We get information through our five senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound. Experts have also identified two additional senses: body awareness and movement. Body awareness is understanding where you are in relation to other people or objects, while the body movement sense affects balance and coordination.
Individuals with a sensory processing disorder experience difficulty processing information from their senses. They’re generally categorized as either:
A hyposensitive student might jump on and off things. They give tight hugs or crash hard into things because they are looking for more intense contact. They’re constantly on the move–spinning, rocking, and swinging. On the other hand, a hypersensitive student might have trouble with balance or climbing. They tend to avoid physical touch and don’t typically want to be around a lot of people.
Often, children aren’t completely hyposensitive or hypersensitive. Rather, you’re more likely to see a mix of the two. This can make understanding your student’s needs more difficult, but it isn’t impossible. Take the time to get to know your students’ needs and be sure to communicate openly with parents and guardians. They’ll play a pivotal role in helping you while building a sensory-friendly classroom.
Sensory processing issues are often associated with autism. These issues can also be a result of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Or, they may not stem from any particular diagnosis.
You might notice the following characteristics in students with sensory processing issues:
A sensory-friendly classroom is a learning environment that takes into account the sensory needs of all students, especially those with sensory processing challenges or other sensory needs. It’s designed to create a calm and comfortable space where students can learn and thrive without being overwhelmed or distracted by sensory input.
In a sensory-friendly classroom, teachers use various strategies such as reducing noise levels, incorporating movement breaks, and offering sensory input options to help students regulate their sensory experiences and stay focused on learning. Creating a sensory-friendly classroom can benefit not only students with sensory needs but also the entire class by promoting a calm, inclusive, and supportive learning environment.
A learner-friendly classroom environment ensures that all of your students can thrive. You may create this environment by changing the physical layout of the room, incorporating classroom-friendly supplies, and implementing various activities. Here are eleven things to consider while building a sensory-friendly classroom.
Think about the lighting in your classroom. Like most, it probably has bright fluorescent lights. To make your room more sensory-friendly, try adjusting your lighting. If you have a lot of windows, let the natural light shine in. Incorporate floor lamps into your classroom layout. This way you can control which areas of your room are lit and the brightness.
The walls in many classrooms are filled with colorful posters, bulletin boards, and decorations. This array of colors and designs can trigger a sensory overload for some students. Look around and make sure that all your decorations serve a purpose. If they’re unnecessary, consider taking them down.
Check for other clutter that can be removed, such as stacks of old books, piles of papers, and craft materials that are no longer needed. If you aren’t using it for your immediate teaching needs, put it away or get rid of it.
Using carpets on your floors helps minimize the noise. If your classroom has linoleum flooring, you can buy carpet remnants to scatter around your room for a low cost. You can also use them to define different areas of your classroom and create boundaries. To avoid overstimulation, opt for neutral colors.
Think about your seating arrangement. Is it conducive to both small group work and large group instruction? Are there clearly defined walkways? Here are a few ways to adjust your classroom seating arrangement for students with sensory issues:
Even students without sensory processing issues can benefit from alternative seating. Some students might learn well on exercise balls, bean bag chairs, or large cushions. Other students might prefer to stand or spread out on the floor. Be open to moving away from the traditional desks and chairs when building a sensory-friendly classroom.
Using pictures to label cabinets and bins around the classroom will help your students understand where items can be found. It will also be helpful when you ask students to put things away.
You can also label different areas of your classroom so students know what activities take place there. Again, use pictures to illustrate the activities.
Additionally, as students with sensory issues typically do well with routine, be sure to create a visual daily schedule at the front of your classroom. Students can better prepare for the day when they know what to expect.
Have a dedicated area in your classroom where students can go to calm down or have quiet time. You may want to include headphones so students can block out the other classroom noise and a few fidget toys or calming items. Just don’t overload the area with too many distractions.
Be careful to not present this area as a punishment, but rather as a place for relaxation. Explain the purpose of the area to all your students, and normalize the need to go there so there isn’t a negative stigma attached to it.
Have fidget toys or tools available to your students. Think about how to use sensory toys in your classroom. You may allow students to keep the toys at their desks, or you may have a specified place where students can pick them up. Do what works best for your students.
You might find it necessary to implement a rule system for fidget toys. If so, put it in writing. Then, send it home with the student and make sure that both the student and a guardian agree to the rules. This will help reduce any issues with fidget toys in your classroom.
There are a wide variety of fidget toys and tools available. You don’t want to overload the options, but you’ll want a few different types so that your students can find what works best for them. Here are a few popular fidget tools:
To minimize time-related stress, try displaying a visual timer in the front of your classroom. Use this to show students how long they will be doing an activity. Students will be able to prepare for transitions between activities as they see the clock counting down.
Another way to prompt students throughout the day is to use songs and rhymes. You can use a song or rhyme when it’s time to change from one activity to another or to explain how to do an activity. Songs and rhymes are great tools to help students learn and remember.
If your students are having a hard time sitting still, they likely need a few minutes of movement. School days are long, and too much time spent in a desk chair can make it difficult for kids to pay attention. Incorporating motions into your lessons can help students expel excess energy and revitalize them so they’re ready to learn. So, allow students to stand up and move around whenever you can fit it into your day.
If you can, consider adding some unstructured playtime to your day. You already have a lot to do in the school day, so, understandably, it probably feels like you don’t have time for unstructured play. However, you may find that by giving students extra playtime, they will be able to pay attention more during lessons.
