Back to school is always a tricky time for families with special needs students. How is it going for you and your child?
Tell us about your successful - and not so successful transitions.
How well is your school meeting your child's needs?
How well is your child rising to the many challenges posed by a return to school?
What hints or tips can you share for making the school year smoother?
This year is not going as well but I am not surprised. I’m going to be working with the school as well as starting my own part time home-school program where I home-school a couple nights a week after regular school is over.
We are actually having a smooth transition. My son’s teacher from last year was able to move up from 3rd grade to 4th grade with him and most of his classmates are the same. The consistency of teachers and friends have really made the start of the school year much less stressful on everyone this year!
The same for us, exactly the same my son’s teachers moved with him from group 1 to group 2..I am very grateful to them and to our school
So far, so good. My son is doing very well so far with the many changes this year brings. He has a new special ed teacher, new classmates, and a new bus driver (K-5 school consolidation).
We are having difficulty getting back into school this year in that my son’s employer has not filled out the appropriate paperwork to allow my son to enroll in the next year of classwork on his apprenticeship.
So far it’s horrible. Transitions are so hard and they don’t seem to get any easier. My daughter begs me every night…Sunday nights are the worst…crying and pleading for me not to send her to school and not to go to work. We literally start talking it out to work through all of it on Sunday afternoon. I know for a fact no one is mean to her and that her aides, teachers and the majority of her classmates are very supportive…which is the only saving grace I have with peace to send her. I know she wants to stay home and stay sheltered, but I can’t let her stay in that comfort zone…I feel as if she needs to be pushed to an extent out of that comfort zone to try and build those social skills and peer relationships that she cares nothing about forming. I also see the benefits school had on her in her kindergarten year and can only hope for the same in first grade. I do think that they are teaching way too much stuff at a very fast pace and it could just be overwhelming for her…I know it is for me!!! I just keep praying for God to lead me in the right direction with her for a positive outcome. It is heart breaking to have her look at me in the eye (especially when eye contact is not her strong point) and literally beg me with tears in her eyes to not send her to school but to allow her to stay home. I believe if it continues like this we will end up having to home school. It should be a very interesting year. Good luck to all of you out there too. God bless.
My daughter has PDD and has had varying degrees of anxiety about school. Lower stress for her came with more structure and smaller class size. Also adaptive PE was a God send. She stressed every night until we changed her PE class.
It can break your heart when your child dissolves at the thought of returning to school. 3 of my grandsons (8 year old twins and a 5 yr old) are on the spectrum; and every day can bring surprises, as you well know. You may have tried the “incentive’ route, but it really can work – my daughter makes only promises she can keep; ie: an extra favorite story, on her lap, before bed; ten minutes extra playtime with Mom; a favorite drink; a special article of clothing/accessory to wear to school. I gave one of my guys a tiny penguin toy to keep in his pocket at school (told him he couldn’t take it out til recess or aftr school, but he knew it was there). Assure her you’ll be waiting for her after school. (And yes, I agree there is SO much more for them to learn – has her teacher given her abbreviated assignments?). Best wishes to you this year.
We have the same teachers, same one-on-one and the same classroom! My son’s third year of high-school is going great and I an very grateful for ESE programs that understand the needs of our autistic children.
For those of you who have a hard time with the school sysytem, do NOT give up hope!!! Seek out an indiviual, preferably higher up in the school sysytem, that understands what your child needs and have them help the staff to work with your child to reach his or hers full potential. Never let anyone tell you nothing can be done!
Ok, So far. Making the transition from elementary school to JR. High school has been a little tough on him. Changing classrooms every period has been challenging. Having a locker with a combination lock causes a lot of problems can’t get to locker change books and get to next class on time. Also combination lock on gym locker. Taking it one day at a time. Trying to make time more meaningful to him. He is very unaware of time in all his actions. Tough keeping up with pace of JR. High.
