We are just a week away from starting school and, thankfully, my boys are excited to return to school.
Last year, though, was a completely different story.
After a horrible school experience, it was difficult to ease my son's worries and anxiety about returning to school for another year. However, with lots of preparation and a strong routine, the transition back to school went fairly smoothly.
Now, perhaps your autistic child is in the same boat, anxious about heading back to school.
Or maybe they're starting at a new school and that's terrifying for them.
Or maybe it's even their first year of school and they're nervous because they simply don't know what to expect.
Regardless of what stage your autistic child is at, these back to school tips will help prepare your autistic child for the upcoming school year.
A version of this post originally appeared on the CBC Parents website.
Tips & Strategies for Preparing Your Autistic Child for the School Year
From social stories about going to school to tips on how to prepare your child for the classroom itself, these 15 back to school tips are incredibly helpful.
Specifically, you'll find tips and strategies to help reduce uncertainty and anxiety about going to school, establish predictable routines, make the transition go as smoothly as possible, and foster a collaborative environment between you, your child, and the school.
1. Write a Social Story About Going to School
Social stories can be a great way to introduce kids to school expectations, rules, routines, and new experiences, such as riding the bus or going on a field trip. Ideally, you want to personalize the social story with pictures and names of your child, their school, teacher, staff, etc.
However, if you aren't sure what to include in your social story or what to write, here are some resources to get you started:
- Free Back to School Social Stories - Use as is or as inspiration when writing your own.
- Free Social Story Templates - So you can write your own. Simply plug in some text and photos and voila.
2. Meet with School Staff Ahead of Time
If possible, arrange to meet your child's teacher and the school staff before the first day of school.
Arranging these meetings can help reduce anxiety and ease the transition into a new environment. After all, you're meeting with the teacher and staff without the hustle and bustle of a regular school day, which can be noisy, busy, and, frankly, overwhelming when you have hundreds of people in the building at one time.
You can use these meetings to introduce your child early and inform the school of your child's diagnosis (see tips #7 and #8 below). You may also be able to discuss some possible accommodations to help make the first few days go smoother.
3. Arrange for a School Tour
It can be helpful to go for a tour of the school and classroom before the first day of school as well.
Depending on the school itself, the child's actual classroom or teacher might not yet be determined. However, you can still go for a tour to see where the gym, library, playgrounds, boot rooms, bathrooms, etc. are and get familiar with the layout of the school.
Pro tip: If possible, take pictures of the school and school yard while on your tour so that you can include them in a personalized social story (as discussed earlier in tip #1) or you can revisit these photos with your child before the first day of school. Also, be sure to ask for a map or layout of the school to share with your child (some schools may not provide maps though due to school policies).
4. Go for Playground Visits
In the weeks leading up to the first day of school, visit the school playground to help your child get familiar with the playground equipment and how to use what's available.
Doing so will help your child build confidence for playing during recess time. There's also the possibility that you might meet other children who attend the school.
While there, you might want to take the time to show your child safe places to play and point out unsafe places to play (e.g., staff parking lot, out-of-bounds for the playground).
Before starting school, you might want to write and read through specific social stories related to recess time and playground skills. Here are some helpful options to consider:
5. School Bus Preparation
Will your child be riding the bus to school? Well, there are a few things you can do to prepare for this new experience, including:
- Arrange to meet the bus driver ahead of time
- Walk to the bus stop and show your child where they will be picked up and dropped off
- Discuss bus safety rules (a social story can be great for this!)
- Create a visual schedule that includes the pickup and drop off times
- Use a social story to help outline what to expect
6. Read Books About Going to School
It can be helpful to read books about going to school with your child, especially if it's their first year of school. I highly recommend visiting your local library to pick up some picture books that talk about school, anxiety and worries, first day of school, etc.
7. Introduce Your Child Early
Write a letter or email to your child's teacher to explain who your child is, their diagnoses/neurotypes, strengths, interests, accommodations, supports, weaknesses, etc. You can do this before the school year (if you already know who your child's teacher will be) or in the first week or two of school.
Remember, an IIP/IEP meeting will likely not be scheduled right away so this tip is a great way to help your child's teacher know what to expect and how to best support your child right from day one.
Here are some resources that might be helpful to you:
- Editable IEP Cover Letter - Great to use even before that first IIP/IEP meeting!
8. Inform the School About Your Child's Diagnoses
It's important to make sure your child's school is aware of your child's diagnoses, especially if it's their first year of school or if they're starting fresh at a new school.
