Parents and school staff form the immediate supporting environment for children with DS during transition to school. This research has shed a light on the experiences of parents and school staff of the transition process, an area which has been given little attention in the literature and which has the potential to inform future practice and research. This chapter outlines briefly the main findings from this study and the conclusions drawn. The implications for occupational therapy practice and for research are also presented. The limitations within the study are described. Finally, a summary of recommendations arising from the study are presented in Table 7.
The establishment of a positive home school relationship was central to how parents experienced the school transition process and arose though the convergence of several key factors over time including the response of the school principal and the flexible and proactive response of school staff. Parents identified the features of the principal’s response that reduced anxiety. An awareness by school principals of these factors that positively influenced parent’s perceptions of their first encounters with the school may facilitate the establishment of positive home school relationships and reduce parental anxiety. Additionally, research that targets the perspective of the school principal on school transition and their perception of their own role is warranted.
This study highlighted the absence of formal transition pathways and policies both on behalf of the schools and the disability service providers concerned. This had implications for how parents and schools staff experienced the transition. For parents this resulted in uncertainty about key transition meetings with the school during the early part of the transition. Both parents and school staff lacked knowledge of how to access to disability provider MDT supports as the school year unfolded and expressed frustration about the lack of transparency in this regard. This suggests that schools should devise and make available to prospective parents, information on the school’s transition pathway and transition practices as a means of reducing uncertainty. The current study has highlighted the advantages of flexibility and choice within the transition process for parents
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in this study. In practice for schools, this suggests that the capacity to individualise the transition process and adapt transition practices collaboratively with parents may be an important element of managing school transition for children with DS in a manner that supports the establishment of the home school relationship.
The concept of a ‘ready school’ refers to the capacity of the school to support the school transition and the child’s participation in school and includes the knowledge and skills school staff have to support the child (Dockett & Perry, 2009). Disability service providers have the potential to influence how school staff experience the transition, through the provision of timely support in a manner that empowers school staff to support the child’s participation in school. On practical level this requires a communication and collaboration between schools and disability service providers and the establishment of joint working processes. Further research may also be useful to explore what support is required by school staff as well as how multidisciplinary team members can provide this support
The child’s social engagement with peers was a key area of focus during the transition and involved both consideration of the expectations of parents and school staff and of the strategies used to support engagement. A key finding of the current research was the differing expectations between parents, school staff and between schools for the child’s social engagement. The findings presented here may add new knowledge on this topic. Despite the
demonstrated importance of the child’s relationship with peers, no studies have compared the expectations during transition of parents and school staff in respect of children with ID or DS. As the literature currently does not provide a framework for addressing this important and sensitive aspect of the child’s transition, further research is merited.
Previous research has indicated the importance of parental empowerment in promoting wellbeing during the transition. In the current research, it is therefore encouraging that at each stage of the transition process the active role of the parent was evident. Also, reflecting previous literature findings, parents themselves emphasised their desire to be involved in the transition and their
capacity to provide knowledge and insights in relation to the child. This suggest that both schools and disability service providers should practically recognise and support parent’s role in the transition process as this may be an additional means of reducing the distress reported in the initial stages,
Study Limitations
The current study is exploratory in nature and through the presentation of its findings is intended as a gateway to further, more in-depth research. It is recognised that primary school transition is a key event for children with ID in Ireland and as such warrants thorough investigation.
Most of the existing international research on school transition has been completed as part of large scale research projects that seek to develop comprehensive knowledge at regional or national level. In an Irish context no such published research exits. The current study, while useful in providing some contemporary insights on school transition in Ireland, is not of a sufficient scale to provide comparable knowledge to the larger research projects identified. Avenues for further research arising from the current study includes research that focuses on a much larger cohort of children. Quantitative research on school transition on provincial or national scale may have the potential to provide data on transition practices and pathways in existence nationwide. Such data could inform policy development including initiatives that arise from the Framework for Collaborative Working between Health and Education Professionals’ (HSE, 2013).
It is also recognised that neither the current study or other published research located incorporates the views or experiences of the child. Research that captures this perspective has the potential to further inform school practices.
The current study has identified specific concerns from the perspective parents and school staff in respect of the school transition for three children with Down syndrome. Specific recommendations for research to further explore the issues raised are outlined in the next and final section of this study. Recommendations for specific transition practices are also proposed for consideration.
115 Recommendations
Table 7. Recommendations
Recommendations Relating to Transition Practices
1. Primary schools to develop and make available to parents of children with DS information on an accessible and flexible school transition process. Information provided should clearly outlines the school’s transition timeline and pathway for the child and the associated transition practices and strategies.
2 It is recommended that Disability Service providers develop and share with parents and school’s their own school transition policy that outlines the multi-disciplinary roles, supports and practices associated with school transition for children with DS.
3. The drawing up of a specific communication protocol between school staff and parents of children with DS is recommended as an integral part of transition planning. This includes parent’s preferred communication methods, the type of information to be shared between home and school and preferred frequency of communication.
Recommendations for Further Research
4. Quantitative research that examines the transition of a large cohort of children and including a wider geographical area is required to provide information in respect of school transition practices in Ireland for children with ID.
5. Research that further explores the expectations, attitudes and beliefs of parents, and school staff in respect of peer social interaction and friendship for children with DS during school transition is required. 6. Given the pivotal role of school principals in the school transition for
children with DS within this study, research that targets the perspective of the school principal on school transition and their perception of their own role may be warranted.
7. Research to examine the model and content of training provided to school staff in respect of supporting children with DS during their transition to primary school would be useful to further explore concerns raised in this study by school staff.
8 Research that captures the views and experiences of the child in relation to school transition is warranted.
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