The first days of fall are always a battle; my son REFUSES to wear long pants and shoes versus shorts and sandels. Once we get past that battle, it usually goes well. He loves his case manager/teacher. He has the same CM for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade while in the MS; he just started 7th grade so it is his 2nd year with Mrs. C and his EAs. He smiles everyday when “yellow school bus” arrives to pick him up.
Melissa U
My oldest son is doing great when he was in Jr High he was teased, so it was hard not only for him but for us. I called up a meeting and he always had to have supervision even when taking the bus. He transition to a bigger district and on his IEP we fought to have an aide always with him, even when he uses the restroom and is changing for his P.E> class. Is his third week and he loves high school. My youngest also started three weeks ago and I am fighting with the same jr high to have him supervised when he is getting dress for P.E. and he can only use the restroom in the health clerks office.
Hello Lisa,
Turns out that I planned the curriculum this year, so back-to-school took us for a loop this time. Every morning it was,
” I don’t want to do this.” By the afternoon, “You’re the best mom ever!”
So having special needs turns out to be a good thing after all!
Now with all the apprenticeships and one-on-one learning you’d think we were running a private tutoring program. It rocks and she finally LOVES school! I mean loves it!
Believe well!
Adelaide Zindler
Autism Transformation Coach
http://www.facebook.com/AutismTraining
P.S. She just walked in from her writer’s critique group with Daddy where she got a new bag and tons of tips for her stories from published authors. You should have seen the proud look on my 6yr olds face.
An absolutely nightmare.
My daughter really struggling and really down and school not meeting her needs at all. Lost as what to do and how to help
My son has Autism and started middle school 3 and a half weeks ago.
The change has been good and challenging at the same time.
Daniel took a while to understand how to use a combination lock. He needed 2 of them. One for his books and one for his gym clothes. He says he’s stupid at times and it breaks my heart! He finally understood how to open the combination lock and we both jumped high in the air and gave each other a high FIVE!
HIS Cognative skills have become better with all his speech therapies but, he still has trouble understanding what is being said at times. For Example;
Daniel has a Agenda to pencil in his homework assignments; and we also use a great program called School Loop. But, at times the teacher has the students leave some papers at school and because Dan is so visual and has some auditory challenges he forgets the paper exsist if not with him visually to study off of. All in all I have asked for supports since the first of school and most of their reponses have been positive and helpful. Together we have found ways to support Daniel and help him fit in to his middle school programs.
BEST SCHOOL YEAR EVER TO ALL
Katherine Chapman
The real plus is keeping on top of it for the first day of school and having a review meeting after the first quarter. I’m trying to plan my meeting for review in middle October. I’m also requeting that Daniel attend too. Daniel attended his last IEP meeting and he was spoke little but, he was happy to listen and be on board with the IEP TEAM.
My husband helps Dan with his homework while I speak with his teachers, attend, meetings, write back and forth on School Loop. What i’M SAYING will MAKE THE TRANSITION EASIER if you have A PLAN EVEN BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS . I write things down I plan to communicate with the teachers, staff, mainstream Teachers, RSP teachers and all his or her Therapy teachers..
It’s really tough the first 2 months of school when there is a transition. At times hopme schooling is the best choice in some situations. So far Dan is hanging in there with the mainstream along with the RSP PROGRAM IN HIS MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THE WHOLE YEAR IS STILL GOING TO BE TOUGH EVEN AFTER THE FIRST FEW MONTHS BUT THE GREAT PART IS THE TEACHERS, STAFF, AND THE IEP TEAM after THEY SEE THAT YO ARE NOT GOING AWAY WILL FOLLOW YOUR LEAD AND A TEAM WILL DEVELOP BECAUSE YOU AS A PARENT ALWAYS STAYED A ADVOCATE FOR YOUR CHILD AND GET EVERY ONE ON BOARD. I’ve been doing this now for 12 years!
Have a great school year all of you with a child on the SPECTRUM!
Katherine Chapman