Numerous studies show correlations between movements and students’ ability to learn. When you use movement in learning and allow students to move more in general, you’ll likely see positive academic and behavioral results.
Most students, even those without sensory processing issues, thrive on routine. So, while building a sensory-friendly classroom, it’s important to create a routine and stick to it as much as possible.
Each morning, go over what students can expect each day first thing in the morning. This will help your day flow more smoothly. Prepare your students ahead of time for any changes in routines. For example, remind them often if there is a school assembly or a special classroom activity coming up.
Additionally, be sure that students know if there will be a fire drill or other type of drill. Tell them as soon as you know about it, and remind them often. Any drill with an alarm can be overwhelming for students with sensory processing issues. You can help to avoid meltdowns by preparing them ahead of time.
How your students feel in your classroom is more important than all the fidget toys, seating arrangements, and classroom routines. For that reason, it’s essential to create a supportive and caring learning environment where all students feel welcome.
Get to know each student as an individual and understand what that student’s special needs are. Promote inclusivity and understanding. Teach your students to respect each other’s different learning styles and abilities. These measures will go a long way in establishing a learner-friendly classroom environment for all.
Don’t discount a student because he or she has a sensory processing issue. Be sure your students know that you are confident in their abilities. Don’t focus on what they can’t do—focus on what they can do and how you can best support them.
Make your classroom a haven for your students. When students feel safe, comfortable, and accepted, they’re better able to learn and grow academically and personally.
It is essential to communicate with parents and guardians about the sensory-friendly classroom environment. This helps them understand the accommodations and provides them with an opportunity to share any additional information or concerns they may have. And remember, sensory-friendly classrooms can improve learning outcomes for ALL children, not just those with additional sensory needs.
Ultimately, there is no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to creating a sensory-friendly classroom. Classrooms will vary based on location, budget, and needs of the students, but teachers can get ahead of any sensory-related meltdowns by assessing their classrooms and recognizing what could potentially cause sensory issues.
Creating a sensory-friendly classroom can seem like a daunting task, but it’s important to remember that every step you take towards making your classroom more inclusive and supportive can make a real difference in the lives of your students. By incorporating sensory friendly strategies you can help students with sensory needs feel more comfortable and engaged in the classroom.
Remember to take things one step at a time, communicate with parents and caregivers, and consult with school therapists as needed. And most importantly, don’t forget to celebrate the progress you make along the way! With a little effort and creativity, you can create a learning environment that meets the needs of all your students and supports their success.
Parenting Chaos: Strategies for Creating a Sensory Friendly Classroom
Sensoryfriendly.net: How to Create a Sensory-Friendly Classroom
California State University: Sensory Friendly Classroom design and instruction
Twinkl: Creating a sensory friendly classroom
Autism Parenting Magazine: Why It’s Important to Create a Sensory-Friendly Classroom
Sensory Sloth: 6 Ways to Make Your Classroom More Sensory Inclusive
Reading Rockets: Make the Classroom Sensory-Friendly Today
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I started reading them a couple of weeks ago and wanted to write a blog post about this last week already, but to be honest, I was really troubled by their findings and wasn't in the right mindset to write about them objectively.
So, here is a breakdown:
We are doing the best we can to bridge the gap
In their research paper, We are doing the best we can to bridge the gap” Service provider perspectives of educational services for autism spectrum disorder in South Africa, they start off by saying:
“The South African education system is increasingly unable to meet the growing needs of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recent studies in the Western Cape, one of the better resourced provinces in South Africa, showed that the pathway to care for children with ASD was an inconsistent and lengthy process, and that many children with ASD waited for extended periods to get access to an appropriate school placement. It is therefore clear that scalable and sustainable solutions are required to improve access to appropriate education for children with ASD.”
In a previous study in 2020, focused on the Western Cape, they found that from a population of 1,154,353 children attending schools in the province, there were only 940 children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder identified, representing a rate of 0.08%.
With the accepted WHO prevalence rate for Autism at 1 in 100 children, there should be at least 10 000 children with ASD in the Western Cape based on the figures above. Where are the missing 9 060 children?
Who's waiting for school?
While researching their paper, Who's waiting for a school? Rates, socio-demographics, disability and referral profile of children with autism spectrum disorder awaiting school placement in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, Pillay, Duncan and de Vries found that of those autistic children waiting for a school placement, 52% had been waiting for schools for more than a year. While there has been a 76% increase in children with ASD in school between 2012 and 2016 in the Western Cape, there was a 276% increase in children on the “waiting list” for the same period. In their own words:
“… even in one of the better-resourced provinces of South Africa, the educational system was not able to meet the needs of children with ASD and their families”
We are doing damage control
The article that is probable the most alarming is this one: ‘We are doing damage control’: Government stakeholder perspectives of educational and other services for children with autism spectrum disorder in South Africa.
This study explored the perspectives of key government stakeholders on educational and other services for children with autism spectrum disorder in the Western Cape and their suggestion for improving services for these children and their families through a series of interviews.
They write that the overarching theme ‘We are doing damage control’ suggested that government departments were not doing what they should be doing for children with ASD and their families. Government stakeholders felt that the challenges in service delivery for children with ASD were part of a greater ‘cracked society’ problem, in which the legacies of apartheid are being addressed through rigid bureaucratic government systems with limited budgets. Poverty, crime and the burden of other diseases outweigh the needs of children with ASD and their families.
The study concludes with:
“Despite having progressive inclusive education policies in place, many children with ASD are out of schools. The education system’s failure in policy enactment for children with ASD is concerning.”
