When our son was young, he received services through the Arizona Early Intervention Program. I remember feeling overwhelmed as we prepared for his move to preschool. There were meetings, evaluations, new people and decisions that seemed to come all at once. Just as we were learning how one system worked, we had to understand another. A few years later, we faced another transition into kindergarten.
Early intervention had focused on our family. It helped us find ways to include our son in activities at home and in our community. Preschool introduced us to a different set of questions. Our son was now a student with a disability, with a right to a free appropriate public education or FAPE. We were learning what that right meant for his services, his school day and his opportunities to learn alongside children without disabilities.
At the time, we thought of preschool as a place where he was learning how to do school: getting used to the routines, spending time with other children and finding his place in a classroom. As kindergarten approached, we began asking what he would need to learn and participate as a student. We were learning, too. With each transition, we had to think about what inclusion would look like for him and help his new team understand both his strengths and the support he needed.
In this issue, three families share how they navigated these transitions. Their paths were different, and each family had to navigate its own decisions and challenges. I’m grateful to Danielle Davis, Lauren Glazner and Alexis Liggett for sharing their experiences. Thank you also to Lisa Vallee and Terri Berger for helping explain the transition process.
These early experiences are part of why Encircle Families works to protect and expand community inclusion. Children need support to take part in family and community life, and they need opportunities to belong and learn at school. Families need clear information and a meaningful role in these decisions, and children need schools ready to recognize their strengths and support their participation.
Christopher Tiffany
Executive Director
