The Experience of Parents as Their Children with Developmental Disabilities Transition from Early Intervention to Kindergarten

Oct 15, 2026

Despite growing recognition of parent involvement for meaningful inclusion of young children with developmental disabilities in educational settings, Canadian evidence remains limited on parents’ lived experience of this collaboration during transition. The paper reports preliminary HELPS Inc findings, using a Canadian multi-method project to examine Health, Education, and Learning Partnerships promoting Social Inclusion. Using case study data from three families in Ontario, it highlights distinct meanings of collaboration and the resulting challenges for healthcare providers and educators.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages40

Reading Time1 h 41 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Résumé

Authors’ Note

Introduction

The Experience of Parents as Their Children with Developmental Disabilities Transition from Early Intervention to Kindergarten Michelle Villeneuve Queen’s University Céline Chatenoud Université du Québec à Montréal Nancy L. Hutchinson Queen’s University Patricia Minnes Queen’s University Adrienne Perry York University Carmen Dionne Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Elaine B. Frankel Ryerson University Barry Isaacs Surrey Place Centre, Toronto Alvin Loh Surrey Place Centre, Toronto Joan Versnel Dalhousie University Jonathan Weiss York University Abstract Despite recognition of the importance of parent involvement to enable meaningful inclusion of young children with developmental disabilities in education contexts, few Canadian studies have reported how parents experience this collaboration. Recent research suggests that the transition process is critical to the early school experiences of children with developmental disabilities yet challenging for their parents. The purpose of this paper is to report preliminary data from HELPS Inc, a Canadian multi-method research project describing Health, Education, and Learning Partnerships Promoting Social Inclusion of young children with developmental disabilities. In this paper we present parents’ perspectives on inclusion and collaboration with case study findings based on the experiences of three families in one Ontario community. The data demonstrate the unique experiences of and meanings of collaboration held by individual families, and highlight the challenges these differences pose for healthcare providers and educators committed to involving parents in the transition into school and for inclusion of young children with developmental delays and disabilities. Keywords: Inclusive education, developmental disability, collaboration, parent involvement. Précis/Résumé Malgré la reconnaissance de l'importance de la prise en compte et de la collaboration avec les parents pour permettre une véritable inclusion des jeunes enfants ayant un retard de développement ou une déficience en contextes éducatifs préscolaires et scolaires , peu d'études canadiennes rapportent comment les parents vivent l'expérience de cette collaboration. Également, même si des recherches récentes suggèrent l’importance du processus de transition préscolaire-scolaire relativement au parcours éducatifinclusif des enfants ayant un retard de développement ou une déficience , ce processus semble se constituer encore en un défi pour les parents. Le but de cet article est de rapporter l’analyse préliminaire des données de HELP Inc., un projet de recherche multicentrique canadien et impliquant une méthodologie mixte permettant de décrire le travail des intervenants en santé, en éducation et leurs partenariats d'apprentissage pour favoriser l'inclusion sociale des jeunes enfants ayant un retard de développement ou une déficience. Dans cet article, nous présentons les perspectives de parents sur l'inclusion et la collaboration en se basant sur les résultats de l'étude de cas relatifs à trois familles dans une communauté de l'Ontario. L’ analyse des données documente les expériences uniques de collaboration de chacune des familles et le sens que ces familles individuelles leur attribuent. Les chercheurs mettent en évidence les défis que ces différences expériences et perceptions de collaboration autours du jeune enfant posent pour les prestataires de services en santé et en éducation et qui collaborent avec les parents pour réussir la transition du jeune enfant ayant un retard de développement ou une déficience vers l'école dans une perspective inclusive . Mots-clés: éducation inclusive, ~~la~~ collaboration, la participation des parents. Authors’ Note Acknowledgement: The HELPS Inc Project: Health Education and Learning Partnerships Promoting Social Inclusion of Children with Developmental Delays and Disabilities / Partenariat Santé/Éducation pour l'inclusion des jeu

FAQs

What gap does the paper address about parent involvement in inclusion during transitions?

It highlights that, despite acknowledging the importance of parent involvement, few Canadian studies report how parents experience collaboration when their children transition into early schooling.

What is HELPS Inc and what does this paper present?

HELPS Inc is a Canadian multi-method research project on Health, Education, and Learning Partnerships promoting social inclusion. This paper presents parents’ perspectives on inclusion and collaboration, based on case studies from three families.

Why is the transition process described as challenging for parents?

The paper notes that research suggests transitions are critical to early school experiences for children with developmental disabilities, yet the collaboration and differences in families’ experiences create challenges for providers and educators.

Oct 15, 2026

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