JCPSLP November 2017

(including communication skills) were not available for inclusion in the participant description. Pseudonyms have been provided to all children and parents for privacy reasons. Procedure The focus group for parents whose children had completed PrEPIC (Group 1) was held in the evening in a meeting room at a university and lasted approximately 75 minutes. For Group 2, focus groups were held on two different occasions during the day in an empty classroom in the school and lasted approximately 90 minutes and 30 minutes respectively. The first author facilitated the focus groups using a semi-structured question guide (available on request) that encouraged the parents to reflect on, and share, their experiences of the program. Parents were asked to reflect on their children’s skills, expectations for the program, and perceived outcomes. The use of the semi-structured question guide, along with the fact that the participants were familiar with one another, created what appeared to be a relaxed atmosphere, helping to ensure that all contributed to the discussion. They frequently acknowledged one another’s comments in a supportive manner through body language and their own comments. All focus groups were audio recorded to assist with transcription and analysis. Coding and analysis The authors and research assistants first transcribed the audio-recordings verbatim. The first and second author then reviewed the transcripts while listening to the recordings to check for transcription accuracy. The transcripts formed the basis of a thematic analysis completed according to the procedure described by Braun and Clarke (2006). Specifically, the first author read each transcript to ensure familiarity with the contents. Next, using line-by-line analysis, preliminary codes were assigned to identify discrete ideas, incidents, and events in the data. Similar and related codes were subsequently grouped into categories, from which abstract themes emerged. Each theme was reviewed with reference to the original transcriptions to determine the extent to which it accounted for the participants’ views and experiences. The second author reviewed all transcripts and the first author’s analysis to identify any differences of interpretation in the coding that were resolved through discussion and consensus coding as necessary. Guidelines for ensuring credibility developed by Chiviotti and Piran (2003) were adhered to, including specifying the aims of the research, the basis on which participants were selected, how the literature relates to the themes identified, and, where possible, using the participants’ own words when creating themes and presenting the results. Results Three themes emerged to account for the parents’ views and experiences of the PrEPIC program. Here, we provide an overview of each theme, while Table 2 presents a selection of participant quotes illustrating the constituent categories for each theme. The first theme to emerge – It’s the foundation – captured the fact that the transition program was comprised of multiple components that came together in a cohesive manner to support the parents. As Ava explained, “It’s the foundation, in one word, really. It’s the foundation to what’s ahead.” As is evident in Table 2, the components included parents having a strong commitment to education for their

children, matched by the skills of experienced teachers. Parents spoke frequently of the importance of providing their children with a strong foundation for starting school, and doing so in a way that was age appropriate, but at the same time accounting for their children’s learning needs. To this end, they said they valued the proactive approach in the PrEPIC program, whereby their children could begin the transition to school early via the program, thus reducing the likelihood of having to repeat either a year of preschool or the prep year. In working with teachers, parents spoke of the importance of open communication and how they appreciated staff having a sense of humour when it came to managing their children’s behaviours. The second theme – Seems grown up – emerged in response to the large number of parent comments regarding the perceived impact of the program on their children’s development. Ella summarised: “PrEPIC [has been] brilliant so far. He absolutely loves it. He seems grown up. He’s just, like, not a baby any more.” Parents observed positive changes in their children’s social-communication skills and behaviour. As illustrated in Table 2, some parents spoke of improvements in expressive language, with children learning to share information about their day and becoming more skilled and interested in interacting with the other children. Others focused on changes in their children’s emotional regulation and behaviour, and the positive impact of these new skills on their children’s learning. Collectively, the parents expressed a strong sentiment that the children were more mature, confident, and prepared for their transition to school. The final theme – Eased us and the kids into school – accounted for the unanimous sentiment from parents that the transition to school would be easier for both them, and their children, following the program. The theme label originated from Aisha’s comment that: It’s kind of eased us, well, eased us and the kids into primary school because it is doing PrEPIC but it is like a primary school, so it’s a lot easier for the children and also for the parents too. Parents explained that their anxiety decreased while their children were in the program, primarily due to changes in their children’s skills and the support provided by teachers and other parents. Several parents reported that the positive changes in their children’s skills and behaviour meant that they now had more schooling options to choose from for the following year, with mainstream schooling (as opposed to special education) seeming like a viable option. Notably, parents also explained that changes in the children’s skills and behaviour had led to positive changes at home, further reducing pressure on families during the transition. In spite of these reported benefits, several parents still expressed trepidation regarding the transition from PrEPIC to the first year of school, suggesting that some anxiety is possibly unavoidable even when a range of supports is put in place. Discussion Despite widespread acknowledgement in research and clinical settings of the importance and challenges of transition to school, few studies have examined community- based attempts to support children and their parents during this process. Accordingly, the results of this study provide novel insights into the possible impacts that a comprehensive program targeting transition may have on children and their parents. Here, we consider the key

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JCPSLP Volume 19, Number 3 2017

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