Are we on our own?
Overall, these studies by the Centre for Autism Research in Africa conclude that ASD educational services in the Western Cape have a range of structural challenges – low identification rates of ASD, low identification of co-occurring diagnoses, complicated and inconsistent pathways to diagnoses and, concerningly, an observation that 89% of all children in school with a known diagnosis of ASD were in special school settings. In addition, the authors identified a large “waiting list” of children in need of special educational ASD placements.
Participants in the studies perceived ASD services in the Western Cape as doing “the best we can to bridge the gap” despite the complexities of ASD population needs and prevailing contextual circumstances. However, in spite of doing “the best we can”, the majority of participants expressed significant concern about limited human resources, infrastructure and training as well as the lack of priority of ASD and other disabilities and knee-jerk responses to ASD education.
We are lucky. We can afford to send our kids to Curro, we can even afford to start our own school, Malaika House. But the majority in South Africa cannot. There have been several smaller schools founded over the past few years to cater for the autistic community and they are filling this need as best they can.
But as noted by the researchers, with government being unable to provide services for children with special education needs in rural areas and informal human settlements, unregulated services by lay providers are ‘mushrooming’ in the form of day-care centres where the educational needs of children with ASD are not being optimally met.
"… but it still doesn’t mean that the school is a formal school … So I that, I think is a half-baked service … It’s a plaster that’s been put on a sore, … I think we’re really trying to heal something by quick fixes, and not thinking it through."
Even in an ideal world, the number of problems that the Department of Education has to address in our country is high and ASD is very low on that list. As the autistic community, we will have to care for our own for quite some time. I don't know what the solution is, but maybe everyone that provides private and informal education to ASD children should start working together.
The first step is to start talking so that we can learn from each other.
Note: Thank you to the entire team at UCT’s Centre for Autism Research in Africa for doing all this research and to Prof. de Vries who decided to dedicate his life to Autism research by founding CARA. The work you do is appreciated by the autistic community.
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As we watched her unravel over the course of 2022, we started preparing for this and put the foundations in place for what is now Malaika House, not a school, but a place of learning. A focal point where neurodiverse young people can teach themselves the skills they need to thrive in a modern world that is very different form the one we grew up in.
We started this process by meeting with several experts in the field of education. People who successfully founded independent schools, who developed gifted learner programs for the Department of Education and authors of multiple academic books on the subject. A pivotal point was when, in one of those early meetings, a very smart man, who knows much more about education than I do, asked me: “Why does she need a Matric?” I couldn’t answer him. Malaika will never have a regular life. She will never work a 9 to 5 for a salary at some big company, climbing the corporate ladder. She’s too smart for that.
As Robert Kiyosaki, author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” explains so eloquently
“The school system will never teach you about money. They school system is designed to teach you how to be employees…”
(See him explain this further here)
The disruption caused by COVID19 has created multiple new education options for neurodiverse children. All the online schools have made home schooling easier and more small schools that cater for the neurodiverse community are opening every year. But we believe that some neurodiverse children need a different approach – an approach that focus on experiential learning and self-directed education. We have seen our child completely engrossed in something she wants to learn, spending hours on the subject. And unable to learn something she is not interested in at all.
That is why we started Malaika House. Located on a farm just outside Durbanville, Cape Town, it has a relaxed rural atmosphere, creating a sensory space that encourages learning and exploring.
We will officially open on 19 January 2023 and will be available for visits from the 16th. We are limited to older kids for now, from 12/13 years old onwards and still have space for about 8 kids.
But Malaika House is not for everyone. We will offer an online curriculum for those that want to complete a traditional education, but our focus will be on teaching the practical skills needed to function as adults as well as specialized learning. For example, if they want to learn about drawing Anime and Manga, we will provide the resources so that they can learn about Anime drawing. If they just love taking things apart, we will find an engineer to teach them about electronics.
Most of us were told to get a good education, then a good job with a decent pension plan and to work hard for a good salary until we reach retirement. Maybe that is not the answer for our neurodiverse children.
For more information, the website (www.malaikahouse.co.za) will be live by Monday and in the meantime you can send an email to info@malaikahouse.co.za.
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“The school wrote to her parents – said we think Gillian has a learning disorder. She couldn't concentrate, she was fidgeting. Anyway she went to see this specialist...she was there with her mother and she was led and sat on this chair at the end, and she sat on her hand for 20 minutes while this man talked to her mother about all the problems Gillian was having at school. And at the end of it – because she was disturbing people and her homework was always late and so on, little kid of eight –the doctor went and sat next to Gillian and said "Gillian I've listened to all these things that your mother has told me. I need to speak to her privately". He said "Wait here, we'll be back, we won't be very long."
And they went and left her. But as they went out the room he turned on the radio that was sitting on his desk. And when they got out the room he said to her mother "Just stand and watch her". The minute they left the room, she said she was on her feet, moving to the music.
And they watched for a few minutes and he turned to her mother and he said:
"You know Mrs. Lynne, Gillian isn't sick – she's a dancer. Take her to a dance school."
(You can watch the full TED talk here)
Two weeks ago we made the decision to unschool our 13 year old Malaika Rose and go another route with her education. Not an easy decision, but the right decision for her.
What is Unschooling?
Unschooling is one step further away from standard education than homeschooling. In homeschooling, children don’t attend a traditional school, but they still follow a curriculum and complete formal assessments.
