Many neuro-diverse children and young people find starting or moving schools challenging. If you’re the parent or carer of a child with special needs, it can be difficult to know how to keep stress levels low while providing effective support.
Let’s look at how you can prepare your child for this change and explore ways to help them.
Plan visits before term starts
Aim to visit the school with your child at least once before term starts. If you can arrange it with the school, consider meeting with your child’s teacher and photographing key people involved in their transition.
Use these photos to create a book you can refer to often, familiarising your child with the new people in their life. Also, take time to walk around the grounds so your child feels comfortable with the spaces they’ll be using during recess and lunch
Some schools are open to a phased entry, where your child goes for a few hours a day or a few days a week to start.
Try to ring up the subject of school often, in positive ways.
Use visual supports
Visual supports can help your child to understand what will be happening and reinforce verbal communication. Use these repeatedly in the lead up to the start of school and as an ongoing learning tool to reinforce patterns of behaviour. Think about creating a visual timetable to help your child understand what’s happening, or provide them with visual prompts to help them throughout the day.
Remember, if you’re using visual supports:
- use clear language
- give your child time to process what’s been said
- show the expected outcomes as well as the stages of a process (e.g. if you are using a visual support to explain packing your school bag, ensure you include pictures of the bag being hung on the hook at school)
- mark the day of the change on a calendar and encourage your child to count down to that day.
Managing your child’s anxiety
If your child is displaying anxiety about the upcoming transition, give them plenty of opportunities to ask questions, and encourage them to name their feelings. Explain all the positives associated with transitioning to school and why the change will be good for them.
Try to set aside time to try some relaxation techniques or invest in some sensory tools for anxiety, like our weighted calming aids, to reduce anxiety levels.
Be supportive throughout the change
Your little one will look to you for guidance to give clear instructions, without using gestures or specific facial expressions as this will help them process what you are saying. Give them lots of praise for managing to cope with the change and adapt to a new routine. Consider a reward chart to help them gain a sense of achievement.
Communicate with staff
Contact your school before term starts and talk to them about your child’s individual needs and what causes them anxiety. Open and effective communication with the school about your child’s autism and sensory issues will make a positive difference as your child takes this next step in their journey towards adulthood.
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Sister Sensory is Australia’s number one choice for sensory toys and tools. We understand children with autism and other special needs require a unique range of options to interact with. As a registered NDIS provider, we stock a huge range of Australian autism sensory tools and offer a selection of fidget toys for those coping with ADHD and anxiety.
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