What is Vertical Transition

Across the lifespan, students with disabilities may experience a variety of transitions. However, transition between preschool and kindergarten often necessitates transdisciplinary collaboration, planning, and coordination between practitioners (teachers, administrators, and support staff) and families to ensure that students with disabilities experience a successful start to what many consider to be “formal schooling.” In this chapter, the authors provide practitioners, administrators, as well as preservice and in-service professionals guidance in the use of transdisciplinary practices that meaningfully and actively engage all families of students with disabilities throughout the transition to kindergarten process. Current research, evidence-based practices and strategies, specific guidelines for implementation, and vignettes are used to describe opportunities that exist to better implement the existing conceptual framework and stronger collaborative efforts between practitioners and families.