The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore and discover the transition practices of special education leaders who work with students with disabilities (SWD) during the elementary to middle school transitional period. The transitional year between elementary and middle school has been described as difficult due to many reasons. The connection between the level of difficulties experienced by the students and the processes special education leaders implemented provided a gap in the current literature. Semistructured interviews were conducted to identify the tools and strategies special education leaders used to transition SWD from elementary to middle school. The findings of this study are limited to parts of Georgia and may not be transferable for special educators in other states. However, three main tools were implemented to help students during the transitional period. The use of the Active Student Participation Inspires Real Engagement (ASPIRE) program provided insight into the needs of the students. Visits to the middle school and understandings of the programs and available resources contributed to the transition process. Tools and strategies were found that could be useful when working with SWD during the transitional period of elementary to middle school. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]