Kristina Rios, Ph.D.

California State University of Fresno

Molly Buren, Ph.D.

National Louis University

This article for NASET’s Early Intervention Series was taken from the Winter 2025 edition of the Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals (JAASEP). Early intervention (EI) plays a crucial role in supporting infants and toddlers with developmental needs and helping families understand how to meet their child’s needs. However, once a child reaches the age of three, these services come to an end and families must transition to school services. Surprisingly, there is a lack of research focusing on how families perceive this transition from EI to school services. To fill this gap in the literature, a qualitative study was conducted, involving semi-structured interviews with 14 parents. This study aimed to explore the transition process and the experiences of parents during this crucial phase. The results indicate that parents generally had positive experiences with EI, particularly with the EI team. However, a noteworthy finding was that parents reported heightened stress levels during the transition from EI to school services. They often relied on EI and school professionals to navigate the system and secure services, with limited involvement in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. These findings have important implications for both research and practice in the field.