It’s never too soon to get kids with special needs ready for a school. Establishing the school schedule including getting up earlier, chauffeuring to extracurricular activities and reestablishing homework routines, among other issues, will take work and planning. Now is the time for parents and teachers to get organized before the first day of school is upon them.
Establish School Routines Early at Home
The night before school starts is not the time to force kids who have difficulty with transitions to go to bed earlier and change everything that they have become accustomed to over the summer. To restore the school routine, parents should consider easing children back to the autumn bedtime. Slowly get them used to getting up earlier by changing the bedtime a few minutes every night until it is time for school to start.
If this will be the first year a child with disabilities goes to school (preschool/kindergarten or elementary school), parents will want to start talking about school with her ahead of time. Practice walking to the bus stop, or take her to school in the car if that will be her mode of transport. If you will be carpooling, arrange these plans early.
Teachers can help a student with special needs by arranging a meeting with her and her parents. This will allow the new student to visit the school before all of the other children are there, and become comfortable with the classroom setting and teacher.
Set Up Consistent Homework Schedule
It is also important to establish a good homework time that can be kept as consistent as possible and works around any planned extracurricular activities. Parents should discuss this with their child, and then establish this time as a “quiet time” before school starts. During quiet time, the child can read or do a fun educational activity at least one week before school starts.
Once the student is back to school, she will already be familiar with the homework routine, even before she is assigned any homework. Having established a routine ahead of time will significantly reduce or even eliminate homework battles later on.
Teachers can also help by communicating to parents how long students should be spending on homework each night. Remember that the recommended times are for typically developing children, and may need to be adjusted for a child with special needs. If the amount of homework time seems long, it should be broken up into smaller sessions.
Back to School Health and Safety
Health and safety issues should be on every parent’s mind at the start of the school year. In particular, parents and teachers should communicate any special needs to the school nurse and school administrators before the start of school. Other health and safety items to think about are immunizations, eyesight changes, and allergy needs.
Finally, kids should be provided with emergency phone numbers or contact information in case they cannot get in touch with a parent or guardian during an emergency or at any other time. Teachers of kids with special needs will need to have the contact numbers by the first day of school, if not sooner.
School Supplies and First Day of School
Starting early is key when it comes to stocking kids up with school supplies, clothes, shoes and any other equipment necessary for the start of school. Teachers can help their future students by sending (via e-mail or a letter) a supply checklist. Any extra recommendations for students with special needs to be successful in the classroom will be appreciated.
The night before the first day of school, have clothes picked out, supplies packed securely, and know what the lunch and snack plans are (cold or hot). Get the kids up early to insure that there is plenty of time to get ready. Prepare a hearty breakfast, and set aside an area in the house where the kids can drop off their backpacks and papers when they come home.
Start off the back to school season early this year for a child with special needs. Establish bedtime and homework routines early, and shop for supplies. Begin parent-teacher communication sooner rather than later. Visit the classroom and prepare a child with disabilities for any health and safety emergencies.
Karen Plumley - Karen Plumley is a writer specializing in parenting and education. She works for Parenting NH and the Hippo, NH's most widely read ...