According to local unschooling community, Growing Minds, the basic premise of unschooling is the recognition that all humans are natural learners and learn all the time; that learning happens as a by-product of living; and that learning happens intentionally because of curiosity, an interest or a goal. When this is understood, no ‘learning’ needs to be forced upon anybody. All learning is self-chosen and self-directed.
The focus is connection rather than correction. And the priority is to support our children to live up to their own images of who they are and who they can be, rather than forming them into what we or society would prefer them to be.
So, unschooling does not simply mean not sending your kids to school. It's much more specific than that, and is an approach to homeschooling that generally means learning without prescribed lessons, textbooks, or the school-like methods many other homeschoolers use.
Unschooling can also be called delight-directed learning, child-led learning, autodidactic, natural learning, life learning, autonomous learning, non-coercive learning, or interest-led learning, but the basic premise stays the same.
Unschooling vs. Deschooling
The similarity in the words can make people think they mean the same thing, when in fact, there is a big difference in unschooling vs. deschooling. Deschooling is recognized as a transition from school, and even normal homeschoolers recognize that the need "to deschool" is important. We don't need to follow school rules at home, and even parents need to come to grips with the idea that homeschooling is not school.
Unschooling, on the other hand, can be seen as one of many styles or approaches to homeschooling. Sometimes, as a result of deschooling, families land on unschooling as their approach to homeschooling. (That said, many will argue unschooling is a lifestyle rather than a homeschooling style.) This typically means that children will learn naturally, according to their own curiosity, with active parent partners to facilitate their learning.
The parents won't prescribe textbooks, curriculum, quizzes, worksheets or tests, but they will support real-world learning that naturally occurs outside of school: projects, reading, writing, creating, experimenting, observing, and more. Parents don't coerce or require academics if they are unschoolers, but they do provide rich experiences such as library visits, read-alouds, things to build with, opportunities to pretend, resources other than curriculum, and more.
A large component of unschooling is grounded in doing real things, not because we hope they will be good for us, but because they are intrinsically fascinating. There is an energy that comes from this that you can't buy with a curriculum. Children do real things all day long, and in a trusting and supportive home environment, "doing real things" invariably brings about healthy mental development and valuable knowledge. It is natural for children to read, write, play with numbers, learn about society, find out about the past, think, wonder and do all those things that society so unsuccessfully attempts to force upon them in the context of schooling.
But what happens to unschoolers later in life?
In 2011, Boston College research professor Peter Gray and colleague Gina Riley surveyed 232 parents who unschool their children. The respondents were overwhelmingly positive about their unschooling experience, saying it improved their children’s general well-being as well as their learning, and also enhanced family harmony. Their challenges primarily stemmed from feeling a need to defend their practices to family and friends, and overcoming their own deeply ingrained ways of thinking about education. (The results are discussed at length here.)
This led Gray to wonder how unschooled children themselves felt about the experience, and what impact it may have had on their ability to pursue higher education and find gainful and satisfying employment. So, in 2015, he asked readers of his blog to disseminate a survey to their networks, and received 75 responses from adults ranging in age from 18 to 49.
Almost all said they benefited from having had the time and freedom to discover and pursue their personal interests, giving them a head start on figuring out their career preferences and developing expertise in relevant areas. 70% also said “the experience enabled them to develop as highly self-motivated, self-directed individuals,” Gray notes on his blog.
What stood out, he adds, is that “many more said they felt their social experiences were better than they would have had in school.” 69% were “clearly happy with their social lives,” he says, and made friends through such avenues as local homeschooling groups, organized afterschool activities, church, volunteer or youth organizations, jobs, and neighbours. In particular, “they really treasured the fact that they had friends who were older or younger, including adults. They felt this was a more normal kind of socializing experience than just being with other people your age.”
Overall, 83% of the respondents had gone on to pursue some form of higher education. Almost half of those had either completed a bachelor’s degree or higher, or were currently enrolled in such a program.
Several themes emerged: Getting into college was typically a fairly smooth process for this group; they adjusted to the academics fairly easily, quickly picking up skills such as class note-taking or essay composition; and most felt at a distinct advantage due to their high self-motivation and capacity for self-direction. “The most frequent complaints,” Gray notes on his blog, “were about the lack of motivation and intellectual curiosity among their college classmates, the constricted social life of college, and, in a few cases, constraints imposed by the curriculum or grading system.”
The range of jobs and careers was very broad—from film production assistant to tall-ship bosun, urban planner, aerial wildlife photographer, and founder of a construction company—but a few generalizations emerged. Compared to the general population, an unusually high percentage of the survey respondents went on to careers in the creative arts—about half overall. Similarly, a high number of respondents (50% of the men and about 20% of the women) went on to science or technology careers.
What Gray found most striking is the complete absence of “the typical person who gets an MBA and goes on to become an accountant or middle manager in some business. People with these educational backgrounds don’t go on to bureaucratic jobs. They do work in teams, but where there is a more democratic relationship within the team.”
Where to find out more
In South Africa there are not many resources available on unschooling. The best starting point is either Growing Minds or their Unschooling in South Africa Facebook page.
It is not an easy journey to go on, and one has to consider the legal implications of taking your child out of school. This post doesn’t even touch on all the steps you have to go through to start. But, for us, seeing the difference in Malaika’s anxiety levels already, it is worth the effort.
]]>In the article "Why might exams and revision be difficult for my child?" The UK National Autistic Society offers the following advice:
Many autistic pupils and students are academically able, but have difficulties with exams because they:
What can I do to help?
