Heading back to school can be scary and uncertain for some kids and families, especially when there’s an Autism diagnosis in the mix. It doesn’t have to be. Experts at Hands theFamilyHelpNetwork.ca are sharing some helpful tips to make that transition from summer to school easier.
Hands Autism Services is offering two 90-minute online seminars on Tuesday, August 29, to help parents and caregivers with children with Autism who are starting school:
- School Readiness: 10 am online
- Master the School Meeting: School Advocacy: 7:30 pm online
To register for a seminar, just email [email protected], or call 1-800-668-8555 ext.1333.
Here are more tips and tricks to help ease the back to school transition:
Build familiarity:
- Slowly introduce things your child will need and use at school
- Take walks or drive by the school
- Create a social story of a typical school day
Practice:
- Set up a pretend school environment
Organize:
- Create a visual schedule of the morning routine when child goes to school
- Make a plan! How would you like the morning routine to look?
- Visit the school before the first day (if possible)
Preparing for the bus:
- Create school bus social story or find one online
- If the school offers a trial run, it’s a good opportunity to meet the bus driver and take a ride
- Let your child bring a comforting item the first few days
- Create a visual schedule
Resources:
- Social Stories
- Tip Sheets
- Visual Schedule: Create your own customized schedule with this morning, afternoon, and evening template.
- Visual Calendar: Create your own customized calendar with this monthly template.
- My One-Page Profile: One-page profiles can help you share information about your child with other important people in their life, such as schools or childcares.
- Education Organizer: This organizer will help you keep track of your child’s important educational documentation.
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