ABSTRACT
Times of change and transition are potentially stressful periods for all children. Stress is often significant for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Even very young children can be involved in the transition planning process, and the child will feel more confident when working through the transition with others, rather than being propelled into a new situation by others. The time commitment necessary to plan transitions may seem a burden to teachers, but an hour spent with colleagues on working out a strategy to support a child through a period of change will save disruption to other children, and avoids many hours of future work writing behaviour plans, meeting with educational psychologists, talking to parents, and so on. A planned gradual transfer is the most effective way of developing successful inclusion. The transfer is a big thing for the child and for the teachers, but also for the other children in the classes.