1. Motivation
Try to explain how exams can help, for example, having qualifications can show employers that your child has knowledge of, and is good at certain subjects.
2. Revision
Encourage your child to think about what works for them, makes them feel most comfortable and able to absorb information. This could include:
There are many ways for young people to study for exams, including revision clubs, school libraries, practice exam papers, revision guides and software for computers and tablets. Some students find that mind maps or flashcards help with their revision or they may prefer to use study apps.
Creating a revision timetable can be provide structure and help your child to prioritise which subjects to revise and when. It’s important to include time for exercise, meals and drinks in a revision timetable, these can help them to remain positive and relieve anxiety or stress.
Preparing for exams
Social stories that could help your child
Here are example social stories that you could use to explain what exams are and what they need to do during an exam.
1. All about exams
Sometimes teachers give tests or exams to see what pupils have learnt in lessons. You can be given a test or an exam in any subject you study at school. When a teacher tells the class they have a test or an exam they often tell pupils what information will be covered. It is helpful to listen to what the teacher says and do some revision. Sometimes pupils feel nervous before or during an exam. It is OK to feel nervous.
2. During an exam
Sometimes teachers give tests or exams for pupils to complete. During exams, it’s important to try and think about the questions and how to answer them. That way pupils can do their best in exams. Later, when the exam is finished, pupils and students may want to think about their intense interests. It is OK to think about these after the exam. I will try to think about exam questions and answers only during the exam.
Special arrangements for autistic young people during exams
Schools can make their own arrangements for autistic pupils and students during internal exams. For public or external national exams, they must apply for special arrangements to be put in place. These are generally called concessions.
Schools have to demonstrate thatconcessions are needed. For example, pupils and students may first have been tested by a specialist teacher or an educational psychologist to determine which concessions are appropriate.
The concessions they can ask for include:
These arrangements may be offered to students with special educational needs or additional support needs, including students who are autistic. They must be requested in advance from exam boards or awarding bodies and there are often deadlines involved.
If you're a parent with concerns about your child as their exams approach, talk to school staff about applying concessions.
A more personal approach
Reach Out Autism Consultants offer the following advice:
1. Tell the truth
It is often the subtle and not so subtle pressures from what teachers and parents say that causes so much stress. We do tell young people that these exams are the most important thing in their life.
Parents pick up on this false importance and put pressure on their child. There’s pressure from assemblies, media and young people passing these messages between them. Teachers have been put under so much pressure. Exam results are what gives the school its status and many are in fear of their jobs if students don’t achieve expected grades. That pressure is naturally put onto young people and they are the ones who are supposed to ‘perform’ under that pressure.
Here are some truths:
Take off pressure, tell the truth. Yes, tests and exams have a place in our education system but they ARE NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. They are helpful to get onto the next step, but there are many routes into the world of work and life so we have to stop putting the pressure on.
2. Find out what they are thinking and really listen
I am a big fan of mapping things out. I find that autistic young people (and many others) have so much going on in their brain and so many bits of ‘advice’ given to them verbally, that recalling any of it, especially when it is needed can be impossible. Others recall all of it but are too overwhelmed to use what they need and become very anxious to do EVERYTHING everyone said. Too much reliance on verbal language means the energy they need to process that is often much greater than it is for non-autistic students.
I sit with students and ask them to tell me what they are thinking, feeling, worried, confident, confused about. I write all this down on a large piece of paper. Often things come out that no-one realised they were bothered about such as “one teacher in year 10 said I wouldn’t get to university if I didn’t get an A in French” (this really happened).
The mapping out of what they say does certain things:
For some students just getting it out and being listened to is enough. For others, simple solutions present themselves from what you see on your map. For others, they may need extra support, changes and help to get them where they need to be. Often, we use the same piece of paper (leave space for this) to add some perspective. So, if you know they think they are going to fail, then you can remind them that they have attended all their lessons, done okay in previous exams, or whatever facts you can give to help them get that particular worry into perspective.
3. Aim to explain and manage the anxiety
A few nerves can help us be more alert and focussed, but the amount of anxiety many young people feel is way over this point. Young people are in a state of high alert, their systems so full of anxiety that they are fighting the urge to ‘fight, flight or freeze’ and some do have many meltdowns or shutdowns at this time. So, we really should be concerned with reducing anxiety so the young person can be calm enough to think clearly and do their best.
Many autistic students we support are very anxious at this time of year, not only because they are going to have to try and remember information for an exam, but they don’t know which information they need to remember, can’t predict or prepare for what the actual questions will be and so many other things are going to change around the exams (and probably already have).
Perfectionism:
The rigid thinking and beliefs that nothing but a perfect score will do, and therefore they cannot do the exams because they might not get that perfect score, is very disabling when a student goes through this. It takes kindness and coaching to support them through it – and please don’t nag them or keep repeating ‘it doesn’t matter’ because their feelings are huge and they do matter to them. Taking the situation one aspect at a time, looking at the facts and breaking the revision and tasks into smaller chunks might help. Some children are very distressed by perfectionism and they need less pressure because they can use the pressure you give them (you will call it encouragement) to blame you for their distress. Backing off, giving them options (even not to do the exams at all) often allows them thinking time and opportunity to try to do the exams. Perfectionists are usually very bright and will do well if they can get to do the exams and will need support to have time off revision and to get out into the fresh air or switch off from studying.
