Overgang barnehage – skole for barn med særskilte behov – en systematisk litteraturgjennomgang fra perioden 2015–2021

The purpose of the study is to investigate the research on the transition from kindergarten to school for children with special needs. The study seeks to map out what existing research has focused on and identify areas that need further exploration, especially in a Norwegian context. The study also aims to contribute to increased knowledge about factors that affect this transition, as well as inform the development of special needs education practice.

The results show that parental participation and information are critical topics in the transition from kindergarten to school for children with special needs. Parents experience greater involvement in kindergarten than in school, where information is often one-way. The lack of children’s own perspectives points to an important need for research. The study also highlights the need for more national research to understand the transition in a Norwegian context, and emphasises the importance of parents’ knowledge in the children’s educational pathway.

The study used systematic literature searches to find and include articles about children with special needs. The search was conducted in several scientific databases and only included peer-reviewed articles in English and Scandinavian languages. A total of 5903 hits were identified, which, after a step-by-step review, resulted in 12 studies that directly addressed the transition from kindergarten to school for children with specific needs. The articles were grouped into categories based on general challenges and specific identified difficulties. The review also sought to uncover patterns and topics in the focus of the research.

Festøy, A. R. F., Berg, K., Sæteren, A. L., Moen, T., & Åmot, I. (2023). Overgang barnehage – skole for barn med særskilte behov – en systematisk litteraturgjennomgang fra perioden 2015–2021.