As a new school year approaches, parents everywhere scramble to prepare for another year of academic growth and social opportunities. However, for a parent of a child with autism, there are often many extra obstacles to work through before sending their child off to school in the Fall. Let’s consider a few important things to do to prepare your child for a new school year.

Introduce your child to their teachers and classroom

If your child struggles with routines and expectations, preparing them for who they will be working with and what their class will be like can help ease their nerves and make for a smoother transition.

• Schedule a meet and greet (or two): If your child’s teacher and support staff can, request to meet during the Summer to allow your child to get to know them.

• Tour the classroom: As it gets closer to the new school year and teachers begin preparing their classrooms, request a tour of the classroom, so your child can begin to get acclimated to the setting. This will also allow for another opportunity to meet the teachers. Work with your child and their teachers to identify any areas of the classroom that may be sensory overload and identify safe spaces where they can take a break if needed.

• Create a social story: If your child benefits from social stories, create one written about their new teacher and classroom. You can include a picture of the teacher and information about their classroom, the daily routine, etc. Any information you have that may help them better prepare can be included in the story. Read this to your child daily, especially as it gets closer to the new school year. If your child is able to verbally respond to questions, have them reflect on the social story to show a level of understanding. Ask questions that are explained in the social story such as “what’s your teacher’s name?”, “when do you have art class?”, etc.

Provide social interactions

To prepare your child for the social aspects of school, practice going out into the community in spaces where other children of similar age are. If your child struggles with social settings, start small and work your way up. Perhaps a play date with a cousin or family friend to start with would be best.

Some other ideas for social opportunities include:

• Indoor playground
• Parks
• Special needs playgroups
• Fast food restaurant’s play place
• Museum or zoo
• The local library (some may have play groups or group reading times)
• Neighborhood children
  

Role-Play

Role-playing the expected behaviors and routines can help a child prepare for what’s to come. This can be done by first talking them through school routines, expected behaviors, morning routines before heading off to school, etc. Next, you would tell your child that you’re going to practice. Demonstrate the behaviors, then have them copy you. The more times you practice the expected behaviors, the more likely they will retain the information and be prepared to generalize the behaviors when school is ready to start.

Review their IEP

It may be beneficial to remind yourself of your child’s school goals, accommodations, etc. during the Summer. Reviewing the IEP is a great way to do so. Reviewing your child’s IEP during the Summer can help in a few ways.

• Identify goals to work on during the summer: Having your child’s goals fresh in your mind can help you to identify goals that you can work on with them during the Summer. Regression of skills is common with all children during the Summer months when formal teaching is not typically occurring. To avoid this, try engaging your child in activities that align with the goals they have in their IEP.
• Refresh your memory before the new school year: If your child’s last IEP meeting was several months ago, you may not remember all of the accommodations your child is required to be provided, what the goals are that they’re working on, etc. Knowing this information can help you go into the new school year prepared to advocate that they are receiving the supports needed to be successful.