Transition to kindergarten for children with disabilities: A survey of family experiences, appraisal and coping

The research project examined parents' responses to the experience of transition from preschool special education to school age programs. The research focused on four primary questions: (1) participation in transition-related activities, (2) use of transition-related coping strategies, (3) parents' appraisals of the transition process, and (4) the influence of family experiences, resources and characteristics on this appraisal. A survey was mailed to parents of 530 children who had transitioned from preschool special education into kindergarten services the previous spring. The 63-item questionnaire was used to elicit demographic information and scaled responses to assertions about the transition process and coping strategies parents used. Results from analysis of 202 usable responses showed two thirds of parents reported participating in 3 or more transition activities. All respondents reported using coping strategies, with strategies factoring into four groups: (1) seeking information or emotional support from professionals, (2) seeking information or emotional support from family, friends, and co-workers, (3) using self-generated coping, and (4) using spiritual supports. Most parents appraised the transition positively. Analysis of question 4, whether experience, resources, or characteristics influenced appraisals of transition, yielded two statistically significant findings: (1) parents who had graduated from high school gave more positive appraisals of the transition; and (2) parents who received support from teachers gave slightly more positive appraisals of the transition. The current findings support earlier research involving a smaller sample.