Preparing Your Child for the New School Year

Helpful Hints to Support Your Child

• Ensure that your child’s IEP presents a good picture of who he/she is and what he/she needs
• Talk about the change with your child and what they can expect. Make it as positive as possible. Your child will get their first impressions from you.
• Develop a social story about the new school and the expected changes for your child. Include actual photographs, if possible.
• Some schools have very nice web sites. If your child is computer savvy, visit the web.
• Plan to visit the new site over the summer, maybe even several times. Walk the campus, visit the office, meet the office staff (Principal, ESE Spec, Support Facilitator, etc). If your child will require a “safe person or place”, make sure that they meet that person and visit that location prior to day one of school.
• Schedule a classroom visit the week before school begins with the ESE Spec at the school. This will allow your child to visit their new room (and teacher) without the distractions of all of the other students.
• If your child is a middle or high schooler who will be changing classes, make sure to get a copy of the class schedule, walk the classes, as well as visit the lunchroom, cafeteria, gym and rest rooms.
• Create a “Snapshot of My Child” letter for the teacher. As we all know, the IEP can be a very daunting document. Developing a synopsis of who your child is offers the teacher a quick overview of what she/he can expect and what works best
for him/her. It is as important to prepare your teacher as it is your child.
• Call the school during the summer to ensure that all specially designed/adaptive equipment for your child has been transferred to the new school site.
• Attend the Orientation held at the school prior to school beginning. Plan to get involved in your school (ie, PTA, SAF/SAC, School Volunteer, etc).

Helpful Hints to share with teachers:

http://specialchildren.about.com/
Autism
1. My child needs structure and routine in order to function. Please try to keep his world as predictable as possible.
2. If there will be any sort of change in my child’s classroom or routine, please notify me as far in advance as possible so that we can all work together in preparing him/her for it.
3. Teaching strategies intended for children with autism will help my child learn better and make him easier for you to teach. 4. My child is an individual, not a diagnosis. Please be alert and receptive to the things that make him unique and special.
5. Please keep the lines of communication open between our home and the school. My child needs all the adults in his life working together.

ADHD
1. My child can’t control his hyperactivity or inattentiveness. Punishment will not make it stop.
2. Our decision regarding medication is well-thought-out and private. I would be happy to discuss it with you in conference. Please do not discuss it in front of my child or her classmates. 3. Teaching strategies intended for children with ADD or ADHD will help my child learn better and make his/her day flow smoother.
4. My child needs to move. Please do not take recess away as a consequence for difficult behavior.
5. Please keep the lines of communication open between our home and the school. My child needs all the adults in her life working together.

Emotional Behavior Disabled
1. My child’s obsessions and compulsions may appear to be voluntary behaviors, but they are signs of a mental health issue, not a disciplinary problem.
2. Please don’t compliment my child on “perfect” work. This may reinforce his need to obsessively check or re-do things.
3. If there will be any sort of change in my child’s classroom or routine, please notify me as far in advance as possible so that we can all work together in preparing her for it.
4. My child has significant challenges, but he also has many strengths and gifts. Please use these to help him have experiences of success.
5. Please keep the lines of communication open between our home and the school. My child needs all the adults in her life working together.

Intellectually Disabled
1. Please think carefully before hugging my child. Not every adult she meets will be safe and friendly, and she needs to learn boundaries and age-appropriate ways to interact.
2. It’s okay to let my child’s classmates know about their special needs, as long as it is done in a positive way; I’d be happy to help prepare a program.
3. Teaching strategies that have proven successful for children with cognitive impairments will help my child learn better and make him easier for you to deal with
4. My child is an individual, not a diagnosis — please be alert and receptive to the things that make her unique and special.
5. Please keep the lines of communication open between our home and the school. My child needs all the adults in her life working together.

Leaning Disabled
1. My child sometimes misbehaves, becomes distracted, or shuts down to hide his difficulty with schoolwork. Academic strategies will solve the problem better than disciplinary ones.
2. My child may be embarrassed to ask for help. Please help her get it in a way that is not socially stigmatizing.
3. Teaching strategies intended for children with learning disabilities will help my child learn better and make him easier for you to teach.
4. Though my child has some areas of weakness, she also has areas of great strength. Please use these to give her experiences of success.
5. Please keep the lines of communication open between our home and the school. My child needs all the adults in his life working together.

Physically Impaired
1. Please be mindful of things in your classroom or school that present mobility problems for my child. Remove or rearrange anything that might keep him/her from getting around safely and easily.
2. Assistive technology can make a big difference for my child. If there is something he needs that you’re having trouble obtaining, let me know so that I can help you get it.
3. It’s okay to let my child’s classmates know about her condition as long as it is done in an appropriate way; I’d be happy to help prepare a program.
4. My child has a serious health condition, but he is still a child with ordinary interests and hopes and dreams. Please help us keep his life as normal as possible.
5. Please keep the lines of communication open between our home and the school. My child needs all the adults in her life working together.

Seizure Disorders
1. My child may need emergency assistance from you during a seizure. Please review the materials I’ve sent and consult with the school nurse so you can be ready to help.
2. When my child appears to be daydreaming, he may be having an absence seizure. Please do not treat this as a behavior issue, and let me know what you have observed.
3. It’s okay to let my child’s classmates know about her condition as long as it’s done in an appropriate way; I’d be happy to help prepare a program.
4. My child has a serious health condition, but he is still a child with ordinary interests and hopes and dreams. Please help us keep his life as normal as possible.
5. Please keep the lines of communication open between our home and the school. My child needs all the adults in her life working together.