they wished to work more with kindergarten

and elementary school staff during transition, suggesting the

need for cross system partnership and collaboration.

Limitations and Future Directions

Although the current study addresses a gap in the kinder-

garten transition literature, it is not without limitations.


123


This investigation is the only known study investigating

transition practices and concerns in a sample of parents,

teachers, and children with ASD and DD. Findings should

be viewed as preliminary and more research, including

experimental studies, are needed. In the current study,

teacher reported transition practices were less intensive and

individualized, with lack of time cited as a major barrier to

implementation. Given that time is limited, future research

could identify the most effective kindergarten transition

preparation activities for students with disabilities. Future

studies should investigate the efficacy of various transition

preparation practices in enhancing the kindergarten out-

comes for children with and without disabilities. Further-

more, it will be beneficial to investigate the impact that

individualized transition interventions have both on family

and child outcomes as well as overall satisfaction with

transition.

The current study did not measure the degree to which

preschool teachers had received transition training. Previ-

ous research suggested that teachers report receiving little

transition training (Early et al. 1999), thus making it dif-

ficult to successfully implement transition practices. It may

be beneficial for teachers and administrators to develop

strategies to overcome such difficulties, due to the identi-

fied relationship between transition practices and children’s

academic outcomes in kindergarten (Schulting et al. 2005).

Thus, future research could ask teachers to report on prior

pre-service or in-service kindergarten transition training.

Data were collected across 32 sites in and around a mid-

size city in the Northeast and included children with an

ASD diagnosis and those with other developmental delays

or disabilities. Although demographic variables did not

differ by group status, the combined sample was relatively

homogenous reflecting the demographics of the region.

Participating teachers in the current study were primarily

female, Caucasian, and well educated. Future research that

includes a more heterogeneous sample of families, chil-

dren, and teachers may enhance the external validity of

findings.

A strength of the study was the inclusion of cross-

informant data on transition practices. By acquiring both

teacher-reported and parent-reported data, a more complete

picture of the transition period was obtained. However,

only preschool teachers were used in the current sample,

and future research that includes kindergarten teachers’

perspectives on the transition to kindergarten for children

with special needs would be informative. Additionally,

within the cross-informant data there were differences in

parent-reported and teacher-reported transition practices.

This suggests a possible miscommunication regarding the

information parents are receiving about practices that are

being employed within the preschools. Additional investi-

gation is warranted to investigate families’ understanding

of transition practices available to them as well as cross-

informant agreement of transition practices.

In conclusion, this study provides some preliminary

findings regarding transition experiences and involvement

for teachers and parents of children with ASD and DD.

Although this is the first study of its kind, more research

examining factors associated with successful kindergarten

transition is needed.

Acknowledgments This paper was supported in part, by grant

R03HD047711 from the National Institute of Child Health and

Human Development awarded to the second author.

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