From Early Intervention to Preschool With Confidence

Moving from early intervention into preschool is a major change for a child, family and support team. Daily routines become less individualised, communication demands increase, and familiar therapists may no longer be present in the same way. A thoughtful transition plan helps everyone prepare for these changes before the first day arrives.

Developing a Transition Plan for Students Moving From Early Intervention to Preschool involves much more than forwarding reports. It means identifying the child’s strengths, understanding the preschool environment, agreeing on practical supports and giving families a clear role in decision-making. In Australia, the process also needs to reflect state-based preschool systems, NDIS arrangements and the child’s legal right to reasonable adjustments.

At A Glance

A useful plan connects early intervention priorities with real preschool activities. It should describe what helps the child communicate, participate, regulate emotions, move between activities and build relationships. Goals are most helpful when they are observable, such as requesting help during pack-away time or following a two-step routine with visual support.

Area	Early Intervention Focus	Preschool Transition Focus
Communication	Familiar adults and personalised routines	Communicating with educators and peers in a group
Participation	Short activities with flexible pacing	Joining group time, play, meals and outdoor learning
Regulation	Individual sensory and co-regulation support	Predictable strategies that fit a busy classroom
Independence	Adult prompting and modelling	Increasing self-help skills and functional choices
Collaboration	Family and therapy team	Family, preschool, inclusion staff and therapists

The plan should be written in plain English, with specific examples rather than broad descriptions such as “has language difficulties”. Include the child’s preferred words, gestures, communication system, successful prompts and signs of fatigue or distress.

Start With Child And Family Priorities

Begin by listening to the family. Ask what the child enjoys, what helps at home, which routines are difficult and what the family hopes preschool will offer. A child who loves trucks may engage more successfully when vehicles are used in play, visual schedules or language activities. Family knowledge can reveal strategies that are easy to miss during a clinic appointment.

Consider everyday Australian routines and expectations. Preschool may involve a morning acknowledgment, shared fruit time, mat sessions, water play, outdoor exploration and a change of educators across the week. Some settings use “kindy”, while others use “preschool” or “early learning”, depending on the state and service type. The transition document should use the language of the selected setting so that it feels practical rather than clinical.

Record strengths alongside support needs. Include the child’s interests, social approaches, preferred sensory experiences, emerging independence and ways of showing “yes”, “no”, discomfort or enjoyment. This strengths-based information helps educators see a capable learner rather than a list of challenges.

Map Australian Systems And Timelines

Transition planning should start several months before the child begins. Families may need to contact a local preschool, long day care service, inclusion support provider and early childhood team at different stages. Arrangements vary between Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and regional communities, so a plan that works in one area may need adjustment elsewhere.

If the child receives NDIS early childhood supports, clarify which services continue, which funding arrangements change and who will coordinate information sharing. An NDIS plan does not automatically guarantee a particular preschool placement or every therapy service within the classroom. Written consent is important before reports, videos or assessment details are shared.

Australian education law also matters. The Disability Standards for Education 2005 support a student’s right to participate in education on the same basis as other students, with reasonable adjustments where required. Families and educators can discuss adjustments such as visual instructions, additional transition visits, accessible seating, communication technology, rest breaks or modified group participation.

Health information should be current and relevant. Provide details about allergies, medication, seizure management, continence, dietary needs and emergency contacts. If a family is trying to understand illness or infection concerns, they may find general zoster care guidance useful, while decisions about attendance and exclusion should follow Australian public health advice and the service’s policy.

Build Communication Continuity

A communication profile is one of the most valuable parts of a handover. Explain how the child communicates across modes, including speech, facial expression, pointing, signs, pictures, gestures and an AAC system. State what communication means in context. For example, pushing a cup away may mean “finished”, while moving toward the door may mean “I want to go outside”.

If a child needs augmentative and alternative communication, make sure the preschool can access and use it from the first day. A low-tech board, communication book or core-word display can be prepared before a tablet-based system is fully established. This practical resource on setting up low-tech AAC can support conversations about vocabulary, positioning and consistent modelling.

