It's the end of the school year and everyone has spring fever. The management of classrooms becomes tough and getting children to bed on time and out the door is even tougher. Teachers and parents still have a big job ahead of them. This last month of school needs to be used to wrap up all of your hard work effectively. Here is a plan that will assist in a smooth Fall transition:

Write down everything that HAS & HAS NOT worked for the child in the school setting. Teaching strategies, behavior strategies and other modifications/accommodations need to all be considered.
Prioritize goals and needs for summer program. Whether the student will be in ESY through the school system, a community program or at home playing in the yard, now is the time to work with the team to prioritize what can happen in the 10 weeks of summer!
Thank your team! Teachers need to thank parents and other team members and parents should do the same in return. Don't forget to include the special ed director, yep, she's part of the team too and NEVER get's the cutie end of the year teacher gifts anymore!

With facts in writing, priorities made and thank you's in order you are bound to have a great summer to rejuvenate for an intensive fall with new beginnings! Sometimes communicating end of the year needs within the IEP team is difficult, but overcoming this challenge is well worth the reward of minimizing the transition meltdowns that often happen during the new school year.

Catherine Whitcher, M.Ed, Founder and President of Precision Education, a special education consulting firm is a certified teacher and consults throughout the United States with school districts and parents on maximizing special education. She has been featured on AutismOne radio, published in The Autism Perspective and is a highly sought speaker for special education conferences. Ms. Whitcher is a proud member of NASET, a Distinguished Mom's Choice Award Judge, and has collaborated with various corporations to provide research proven trainings to special education teams.

Ms. Whitcher is the designer of Back to the Future planning, which provides opportunities for teams to prioritize and reach goals otherwise thought impossible for students with special needs. Through these common sense, common practice methods, a student-centered, school-focused, parent-friendly plan is created. The Precision Education team invites you to call and find out how our exceptional learning solutions can help your exceptional learner. (800) 432-0170 http://www.precisioneducation.com