Sensory Needs:
There will be sensory differences, a completely different timetable, familiar routines will change. Prepare the young person for this, and make sure familiar things are highlighted. This is a good time to write lists, use a calendar, or even return to using a visual timetable. Show what is familiar and add times of relaxation, sensory comforts and rest. Talk to your young person, tell them the most important things are that they can get through this, it is temporary and that eating, drinking and resting are the priorities (even over revision if that is a huge stressor as it is in many of our pupils). Make those sensory adjustments (a quiet room, sitting at the back or whatever will help them and make sure the invigilators know about those adjustments).
Take away the pressure:
I often tell parents to take ALL pressure away and even act like they don’t mind how the young person does in the exams. For many autistic young people, the pressure is from within themselves, and their teachers, so a home which reduces the pressure is so helpful for them. Be careful to acknowledge your own worries and anxiety. Much of what you worry about is catastrophising too, banish the negative what ifs from your own mind. Start to look for opportunities rather than only seeing the barriers.
Exam concessions:
Many autistic students are eligible for exam concessions and this will need to be discussed as early as possible. The school will probably want to do some assessments and there are a lot of adaptations that can be made such as sitting in a quiet room, having more time, having sensory or movement breaks and even listening to music (as long as the playlist is pre-approved).
4. Keep routine, reduce demands
Prepare for the changes of environment, routine and what to talk about after the exam. One of my students was very anxious about having two exams in one day, but the biggest stress was whether he’d have enough time to have his lunch in between. The hall for exams was at the other end of the school from the dining area, so we found another quiet area, nearer to the hall which would have given him time and space to eat without being worried by more than he needed to worry about.
The biggest thing to help is reminded you young person what has finished. If necessary, write the exams on post it notes and take them OFF the calendar when they are finished. Or just put a big green tick through the date. It is done, finished.
Keep your routines
Keep as much of the regular routine that the young person wants. Familiarity will help them feel safe. Also plan some routines for the days they are not in school, don’t make them all revision days, but allow Playstation time and a routine for bedtime if possible (good luck with that!) Plan in meal routines.
What comes next?
Think of projects they might be interested in for the summer break. This will depend on your young person and their capacity to engage after the exams. Give them time to rest too. One family sat with their autistic young person and put a list of things they’d like to do and put them on post-it notes as a choice board. The young person could choose one a week, then put it back on the board in case they wanted to do it again.
If they do not want to go over it in any detail, or at all, then let it go. If they do, listen and then remind them it is finished. Help them to move on to thinking about the next thing. Make sure they have assured ‘down time’ or activity time after the exam, what they have chosen to do. Some might like to bounce on the trampoline, others need to hide under the duvet. Let them recover in their own way and if there is no need for them to stay at school, let them go home straight after the exam.
5. For those mainstream autistic students who are unlikely to do well in exams
Keep it in perspective for them. Give regular and undemanding times of support. If they have not revised all year it is unlikely they are going to start now. If they can be persuaded to do a bit, find the thing that will engage them the most, such as an App or computer based activity.
For some it is about the clear distinction between school and home, full stop, or just that school takes up all their spoons (see spoon theory here) and they just CAN’T. Putting more pressure on at this time of the year is likely to have the opposite effect you have desired. Bribery rarely works (although some negotiation for a treat afterwards works for some, I’m not a fan of it, it is often just more pressure to perform, I’d rather give the treat just for being them!) They may do much better than you think and be able to move on to the next steps. We have done a lot of work by now with our Y11 autistic students who are not good at exams.
It’s not the end of the world
Go over the truths at the beginning of this post and remind your student that this is NOT the end of the world. There are too many autistic young people giving up on education and feeling hopeless about life at this stage because all our systems tell them they are failures. I can’t bear it.
Let them rest and recover over the summer. Let them do what they like and emotionally recover from the trauma that school may have caused them. I cannot tell you how to get a 16 year old autistic young person out of their bedroom and into gainful employment, you have to let them recover and work from what they DO like, what they are good at. Even if all they do is play games online. Go into their world and start from there. Have some non-negotiables, like being safe, eating meals or whatever you can manage. You may be able to get help, you may have to find help and advice yourself, but no autistic young person is a failure and there can be a place for them in this society.
Get help
I wish I could do more about this because it is such a hard time for parents, but my best advice is to get online and start to talk to the autistic community. Find autistic adults who have worked in advocacy and advice or training and ask what they suggest. They have probably been through something similar and they are the best people to help and advice you for your young person.
And from now until the results come out – remember to allow you and your child to BREATHE!
Sources:
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/education/exams/parents
https://reachoutasc.com/5-ways-to-support-autistic-students-through-exams/
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After doing research about alternatives and learning form others’ experience of unschooling their ASD children, we realised that, except for home schooling, there are not that many options available to us. But how do you home school a 13-year-old PDA child that craves human interaction, despite the anxiety it can cause.
That is when we realized that the only way that our amazing Malaika Rose will grow and flourish while still learning is through a new approach to her education. And this approach will be based on the two pillars of Self-Directed Education and Experiential Learning.
It may not be the answer for everyone, as every child is different. But it will be for us, and others like us.
Self-Directed Education
The definition of Self-Directed Education (SDE) is “education that derives from the self-chosen activities and life experiences of the person becoming educated, whether or not those activities were chosen deliberately for the purpose of education.”
