back to school autism Archives

Step 1: Seek behavioral or therapeutic support.

If your child acts out, especially if it puts them in danger, focus on that first. Find an experienced applied behavior analysis (ABA) provider. A board certified behavior analyst (BCBA) will help your child learn appropriate behaviors. If your child has difficulty communicating, a BCBA can help them learn language and communication skills. This 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.

Most likely, your child spends a lot of time with brothers, sisters, and close relatives. For this reason, family time can provide opportunities for frequent and focused learning. You can help your child practice these skills. Try activities that involve taking turns and asking to borrow things. Activities can also involve pretending and playing alongside others. They’re all opportunities to build social skills.

For instance, set up a scenario for your child to work on taking turns with family members. Taking turns is important for developing social skills like listening and resolving conflicts. Children learn social rules, like taking turns and sharing, through simple play.

Step 3: Join a support group in your area.

Social media makes it easier than ever to share resources and events. You can also set up play dates for your children. Families can lean on each other for support, share information, and lend a listening ear.

If you’re not part of any online groups, think about joining one. You can connect with other families with children who have autism or special needs. Then, you can take part in similar activities. Often, children with autism join in activities like Special Olympics, sensory Sundays, or local social events.

Families with children in the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) community often become close friends. 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.

To include social goals in your child’s Individualized Educational Plan (IEP), take steps now since you can’t go to school with them. Talk to your child’s IEP team about their social skills progress and difficulties. You can also invite their BCBA to IEP meetings. When everyone agrees on what’s important, it sets your child up for success.

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

Your ABA provider may also offer after-school social skills groups. Those can give your child a safe and friendly environment in which to socialize. It can also help them practice socializing with peers. Each group has a behavior technician or analyst for personalized support. 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 events and parent evenings let you meet and talk with others. 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.

As you get ready for the upcoming school year, keep in mind that school is about more than just academics. It’s about fostering friendships. Use these tips to set up your child for friendship success.

For more tips on raising children on the autism spectrum, read our blog post, “Help Your Child Build Friendships With Kids With Autism.”

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.”

back to school autism

Step 1: Seek behavioral or therapeutic support.

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

Step 3: Join a support group in your area.

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

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

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