As summer winds down, kids and parents start to think about going back-to-school. Sometimes this can be a hard transition, especially for children with special needs. These expert tips can create an easy and fun way for special needs students to get excited for the school year.
And if you hired a special needs nanny or sitter to watch your child in the afternoon, ask her advice. She probably has lots of experience getting kids with special needs through the back-to-school blues.
Have Fun
Summer is all about fun, so keep the fun going well into the fall. When you’re shopping for back-to-school supplies, pick up some new educational toys geared towards your child’s need.
Associate School with Fun
Visit the school as often as possible. Weekly visits to the playground — even if just to have a quiet lunch — help your child become familiar with the surroundings. Meeting a friend there is even better. As the school year approaches, call ahead and ask if you can meet the principal and the teacher and walk around the classroom before school starts. Not all schools encourage this, but it never hurts to ask. If your child has any kind of sensory processing issues, introduce new clothes (even the new backpack) into the wardrobe in late summer, so they have time to adjust.
Provide Summertime Structure
Start summer days early and give kids something to look forward to. Tell them breakfast will be followed by a trip to the park or to the museum or the free movies or wherever you plan to go. If you’re going to be home that day, map out what the day will look like: playing a game or doing an art project.
Work Behind the Scenes for a Good First Week
Call to make sure everything you expect to be in place is ready. The last thing you want is to have your child ready to go and a no-show bus. Contact the school nurse ahead of time to make sure all medications and care plans are in place, too.
Ease Anxiety with Familiar Faces
If your child is nervous about the coming school year, familiar faces are welcome when school begins. Ask your teachers if you can take a picture and have your child look at it often to familiarize themselves with who they will see on a daily basis.
Map Out the Day
Ask the teacher about what will happen when your child arrives at school, so you can talk about what to expect. These social stories can give students the tools they need when faced with something unplanned. Let them know feeling jittery is okay, but tell them who they can talk to.
Examine the IEP
Individual Education Programs (IEPs) are specific for each child’s needs. A good IEP is positively worded and strength-based. Parents should be an active team member in their child’s IEP so make sure to follow up with teachers on the plan.
Share the Joy
Balance the official IEP with a document that you and your child can great with things like “what makes me happy,” “what scares me,” and other facts that you and your child can share to make the IEP more personal. Go over these facts after school to get your child looking forward to another day of school.
Next summer, make sure to get an early jump start!
Beating Back-to-School Blues for Special Needs Students
