The new school year will be starting in just a few weeks. Most children will experience some excitement, or anxiety, about what this year will be like. Kids who have special needs are going to need some extra preparations in order to have a successful first week of school. Now is the time to start preparing your child for his or her first day.
Your child might have been attending an extended school year, or Summer school, program. If so, then this usually makes it easier for kids who have special needs to transition into a brand new school year. This is because he or she has been able to keep the “pattern” of school for at least part of the Summer. If your child didn’t attend Summer school, then this could make things more difficult now.
The first thing parents need to do is establish specific bedtime. Find out what time your child needs to be at school this year, and take into account the amount of time that he or she will need to get up, get dressed, and get out the door in the morning. Parents will need to start waking up their child at that time, every day, from now on.
Studies show that kids who have special needs, (especially those with ADHD), have extreme difficulties with school if that child is not getting enough sleep. This problem can be avoided if parents adhere to a strict bedtime and wake up time. Start this at least a few weeks before school begins. That way, your child won’t have to adjust to the new bedtime at the same time that he or she is adjusting to all the other changes that the new school year will bring.
Encourage your child to select his or her new school supplies. This will help your child to start thinking about school, which will help the transition from Summer to a new school year to be a bit easier. If your child likes his or her school supplies, and is excited to be able to start using them, this could be a way to generate a positive outlook about the first day of school.
If possible, take your child to visit the school. This could mean incorporating a walk to and from school into your daily routine. Some schools will have days set up where special needs students can come meet their teacher, and explore their new classroom.
Older children, who will be starting junior high or high school this year, may need more than one visit to their new school. It can be helpful for special needs students to practice reading their schedule, and to actually practice navigating it by walking down the hallways of their school, and locating the different classrooms.
Locker combinations are going to be difficult for kids with certain kinds of special needs (including dyslexia), to master. The more practice you can give your child with these skills, the easier it will be for him or her to start school this year.
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