Tips for Preparing Your Student with Autism for the New School Year

The new school year can cause a lot of anxiety for students, particularly students with autism. If you’re a parent starting to prepare your child for the upcoming school year, Pediatric Therapeutic Services (PTS) can help. We have put together a few tips that help prepare students with autism for the new school year.

Knowledge is Power and Comfort

New experiences and big changes can cause anxiety in many children with autism. Anxiety about a new school year can be both social and academic. Students may not know what to expect from the new school year in many aspects, including where their new classroom is, who their classmates may be, their new schedule, and what kind of things they’ll be learning.

Parents can play a crucial role in helping their child with autism prepare for the new year. By taking away some of the mystery surrounding it and discussing what to expect during the new school year, you can significantly reduce your child's anxiety.

For visual learners, photos of their new classroom, school, and teachers can be beneficial. If a map of the school is available, showing your child where their classes are, where they’ll be having lunch, and other key spots can be reassuring. This early preparation can help your child feel more comfortable about the new school year.

Establish Routines Before You Need Them

New school years often come with new routines. Getting comfortable with a new routine can take a couple of weeks. To help make the transition to a new school year smoother and less sudden, consider establishing a school routine before school begins. This may include:

·?????? Setting a bedtime and morning alarm

·?????? Having lunch at a specific time every day

·?????? Picking out clothing the night before

·?????? Packing a lunch or backpack

To establish this schedule, talk with your child about why you’re starting the routine and let them help you create it. This new routine doesn’t have to start all at once. Consider adding aspects of the routine gradually so your child can adjust without the stress of multiple new things at once.

This new routine may need some editing along the way, depending on how long your child takes to get ready or other aspects of their school day. Explaining changes in the routine and incorporating them can reduce overall anxiety for your child with autism.

Collaborate with Teachers, Administrators, and Support Staff

Your child’s support system can extend beyond yourselves. The teachers, administrators, and therapists working alongside PTS in schools are there to help your child succeed. Discuss your child’s needs prior to school starting and ensure that the school has support and a plan already in place in case your child needs help.

If your child doesn’t already have a plan in place, PTS can help them get the support they need using our MTSS approach:

·?????? Tier 1: Classroom-level support

·?????? Tier 2: Short-term, small-group support

·?????? Tier 3: Individual support

Students can move to different support levels as needed. Issues your child may be experiencing can first be dealt with at a classroom level so they can stay and learn with their peers, but therapeutic support can be provided and adjusted at any level throughout the school environment.

Introduce Items Associated with School into Day-to-Day Life

There are items that remind most people of school when they see them. Integrating these objects into your day prior to the beginning of the new school year can encourage a student to get into the school mindset gradually and prepare for the upcoming changes.

Introducing these items can also include an activity that you do with your child. Introduce a backpack with art supplies inside and allow your child to interact with their new backpack and create an art piece for the fridge. A daily worksheet may also put them in the right mindset for school because they will be comfortable doing activities that come up during the school day.

Prepare Your Child with Autism for the Upcoming School Year

The start of a new school year doesn’t have to be a cause for anxiety for students with autism or their parents. Parents—with the help of school staff and therapists who work alongside PTS in schools—can help make the transition easier for children with autism and get them set up for academic success. Contact PTS to learn more about resources available for parents of children with autism.