School is right around the corner and going back can be as exciting as scary for autistic children. As a parent of an autistic child, you don’t need someone to tell you this: autistic children do not like change. But you might need some tips on how to help your child handle change positively; that is what we are here for.
Start your countdown
Many autistic children find changes difficult and this can cause them to feel highly anxious. We can help them by giving them lots of preparation about what is going to happen. What you can do is mark the date in your child’s calendar. Make it big and visible to them. You can also start a little countdown a week or 2 before the day they go back and let them change the number of days left every day.
Talk about what to expect
Have casual conversations with your child about the things they look forward to and add your own suggestions as you talk. Don’t be afraid to speak about their anxieties too. It’s important to let them voice their concerns to help them put them into perspective and get through them.
Use social stories
Social stories are a great way to help your autistic child prepare for new situations. You can either find them online or write one yourself. Include all the things they can expect to see, the people they will meet and the emotions they might feel during their first day.
Here is an example of a back-to-school social story:
‘’My name is Jack.
I live at home with my mummy and daddy.
Soon I am going back to school.
I will be in Rabbits Class and my teacher will be Mrs Smith.
All children go to school. They go to school to learn and have fun.
I go to school to learn and have fun.
Mummy will take me to school and will collect me at the end of the school day.
Mrs Smith will look after me at school.
If I am worried about anything then I can ask Mrs Smith.
Mrs Smith will help me.
School can be a good place to learn and have fun.’’
Talk a tour around the school
If your child is starting a completely new school setting and they haven’t yet visited, it would be worth calling them to arrange a pre-visit so that they can become more familiar with the surroundings. They could also take pictures of the classroom, toilets and other areas that are important to them.
Meet their teacher
Meeting your child’s teacher before school starts is very important to discuss your child’s needs. But what we mean here is that you should see if your child can meet their teacher before school starts.
Meeting their teacher in a quiet and controlled environment for the first time will help your child form a close relationship with the teacher. It will also give them someone familiar to look forward to meeting when they go on their first day of school.
Adjust the routine
Time to tweak that summer routine to fit the new schedule. You don’t want to completely change the entire routine on the first day of school. It’s better for your child if you ease them into the new routine.
Slowly adjust their bedtime to a school-appropriate routine. Start having breakfast early again and shower and go to bed at the same time every day. You could also walk the route to school a few times to help them get used to seeing school again.
Going back to school can be daunting for your child even if they’ve done it a thousand times before. For autistic children, changing their routines and possibly being in a new place with new people can feel overwhelming. But there is always something you can do to make them feel better prepared for the new adventure and hopefully, these tips will help you do just that.
