back to school autism Archives

by Michelle Mannella, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA
Behavior Analyst, LEARN/SPARKS

Wow, it’s finally here! Some of us thought this moment would never arrive. But it’s time to send our kids back to school in-person or maybe for the first time at all. In the midst of a pandemic-frenzied world, returning to school can feel scary, difficult, and exciting for both children and parents alike.

With the emotions that come with such a milestone, it’s important to think about how to prepare for this, especially when sending a child with autism to school. Many children have been at home with their families for 18 months—or longer. This transition may be unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

“It takes a village” is a concept that could not be more accurate for a situation like this. As a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) with many years of special education experience, that’s where I can step in with advice. Here, I offer 10 tips that you can start doing now to make the transition less stressful and more enjoyable for everyone:

Prepare your child.

Take time to talk to your child about the changes soon happening. Explain that there will be other children around, new faces, and a new environment.

Start a routine now.

Begin waking up your child at the time they would need to get up for school. Eat breakfast and lunch at regularly scheduled times, and set designated times for your activities. If necessary, use a visual schedule to help your child better understand what to expect.

Visit the school.

When I was a special education teacher, we invited families on individual tours of the school to make the start of school less overwhelming. Call your school and arrange to visit. During your visit, familiarize your child with important areas, such as the nurse’s office, bathrooms, cafeteria, classrooms, gymnasium, the playground, and the principal’s office.If you are unable to visit the school, look at and talk through pictures online with your child. Also ask your child’s teacher to take pictures of different areas of the school, and go over those areas with your child. Explain what happens in each part. For example, show a picture of the cafeteria and explain that students eat lunch there.

Have your child meet the teacher.

Ask if your child’s teacher can Zoom with you and your child, or even meet in person to put your child at ease. This way, your child’s teacher is not a brand-new face on the first day of school.

Talk to the teacher yourself.

Meet with your child’s teacher before school starts to address any concerns. You can give the teacher tools and tricks about effectively working with your child—this helps more than you might realize. After all, who knows your child better than you, right?

Plan a play date.

Depending on your level of comfort with other families, reach out to parents who have children in the same class to see if they’d like to have a play date. This would allow your child to recognize some familiar faces on the first day. If your school offers any social events before or soon after the start of the school year, make sure you attend—and use it as a chance to meet other families.

Check on your child’s learning accommodations.

When speaking to your child’s teacher and staff, make sure your child’s agreed-upon accommodations are in place. More than likely, you have already signed an IEP or a 504 plan, but the beginning of the school year can be overwhelming for everyone, and sometimes things can slip through the cracks. Don’t assume everything is understood and in place—double-check.

Practice the transportation routine.

It can help to practice going on the school bus or following your child’s transportation plan. The first day of school can feel stressful, so the more familiar your child is with their routine, the better. You can also provide their driver with any important information about your child’s needs or challenges. Try to do this on the first day of school—or if possible, before.

Attend a school open house.

If your school has an open house or other welcome events, take your child to introduce them to the new environment, meet teachers and staff, and start the process of making new friends.

Start a communication log with staff.

Before school begins, decide what type of communication and the frequency of communication you want with your child’s teacher. A communication log may be a good method of keeping in touch with your child’s teacher on a daily basis and making you feel comfortable as your child goes back to school.

As the school year approaches, these steps can help you get ready—and most importantly, enable your child embark on a successful year of learning, growth, and fun.

For more back-to-school tips for parents of kids with ASD, read “Five Steps to Help Your Child with Autism Make Friends.”

by Shelby Morain, M.A., BCBA, LBA
Board Certified Behavior Analyst, LEARN/Autism Spectrum Therapies

Plenty of parents and caregivers of kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) worry about their child’s ability to make and maintain friends—and rightly so, considering that social deficits are one of the primary diagnostic criteria in ASD. Kids on the spectrum often need support to learn social norms. In addition, they can struggle with challenging behaviors that sometimes surface around peers—and need help managing those behaviors and developing healthy coping mechanisms.

With the start of school nearly upon us, how can you, as a parent or caregiver, help your child make friends? What role should you play in your child’s friendships, and what steps can you take now? Here, I share five steps.

Step 1: Seek behavioral or therapeutic support.

If your child engages in challenging behaviors, especially those that pose a safety risk, then addressing those behaviors should take priority above all other needs. Seek a qualified applied behavior analysis (ABA) provider, through which a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) can help your child reduce any concerning behaviors. Your BCBA can work with you to create an individualized plan that you can follow across a variety of settings, such as in your home or the grocery store. Likewise, if your child experiences any communication deficits, a BCBA can help them develop language and communication skills. This, in turn, will give your child a foundation for the social skills they need to start making friends.

Step 2: Create social opportunities with siblings or close family members.

In all likelihood, your child spends significant time with siblings and close family members. For this reason, family time can provide opportunities for frequent and focused learning. Activities like turn-taking, asking to borrow personal items, or various forms of play, such as pretend play, parallel play, and interactive play, can give your child a much-needed chance to practice and sharpen skills.

For instance, try setting up opportunities for your child to work on taking turns with family members. In many ways, turn-taking is an essential prerequisite for higher-level social skills like active listening and conflict resolution. A simple set up like reciprocal toy play, in which your child takes turns using a particular toy, is how most kids first learn critical social rules like making a request from peers, waiting for a turn, and allowing others to interact with a preferred item.

Step 3: Join a support group in your area.

With social media at our fingertips, it’s easier than ever for families to connect with each other to share resources, events, and contact information to set up play dates for their children. Even during times of doubt, stress, and pain, families can reach out, trade information, and rely on each other to offer a sympathetic ear and support. If you’re not already active in online communities, consider joining a group for families of kids with ASD or special needs. Then, find and reach out to other families whose child(ren) have similar interests and take part in similar activities. Many kids on the spectrum enjoy, for example, Special Olympics, sensory Sundays (i.e., activities that businesses host for those with sensory sensitivities), or social events hosted by a variety of businesses in their area.

Some of the closest friendships within the ASD community grow out of relationships among families whose children spend shared time together. If possible, find families whose children go to your child’s school. This can help your child feel more comfortable at school, especially in the first days and weeks.

Step 4: Speak with your child’s teacher and IEP team about social goals.

Since you can’t go to school with your child, take steps now to include social goals in your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Also speak with your IEP team about your child’s successes and challenges in their social skills journey—and consider inviting your child’s BCBA to IEP meetings. As a BCBA myself, I’m always eager to take part in IEP meetings so I can help families advocate for priorities targeted in their child’s treatment plan. Plus, having everyone on the same page to determine priorities can go a long way in helping your child generalize skills across situations and environments.

Step 5: Plan after-school and weekend activities with other families.

After-school social skills groups offered by your ABA provider give your child a safe and friendly environment in which to socialize—and practice socializing—with peers. These groups come with one-on-one professional support from a behavior technician or analyst, who can target and work on specific skill deficits. If your provider offers a social skills group for your child’s age range, consider signing up.

Like your child, you can take part in social events, too, and make friends with fellow parents. School-sponsored social events and parent evenings can give you a chance to mingle and chat. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself and strike up a conversation. Over time, this sort of interaction can lead to friendships for both you and your child—and to weekend plans to meet at, for example, a nearby park.

As you prepare for the fast-approaching school year, remember that the school experience is as much about socializing as it is about learning. Use these steps to set up your child for friendship success.

For more tips on raising kids with ASD, read our blog post, “How to Create a Calm-Down Kit.”

back to school autism

by Michelle Mannella, M.Ed., BCBA, LBABehavior Analyst, LEARN/SPARKS