What is a transition within education?
A transition within education is any change for the student, such as:
- Beginning school for the first time
- Switching to a new school
- Moving from one school year to the next
- Moving from elementary or secondary school
- Moving from secondary school to post-secondary school or the trades
- Moving from school to the hospital and from the hospital back to school
Each child, whether they are simply missing a few school days each month to attend outpatient appointments or will be admitted as an inpatient, deserves support with their transition.
While their teacher is responsible for keeping them connected with the curriculum and classroom activities if they feel well enough to participate, our Transitions in Care team is here to help.
How we can help
Services we provide:
- Advocacy: Helping patients/families advocate for their needs in school so that each child receives the appropriate level of support for their physical, social-emotional and academic wellbeing. This may include writing letters to schools or accompanying parents to school meetings.
- Planning: Collaborating with schools to create transition plans that support patient needs, bridging the gap between their health care and education.
- Education: Providing patients/families with information about their rights to education and types of accommodations available, as well as referring patients/families to appropriate tools and resources.
- Problem-solving: Helping parents and schools identify and overcome barriers to education, including providing families with templates they can use to communicate clearly with their child's school.
If you're a parent who would like to request educational support for your child/youth, please contact us at EducationSupport@lhsc.on.ca. No referral is required.
Frequently asked questions
Which patients at Children's Hospital are eligible for education support?
Our team supports all inpatients and outpatients at Children's Hospital who are going through an educational transition or need help advocating for their needs while in school. The type of support they receive will be geared towards their unique needs.
If you would like to request support for your child, please contact us at EducationSupport@lhsc.on.ca.
What is a transition plan in education and who needs one?
A transition plan outlines the specific ways a child will be supported through their educational transition. The Ontario Ministry of Education requires students with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) to have one, although any child can benefit.
Learn more on the Ontario Ministry of Education website.
How are education transition plans created?
Transition plans are created by schools in collaboration with each student and their family/caregiver.
While the process is different with each school board, it typically begins with a meeting between the parents/caregivers, a learning support teacher and school administrator. Other staff, such as a speech-language pathologist or occupational therapist may also attend, as can a representative from our team at Children's Hospital.
If you would like our support with this process, please contact us at EducationSupport@lhsc.on.ca.
How can I support my child with their education transition?
We recommend parents support their child's education transition in the following ways:
Advocate
- Request a meeting with your child's teacher so that you can create a transition plan together. A good transition plan will include goals that are specific, measurable and have concrete timelines. It will also list who will do what and when.
- Ensure other members of your child's education team (e.g. speech-language pathologist) are aware of the transition plan and any changes that are made.
- Don’t be afraid to speak up if something doesn't feel right or your child isn't coping well. You know them best.
Connect
- If your child is changing schools, reach out to the staff at the receiving school to make sure they know what your child’s specific needs are.
- Make a one-page introduction that summarizes your child’s needs, strengths, triggers, interests, etc. and give this summary to your child's teacher on or before the first day. (We can help you create this!)
- Make a good connection with your child's teacher. It's important to stay in touch and appreciate what everyone contributes to your shared goal — your child's well-being.
- Check in with how your child is feeling. Ask them to tell you their hopes, questions or worries without interrupting or jumping in to fix anything.
- Be careful not to project your own anxieties onto your child. If you feel nervous, they may pick up on that and mirror you. Instead, practice modelling confidence.
Teach
- Do a walk-through with your child prior to their first day of school. Practice the route they will take to get there and once inside, noting potential areas of interest for them. (e.g. Turn left at the willow tree in front of the red brick house.)
- Make a checklist of things they will need to remember on their first day to help ease their jitters.
- Celebrate the success of a great day with something special, like extra time at the playground or their favourite meal.
- Give your child lots of autonomy (e.g. which clothes to wear, which backpack to carry, which veggies to pack in their lunch), as a lot of their anxiety may stem from a lack of knowledge and/or control.
How can my child's school support their transition as well?
To ensure a child's transition is successful, schools and school boards can implement strategies including but not limited to:
- Encouraging parents (and community partners who have parental consent) to notify the board about a student with special education needs well in advance of the student's entry or transition to school
- Encouraging parental involvement in the entry or transition to school planning process
- Establishing and maintaining links with community partners that provide services for students with special education needs and their families
- Identifying key individuals who will play a role in the student's transitions
- Holding case conferences with the child's parents, school and care teams to share and review information
- Gathering information from parents and any community agencies or professionals who might have worked with the student
- Providing orientation opportunities for students and parents
- Providing training for school staff to ensure they are familiar with various strategies