If schools have this information early on, they're better able to make sure proper supports are in place. For instance, our school division determines placements for and allotment of educational assistants by knowing the number of identified students ahead of time. They rarely hire more after the school year starts and, instead, juggle the staff they already have.
9. Put Together a Calming Sensory Toolkit
To support your child's sensory needs, you might want to put together a mini sensory toolkit for your child's backpack, filled with their favorite sensory tools (e.g., chew necklace, chewy or fidget-friendly pencil toppers, noise reducing ear muffs, fidgets). Think of it as having a calm down toolkit for on the go! Then it can be used on the school bus, in the classroom, on field trips, during assemblies, etc.
10. Talk to Your Child About Starting School
Don't forget to talk to your child about the upcoming school year. You can discuss all the fun new things they'll learn at school, ask if they have any worries, explain routines, answer questions, etc.
Engaging in an open dialogue with your child like this can help ease any anxiety they may have and maybe get them excited for the school year. And, remember, this won't be a one and done conversation. It's meant to be an ongoing conversation, even after they start school.
11. Create a Back to School Countdown
Your child might find it helpful to do a countdown leading up to the new school year. For example, you could cross of the days on the calendar together so they can visually see when the first day of school is and how many more days they have to wait.
Please note that while countdowns like this may reduce anxiety for your child, they might also increase anxiety for other children. You know your child best, though, so only do a countdown like this if you think it will be helpful.
12. Establish a School Morning Routine
One of the best things you can do in the days and weeks leading up to the new school year is to establish and practice your school morning routine.
I know getting to school on time every single morning can be tough, especially during our long cold winters here in Saskatchewan, so it is important to get your child into a routine of waking up by a certain time, eating breakfast by a certain time, and so on.
Start by thinking about all of the things your child needs to do before leaving for school and jotting down any important times to consider (e.g., school bus pickup time, what time the school bell rings). Then put together a routine based on those things.
You might find these resources handy for creating your school morning routine:
13. Establish an After School Routine
A morning routine is good and all, but it's also a great idea to establish an after school routine as well. You can practice this ahead of time, if you want, or start refining it during the first few days of school.
A good after school routine should include some quiet time and a chance to unwind, especially given that many autistic kids mask while at school and that after-school restraint collapse is a very real thing.
Your after school routine might also include emptying their backpack, having a snack, or doing their homework.
You might find these resources handy for creating your after school routine:
14. Establish a Bedtime Routine for School Nights
We've got morning and after school covered, but don't forget about bedtime too.
In order to have your child waking up on time every school morning, it's important to get them to bed at a regular time too. So be sure to establish a consistent bedtime routine for the school year in the days or weeks leading up to the new school year.
Here are some resources to help you create a bedtime routine:
15. Discuss School Drop off & Pick up Procedures
It's important to discuss the school drop off and pick up procedures with your child. Consider the following questions:
- Will your child be picked up and dropped off by someone? Who will be picking them up and dropping them off? Where do they meet you at the end of the school day? What time?
- Are they taking the bus before and after school? Do they know the pickup point? Do they know what time they will be picked up? Do they know which bus they are supposed to get on?
- Are they attending a before and after care program?
- Will they be walking to and from school by themselves, with a friend, or with a parent? Do they know the route and what time to leave?
- Are they biking to school? Do they know how to lock up their bike and where to lock it up? Do they know the route and what time to leave?
The point is to make sure your child knows how they will be getting to and from school safely for the duration of the school year. Things you might want to consider:
- Practice school drop off and pick up routines before school starts
- Use relevant social stories (e.g., riding a bus, crossing the street, bike safety)
- Create visual supports that include times, places, people, etc. that are relevant to their procedures
- Create a safety plan with important phone numbers, addresses, written instructions, or anything else that might be relevant
- Discuss any procedure changes in advance, if possible
Some Final Thoughts on these Back to School Tips for Kids
As you can see, there are many things to consider when it comes to transitioning back to school. You have to consider safety, routines, transitions, anxiety, etc. as well as your child's age, skills, abilities, proximity to the school, and so on.
Remember, you know your child best so use strategies from above that make sense for your child and your unique situation.
Please keep in mind that this list of back to school tips is not exhaustive by any means. You might think of other things you might have to consider that I didn't include on this list. Regardless, this list should be a great starting point to help prepare your child - autistic or not - for the transition back to school. Good luck!
