The Transition From Early Intervention to School for Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Administrator Perspectives

Abstract

Although the transition from early intervention (EI) to school is a significant milestone in the lives of young children, little research to date has investigated this transition among children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). The aims of this study were to investigate the organizational policies, procedures, and guidelines that facilitate or hinder the transition from the EI system to the school system for children who are D/HH from the perspective of program administrators. Using the Enhanced Critical Incident Technique methodology, 146 incidents were extracted from 10 interviews and sorted into 10 helping, 9 hindering, and 5 wish list categories. Findings are consistent with the Ecological and Dynamic Model of Transition (Rimm-Kaufman & Pianta, 2000), which conceptualizes the transition to school as being influenced by the pattern of interactions between the individuals, groups, and institutions connected to the child.