PEPTI Project Activities to Enhance Family-Guided Transitions
Family-guided practices training module
We will develop and disseminate a training module on family-guided practices, integrating it into existing systems such as California Early Intervention Technical Assistant Network's (CEITAN’s) Regional Center training and DDS Communities of Practice website, and scaling it up to TK/kindergarten transition teams through the Parent Training Information Center (PTIC) partnership. The Eastern Lost Angeles Family Resource Center (ELAFRC) will develop and disseminate a training module for the 47 statewide FRCs and transition-team professionals including families and preschool staff. To inform its development, a representative team at San Diego State University, led by Dr. Laura Hall, conducted interviews with culturally diverse families of children with disabilities to identify their challenges, needs, and values in building successful partnerships with Early Education providers.
Family Partnership Professional Learning Communities
We will facilitate a community of practice and learning series led by Dr. Natalie Holdren on Turnbull’s Sunshine Model using the book "Families and Professionals: Trusting Partnerships in General and Special Education" (2021) to provide ongoing job-embedded learning and implementation support for LEAs, FRCs, FECs and PTICs.
Transition support materials
We develop transition support materials for broad dissemination, including an informational pamphlet on Part C resources for Part B professionals, and support an interactive e-Resource map on Part C resources and referral networks.
Partnerships and Collaborators for this Focus Area
Dr. Yvette Baptiste, the ELAFRC Executive Director and Chair, Family Resource Center Network of CA (FRCN/CA)
Dr. Baptiste and Dr. Natalie Holdren are developing a training-of-trainer module focused on building family-centered transition practices to support trusting and respectful family relationships. Dr. Baptiste will also help to build a network of representatives across the FRCs, PTICs, and FECs and disseminate training materials.
Dr. Natalie Holdren, UC Santa Barbara
Dr. Holdren will design and implement PLCs for internal and external staff and consult with project staff on current related research and best practices on the Sunshine Model developed by Ann Turnbull. She is a co-author of the Turnbull text to be distributed and studied.
Dr. Laura Hall, San Diego State University
Dr. Hall will serve as an advisor to the project and conduct focus groups with parents regarding their experiences and recommendations for transitioning from Part C to Part B services.
The Parent Training and Information Center (PTIC), Exceptional Parents Unlimited
The PTIC will collaborate with the FRCN/CA and the PEPTI team to scale up the family-guided transitions training to PTICs supporting PK to TK transition and to promote integrated use of preschool inclusion practices across the PTIC, FEC, and FRC networks.
California Early Intervention Technical Assistant Network (CEITAN)
The Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) Provider will partner with the CDE and DDS to provide CA Early Start intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. PEPTI will collaborate with CEITAN to align the family partnership training with the CA Early Start Course transition training for regional centers. Together they will disseminate information to the service coordinators and vendors about the expanded PK opportunities and the automatic eligibility of children exiting Part C programs and entering a California State Preschool Program.