Self-Directed Education can include organized classes or lessons, if freely chosen by the learner; but most Self-Directed Education does not occur that way. Most Self-Directed Education comes from everyday life, as people pursue their own interests and learn along the way. The motivating forces include curiosity, playfulness, and sociability—which promote all sorts of endeavours from which people learn. SDE necessarily leads different individuals along different paths, though the paths may often overlap, as each person’s interests and goals in life are in some ways unique and in some ways shared by others.
It can be contrasted to imposed schooling, which is forced upon individuals, regardless of their desire for it, and is motivated by systems of rewards and punishments, as occurs in conventional schools.
SDE has many names. It is called unschooling in home school setting, it can be called learner-centered, or child-led learning. Sometimes it is called interest-based learning. SDE gives the child the ability to set their own learning goals and direction.
Remember, education goes beyond learning to read and write, knowing how to count, and science. Education is being holistic — learning how to learn, finding yourself, learning how to live with others and care for our environment, being conscious of how our choices and decisions we make affect others.
My favourite comment on SDE is “Imposed schooling is generally aimed at enhancing conformity rather than uniqueness, and it operates by suppressing, rather than nurturing, the natural drives of curiosity, playfulness, and sociability.”
Doesn’t this describe the position our kids are in perfectly?
According to Alternatives to School, parents whose children make the switch to self-directed education often remark that this is more than just a new approach to education, it’s a new way of living. This is because self-directed learning reflects a belief that people have the right to live their own lives and follow their own paths—to “pursue happiness” in their own ways, as long as they don’t interfere with the rights of others to do the same.
Self-directed learning is a phrase often used in higher education theory about adult learning. In 1975, adult educator Malcolm S. Knowles defined the process in a way we can still relate to today:
“Self-directed learning describes a process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes.”
Experiential Learning
Experiential Learning is the process of learning by doing. It focuses on the idea that the best ways to learn things is by actually having experiences. Those experiences then stick out in your mind and help you retain information and remember facts.
David Kolb is the father or Experiential Learning and published this model in 1984. The experiential learning theory works in four stages—concrete learning, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. The first two stages of the cycle involve grasping an experience, the second two focus on transforming an experience. Kolb argues that effective learning is seen as the learner goes through the cycle, and that they can enter into the cycle at any time.
Concrete learning is when a learner gets a new experience or interprets a past experience in a new way.
Reflective observation comes next, where the learner reflects on their experience personally. They use the lens of their experience and understanding to reflect on what this experience means.
Abstract conceptualization happens as the learner forms new ideas or adjusts their thinking based on the experience and their reflection about it.
Active experimentation is where the learner applies the new ideas to the world around them, to see if there are any modifications to be made. This process can happen over a short period of time, or over a long span of time.
Kolb went on to explain that learners will have their own preferences for how they enter the cycle of experiential learning, and that these preferences boil down to a learning cycle
The Learning Styles
The experiential learning cycle rests on the idea that each person has a specific type of learning tendencies, and they are thus dominant in certain stages of experiential learning. For example, some learners will be more dominant in concrete learning and reflective observation, while others will be dominant in abstract conceptualization and active experimentation.
The four learning styles are:
(Read more here)
Our Path Forward
We have started this journey now, with others, to create a place where our children can learn and grow. An environment where their ASD is not a hindrance, but an advantage. There is not much time left, since Malaika Rose has to start high school in 4 months, and we are not sure whether she will be able to even get to the end of primary school.
By the beginning of 2023, we will start our experiment with Self-directed Education and Experiential Learning. Watch this space!
This blog post was compiled from:
https://www.betterup.com/blog/self-directed-learning
https://alternativestoschool.com/articles/benefits-self-directed-learning/
https://www.personalisededucationnow.org.uk/self-directed-education/
https://www.wgu.edu/blog/experiential-learning-theory2006.html#close
https://experientiallearninginstitute.org/resources/what-is-experiential-learning/
]]>Advice often means more when it comes from someone who has walked in your shoes. Perhaps these tips for making friends from an autistic teen will spark some inspiration!
There’s a common misconception that autistic girls are anti-social and don’t want to have friends. This is untrue. Most of us want to have social lives, friendships, and a sense of belonging, just like other teenagers.
Friendships can be extremely positive and beneficial. A friend is someone you can talk to about your interests, someone who gives you advice and guidance and supports you during difficult times. Friendships can make navigating our teenage years easier.
What distinguishes us from other teenagers is that social skills and interactions don’t come naturally to us. Almost all autistic people find it hard to make and keep friends. Most of us struggle to understand body language and to pick up subtle social cues. We tend to be literal, to speak our minds, and to find sarcasm confusing. Many of us also suffer from debilitating social anxiety, making us appear unfriendly, distant, and aloof. We’re also sometimes perceived as being odd and eccentric.
Our social skill difficulties become even more challenging in our teenage years when social interactions become more complex and harder to decipher. Despite these social challenges, most autistic girls want to be like other teenagers. We want to have friends who understand, encourage, and support us. We want to have fun. We want to have the typical high school experience.
Although making and maintaining friendships is harder for autistic girls, we have many of the essential qualities that make us ideally suited to being a good friend. Since we know what it’s like to be bullied and judged for being different, our experiences have made us more compassionate, kind, and accepting of others.
To help young women on the spectrum harness their amazing qualities into making and maintaining your friendships, here are my top tips for being a good friend:
Never forget that you’re fabulous the way you are. Don’t settle or change yourself and your values to make friends. Be real and be you, because you’re awesome and autistic.
