For a lot of students, the school year can be an exciting time as they get to indulge in back-to-school shopping and have fun with friends. But for many autistic children, starting a new school year can be overwhelming and can cause sensory overload. New classmates, teachers, routines and classroom environment can cause a great deal of anxiety.
The good news is, that you can help your child transition from one grade to another with ease if you have the right tools and strategies in place. Whether you’re a teacher or parent, the following steps will outline actionable ways that you can support your child with autism during this time of change.
Actionable Steps:
#1. Start Preparing Early
Parents:
- Set up a time to visit the school and take pictures of areas that your child will visit frequently, like the classroom, washroom, the office and entrance.
- Practice your morning routine on a daily basis so your child knows what’s expected of them from the moment they wake up until they enter their classroom.
Teachers:
- Send home a welcome email or video introducing yourself so that your students get to know you.
- If possible, invite families with children with autism for a quick classroom visit to help your student familiarize themselves with your class and you.
#2. Integrate Visual Supports
Many autistic children thrive with visual information.
- Use visual schedules to show the daily routine. This will remove any ambiguity and outline exactly what’s expected of them. You can do this at home and in your classroom with my Autism-Friendly At Home and Classroom Schedules and Rewards System.
- Include “first-then” charts in conjunction with your visual schedule so that your child can feel a sense of success after they finish a certain number of tasks. This will keep them motivated. Click the following image to download your Visual Schedule and First-Then Chart.
#3. Consider Sensory Needs
Your home or classroom many be bustling with energy. Some of it might feel overwhelming to your child.
Prepare children in advance for when they need to go out for assemblies or if you go to the grocery store.
Create a calming corner with soft lights, textures and fidget toys to help your children manage their emotions. Teach them how to use this space in advance.
In my course, ADHD and Autism Self Regulation Space, I outline exactly how to do all of this in a step-by-step format. I will also teach your how to create this space by doing it with you and I’ll be there to answer any of your questions on an ongoing basis. Join the waitlist by clicking on the image below.
#4. Encourage Social Connections
While some children finding making friends easy, many children with autism struggle with it. It’s important to support your child both within the school environment and at home with making and maintaining friendships.
- Provide children with structured social opportunities like having them engage in partner games or playing with peer buddies.
- Model and practice how to start and carry-on different conversations. You can teach your children with the following resources:
- Watch my YouTube playlist for the exact phrases to use.
- Use the slides and activity packs to get your children to put their learning into action.
- Reinforce the importance of having kind and respectful interactions with their peers.
Recap:
Let’s recap really quickly. Today, we looked at the following:
- The reason why it’s important to help children with autism transition into the new school year.
- Five ways to help autistic students transition into a new classroom: start preparing early, integrate visual supports, consider sensory needs and encourage social connections.
Free Resources:
For a taste of the resources that were mentioned in step two, check out the following resource in my FREE Education Resource Library.
Teach your little ones how to make good choices with the following FREE Resource:
Next Steps:
If you found this video beneficial, would you do me a favor? Share this with your family, your friends, your loved ones, your co-workers or someone who you think could benefit from this. Thank you!
You’re welcome to join us inside ADHD and Autism Self Regulation by CLICKING HERE or on the fallowing image.
I’ll see you next Friday at 5:30pm PST.
Until I see you next time, remember to create, experience & teach from the heart.
Take care,
Charlotte
Disclaimer: I’m a teacher and a parent. I’m not a medical professional, so please don’t take this as medical advice. The advice that I provide in my videos and online are strategies that I have used in my own class or at home that have worked beautifully.