Choose a small set of priority messages for the first weeks. These might include “help”, “stop”, “more”, “finished”, “my turn”, “where?” and “I need a break”. Adults should model these messages without requiring the child to copy them. Communication access is more successful when the system is available during play, meals, transitions and emotional moments, rather than kept safely in a bag.

Plan Participation And Regulation

A preschool readiness plan should focus on participation rather than isolated performance. Think through arrival, separating from family, hanging up a bag, joining a group, moving between indoor and outdoor areas, eating, toileting and going home. Identify which steps the child can complete independently and where a visual cue, gesture or adult prompt is needed.

Use visits to practise the actual routines. A child may manage a therapy room well but become overwhelmed by a noisy foyer, echoing bathroom or crowded playground. Arrange short visits at quieter times first, then gradually experience busier parts of the day. Take photographs of key places and create a simple “first, then” or arrival story.

Regulation support should be preventative and respectful. Describe early signs of overload, such as covering ears, withdrawing, repetitive movement, rapid speech or increased grabbing. List responses that help, including reducing language, offering a quiet space, showing a visual choice or allowing movement. Avoid presenting distress as deliberate misbehaviour.

Peer interaction can be supported through predictable games, turn-taking routines and adult modelling. For children joining virtual or hybrid services before starting preschool, ideas for virtual social communication may help maintain interaction practice, though face-to-face preschool participation remains the central goal.

Coordinate People And Records

Name the people responsible for each action. This may include the family, early intervention speech pathologist, occupational therapist, key educator, preschool teacher, inclusion professional and NDIS support coordinator. A transition meeting is most effective when it ends with clear responsibilities, dates and communication preferences.

Ask the family how they want information shared. Some prefer a brief meeting, while others need translated documents, an interpreter or time to review reports privately. Avoid sending a long clinical report without explanation. A one-page profile with “what works”, “what to avoid” and “how to communicate with me” can be more useful in a busy classroom.

Collaboration with an ABA team or other behaviour support professionals should remain centred on the child’s communication, dignity and participation. Agree on consistent language and supportive responses, while checking that goals fit the preschool’s routines and the family’s values. Educators should understand why a strategy is used, not simply follow a script.

Keep records secure and current. In Australia, services must manage personal information carefully under relevant privacy obligations and their own policies. Include the date of each document, the author, consent arrangements and a review date. Remove outdated advice so that new staff do not rely on information that no longer reflects the child.

Practical Actions For A Smoother Handover

• Arrange at least one preschool visit with a familiar adult before the official start date.
• Create a one-page communication and participation profile using plain language.
• Share key visuals, AAC tools and regulation supports before the child attends.
• Hold a handover meeting with the family and the educators who will be present.
• Map arrival, toileting, meals, group time, outdoor play and departure routines.
• Agree on how progress, concerns and successes will be communicated to the family.
• Set a review date within the first four to six weeks of attendance.

Review, Handover, And Follow Through

The first plan will not predict every need. Schedule a review after the child has experienced several ordinary preschool days, rather than evaluating the transition after one difficult morning. Look for patterns across times, people and activities. A child may cope well with outdoor play but need additional support during pack-away or group storytelling.

Use functional questions during the review: Can the child communicate a basic need? Can educators recognise the child’s signals? Can the child access favourite activities? Are supports available when the classroom becomes noisy? Is the child building relationships with peers and trusted adults? These questions provide more useful information than simply asking whether the child is “settled”.

Celebrate small signs of belonging, such as walking into the room, choosing an activity, approaching a peer or using a new way to request help. Update goals as the child becomes more independent. When the handover is collaborative, flexible and grounded in everyday participation, preschool becomes a place where the child can communicate, connect and learn.

Use this framework to prepare a family-friendly transition profile, organise a meeting with the preschool team and identify the first practical adjustment to put in place. A clear plan made early can give everyone—especially the child—a more secure and positive start.