What can you do at home to prepare?
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Is your child on the autism spectrum? You can improve their chances of succeeding at school. Begin by following any recommendations from the school.
“Parents and caregivers play an essential role in their child’s educational success, not only by supporting learning at home, but by serving as their child’s primary advocate and champion,” said Kristyn Roth, chief marketing officer at Autism Society of America based in Rockville, Maryland. “Ensuring a child’s needs are understood and met within the school system often requires persistence, collaboration and strong communication with educators and support staff.”
With parents and school staff involved, schools typically develop an individualized education program (IEP) for children with disabilities to promote their education.
“It outlines the student’s strengths, needs, educational goals and the services and accommodations required,” Roth said. “When parents and teachers work together to reinforce strategies and share insights, children are more likely to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.”
In addition to working with your child’s school, you can help your child succeed by planning for school at home. Roth said that this begins with consistency and using tools common in special education settings, like visual schedules, token boards and power cards. These can “help establish structure, ease transitions and reinforce expectations,” Roth said. “Practicing skills through interest-based learning, supporting executive functioning and building self-advocacy also boost a child’s confidence and school readiness.”
These tools can help children understand that they can develop coping mechanisms that help them succeed, both at school and in life.
For some children, taking a tour of the school during an open house can help them mentally prepare for their first day, along with meeting or becoming reacquainted with teachers. Have them try on any new clothing and shoes and check out their new backpack and supplies. Begin sticking with a sleeping schedule consistent with schooldays if you’ve let the sleeping schedule slip during the summer. Any means of building familiarity with their upcoming school life can make that transition into schooldays a little easier.
“Routine and structure play a huge role in helping children who are on the spectrum perform well at school,” said Julie Colvin, family medicine physician at St. Joseph’s Health and chief school physician for Fayetteville-Manlius Schools. “Visual structure and supports should be utilized, along with quiet spaces, peer buddies and positive reinforcement. In many cases, IEPs, occupational and/or speech therapy have a positive effect on a child’s performance in school.”
Parents should pursue any therapy and IEPs offered by the school district.
“Collaboration between parents, teachers and therapists remains the primary goal of helping any child adapt and perform well at school,” Ryan Planer, family medicine physician at St. Joseph’s Health. “Early intervention and other school-district based, county, state and nonprofit programs can help tremendously with preparing a child to start school or for the new school year. A predictable and structured environment can be very important, with emphasis on communication between adults and the understanding of changes in schedule or updates to the IEP, for example.”
As with any student, parents should underscore their children’s academic experience with positive reinforcement, a predictable environment, consistent schedules and introduction to new people and stimuli.
Kids on the spectrum may have sensory issues. Planer advises trying to use sensory tools like noise-canceling headphones and thinking about seating, food and clothing and how they affect children. This kind of planning can curtail problems before they even happen.
Sherry Crisafulli, director of Special Children Services for Oswego County Health Department, encourages parents to “establish structure and routines; encourage communication, even if with alternative communication devices and independence; model appropriate social skills; offer positive reinforcement; and be an active participant in your child’s learning, communicate with classroom teachers, attend IEP meetings if applicable.”