Hopefully everyone has had an enjoyable summer, and you have been able to have some fun with your kids! Before you know it, children will be heading back to school with new backpacks, clothes, fresh haircuts, and an enthusiasm for what the school year will hold.
However, for parents to children on the autism spectrum, the new school year brings anxiety related to lots of unknowns: the implementation of our child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP), adjustment to the expectations and procedures of the teacher, the thought of our child sitting alone at lunch and playing alone at recess, and the possibility that the one friend our child made a connection with last year will be assigned to a different classroom.
It’s enough to make a parent throw a tantrum. If you need to, go ahead. Just be sure your anxiety is not visible to your child.
Thankfully, you can use specific strategies and actions to facilitate a smoother transition back to school and a positive start for everyone involved—student, parent, and teacher. Here are some ideas to help you get through the back-to-school blues.
1. Create a social story or picture schedule for your child’s school day. Contact your child’s school to access your child’s daily schedule. A picture of your child’s teacher and classroom may also be helpful.
2. Promote communication between previous teachers and your child’s new teacher. The teacher should share teaching techniques and behavior strategies that worked well. If your child attends specific therapies during the school day, have those specialists talk with your child’s teacher as well.
3. Make sure all of your child’s medical information is up-to-date with the school. If any medications have changed during the summer, make sure the school notes the change. Inform the teacher of any allergies.
4. Keep in mind that although you need to advocate for what is best for your child, you also need to work cooperatively with the school. Review your child’s IEP, and make contact with the new teacher—introduce yourself and touch upon the most important points of your child’s disability. Do not assume teachers already have all of this information. Be honest and open with the teacher. He or she has the same goals for your child as you do. I have also found that teachers I don’t necessarily click with have had the most positive results with Hannah.
5. Volunteer your time making materials, being an extra hand, or helping with special projects and events.This is a valuable way to observe how the classroom operates. And by eliminating some of the teacher’s busywork, the teacher will have more time with the children—including yours.
6. If your child is a bus rider, find out if the bus driver, bus number, and pick-up and drop-off times are the same as the previous year. If the driver has changed, contact the new driver to discuss any concerns.
I hope everyone has a successful transition to the new school year!
I welcome any questions and/or comments—just drop them in the comments below.
Take care,
Lori