Back to School Tips for Families with a Child with a Developmental Disability
Lori Field, M.Ed., Psychologist at The Bancroft School
Parents preparing a child with developmental disabilities for the school year can be faced with anxiety, stress and uncertainty. It takes thoughtful planning to make it easier for a student with a developmental disability to adapt to the “new” routine, even if the “new” is just the start of another school year. Here are back-to-school tips to ease the transition.
Plan ahead
- • Gradually reinstate your child’s “school time” bedtime to decrease resistance on school nights and initiate gradual earlier wake up times.
- • Involve your child in the creation of a social story to address potential anxiety and provide a sense of predictability. For examples, you can refer to http://www.child-autism-parent-cafe.com/autism-social-stories.html.
- • Mark the “first day of school” on a visible calendar. Encourage your child to mark off the days until school starts. Pair this activity with positive statements about the new school year (“Only five more days until you get to ride the bus!,” “You get to see your teacher on Monday!”)
- • Highlight fun events on the school calendar.
- • Involve siblings in back to school preparations
Before the school bell rings
- • If possible, visit and familiarize your child with the school building, classroom (i.e., school grounds, playground), and staff. This is a good activity whether it’s a new school or one to which your child will be returning.
- • Give teachers and staff a list of relevant information about your child (diagnosis, likes/dislikes, interests, strengths/weaknesses, successfully-implemented strategies, medication, and allergies).
- • Also, provide teacher with contact information and preferred means of communication.
- • A new school year brings new school clothes. Remember your child’s sensory issues with “scratchy” clothes or labels/tags. Wash new clothes prior to wearing to reduce sensitivity.
The countdown
- • Prepare a chart/schedule of morning routines. Depending on your child’s needs, place a sequence of pictures or written directions for each activity (bathroom routine, dressing routine, breakfast routine) on a checklist, or use Velcro-removable pictures or a laminated reminder. You might even want to establish rewards for following the routine.
- • Prepare school bag and lunch the night before. Encourage your child’s participation in the preparation (ranging from simple food choices of “pretzels or chips” for a snack or more complex options of assembling the sandwich).
- • During the time your child is waiting to board the school bus, provide non-time contingent activities to reduce transition issues. For example, keep the TV off — TV shows may create difficulty when the child must leave prior to the end of the show. Instead, choose activities such as coloring books, personal radios, word searches, and connect the dots. These items are portable and can be taken on the bus.
Bumps in the road are to be expected. Try not to overreact. If a pattern develops that concerns you, communicate with your child’s team/teacher to brainstorm strategies to deal with the situation.