12 Tips on Preparing for Back-to-School

1.) Make sure your child is familiar with the school. Usually schools plan a couple of hour window of time where every parent and child is supposed to come meet the teacher. Consider skipping that and making an appointment for your child to check out the classroom and meet the teacher when it is quiet and they can focus on getting used to the school in peace. Also go on the bus route in advance.

2.) Make the most of their tour. Take pictures, make a story book (paper or digital) that they can review whenever they like before school starts. It helps if not everything is new on the first day.

3.) Countdown to Transition Preparation; Social Stories, Role Playing and Calendars.

4.) Start a month ahead with a scheduled bedtime and wakeup routine. Keep the schedule of events exacting-getting up, eating, dressing, brushing hair and teeth, etc. See how much the child can do without a prompt but if needed have a picture schedule or written visual schedule posted on the refrigerator or bathroom mirror.

5.) Read age-appropriate books about going to school to help your child know what to expect or help your child make their own story with the creation of a personalized social story.

6.) Never use school as a threat or a means to change or challenge a child’s behavior.

7.) Make sure that you walk through the building locating the classrooms, bathrooms, and lunch room and recess areas. For older children and teens, practice the route that they will take as they go from class to class and spend time helping them figure out locker combinations in a timely fashion.

8.) Role playing another way for the child to use visual depiction to ease into the new school year. Depending on your child’s developmental age, prepare for school experiences by using puppets or by role-playing some enjoyable school activities. Playing “school” is a great way to help your child understand how school works and what will go on while he/she is there.

9.) To help reduce anxiety and create predictability, consider creating another kind of visual aid, in this case, a back to school calendar. Create a countdown to school with each day numbered as to the days left until the new semester starts. Begin your child’s day by going to the calendar and marking off the last day. Continue the activity by counting how many days are left until school begins.

10.) Start the homework at the same time every day. The earlier the child gets started, the better. Have the work area organized and free from distractions. The supplies should be color coded and in a set place. The kitchen table of a desk might not be a comfortable work area for a child with autism. He/she might do better sitting on a soft cushion bean bag with a lap desk. Have an exact order, always using picture cues and a visual timer (with or without an alarm depending on your child’s auditory processing sensitivities) to show the expected work time.

11.) In regards to homework, think about your child’s sensory needs and ask yourself the following questions;
-Is the lighting too bright?
-Are there noise distractions or will music help?
-Does my child need deep pressure input, such as a weighted blanket or vest?

Consider a physical activity before settling down to do work and remember to include sensory breaks, like a crunchy snack, as a way to help a child tolerate the homework load.

12.) Create daily checklists that can include tasks like putting completed homework in the correct class folders, make sure materials for tomorrow are in the child’s back pack, etc.

*When meeting with the staff, find out how much experience the teachers have with autistic students. This is an opportunity for parents to seek out answers to all relevant questions that will impact their child’s upcoming academic year.

It’s equally important for parents to honestly share with their child’s teacher any behavioral concerns or issues that they are aware of so that the teacher can be better prepared with appropriate strategies to service the needs of the child. If your child is a visual learner (as many children with autism are) you may want to suggest that the teacher create a visual schedule on the board and/or at the child’s desk that creates each day.

Create your own visual schedule