This article was featured in Issue 123 of Autism Parenting Magazine – Autism In Girls
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Returning to school can be stressful for all children, but especially for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. While summer activities such as visiting new places, staying with extended family, and attending school holiday care can be enjoyable, they can also be extremely disruptive for children with autism. We need to take this into account before we even start to plan how to help children transition back to school.
When considering how to best start the transition back after each holiday break, you can help set your child up for success by creating a sense of safety amidst all the changes. It is also worth taking a moment to understand the two basic ways we can help to lessen a child’s anxiety.
Firstly, the priority for reducing stress, anxiety, and fear that can accompany the return to school is to help your child’s body and sensory system to physically calm and relax. Encourage your child to play, move, climb, jump, and get lots of movement; provide both muscle and resistance (proprioceptive) movements, and those that promote deep touch pressure input. The right mix for your child will be different from his/her friends. Some children seek out and prefer deep touch pressure, whereas others seek out muscle and resistance activities to help calm and ground themselves. If you’re not sure of the best mix for your child, an occupational therapy sensory assessment can help guide you through this process.
Secondly, once we have helped children calm their nervous systems through activity (bottom up approach), we can support them and reduce their anxieties by developing a plan for what’s going to happen (top down or cognitive approach).
This article outlines the seven top tips for supporting a child with autism through this stressful back to school transition time, using a combination of sensory (bottom up) and cognitive (top down) approaches.
The school holidays often allow for more flexible time and can be an opportunity to explore new activities. Encourage your child to be active and to try new active pastimes. This might include experimenting with different ways to jump on the trampoline, or trying a new mini trampoline inside (if outside is not an option); swinging or climbing on the tree at the park; or experimenting with different ways to use a fitness ball for exercises both in- and outside. Whether you have a backyard with lots of space to play, or an apartment with little or no yard, there are many creative ways to encourage children to be active.
Create a sense of routine and safety around what’s coming throughout the holidays. Use a calendar, a whiteboard, or other visual means to write out what’s happening from day to day. Children I work with often create a calendar for the holidays (month to a page) and write the big events that are happening each day. This might include:
Having an overview of what’s coming up over the week gives children knowledge and a plan for what to expect over the next few days. Extending this calendar for at least the first two weeks of school term shows them visually when an event is happening (e.g., Is it happening tomorrow, or in two weeks?), and if they cross off each day as they go, they develop a sense of passing time and anticipation of how long it is until school starts.
Extending this calendar into the school term also allows a child to see the new routine at a glance, and helps orientate him/her on what’s new or coming up. Include after-school activities as well, such as soccer or swimming lessons, so the child knows what’s in store.
In addition to having a monthly calendar as an overview, it is a great time to use any visuals you have used with your child in the past and set up new daily schedules or visuals for upcoming holidays, as well as the school transition. This might be a simple list using words describing what the day holds, board maker pictures, clip art, photos, or other pictures. Choose a medium that your child understands.
Create a space with easy access where the routine for each day can be displayed. Write down or use the pictures to show what happens as part of the morning routine, as well as what will happen during the day and the evening. Some children need more detail, and some need less. Chat with your occupational therapist or speech pathologist for guidance, if needed.
Once you have this list or visual, your child can tick things off as they are completed, or he/she can pull off the visual marker and put it in a “finished” box.
Often, the end of the school year is extremely busy and some of our strategies, such as these visuals, may be forgotten or not used as extensively. Getting ready at the beginning of a school year and starting afresh is a great way to support your child for the new school year.
Social stories combined with photos or clip art are a fun way to talk with your child about what’s coming up and how he/she might feel about any approaching changes. They can also provide strategies that help a child feel safe about the new changes. A simple social story might start with:
“It’s been a really fun holiday time. We got to do these things during the holidays (list or write about these). Next week, I’m going to go back to school. I might feel (sad, nervous, worried) about going back to school. That is OK. I can be brave when I go back to school. My first day of school is (day). When I go back to school, I will get there by (walking, car, bus). When I get to school, I can go to (place: classroom, etc.). I will see my friends (names). My new teacher is (name if known) / I don’t know who my new teacher will be. This is OK. When I get to school, I will be told who my teacher is. When I go into class, I can sit quietly and listen to what will happen that day.”
Add in photos of teachers, friends, the front gate of the school, the school bus if possible, or use clip art to decorate and convey the meaning of the story visually.
Use the time off from school as a chance to create or review a sensory-safe retreat space for home. This might be a bean bag in a corner of the bedroom, a small inside play tent, or a large cardboard box. Place comfortable cushions, favorite toys or teddies, visual oil timers, fidget toys, a heavy or weighted blanket, or other sensory calming toys in this space. Encourage your child to use this during the holidays to practice, and once school starts, encourage him/her to have retreat time before or after school so he/she can be grounded and self-calm.
Ensure your child understands that the sensory safe place is not a “time out” or discipline space, but rather a time to feel safe and calm. Once you have discovered what your child finds helpful for a retreat space at home, share this information with your child’s teacher so he/she can create a sensory-safe or retreat space in the classroom. Be sure to include successful strategies as well.
Monitor your child’s tiredness during the holidays and in the return to school. Many children become very tired during periods of transition, and may not sleep as well or for as long as usual because they are nervous and excited. An earlier bedtime might help if they are becoming overtired, or some deep touch pressure exercises, such as squishing them firmly with an exercise ball, or using massage to help them relax and get to sleep more easily.
Help your child understand and communicate how he/she is feeling. Use a feelings thermometer or other visual chart to determine whether your child is feeling happy, sad, calm, worried, or angry. A great way to do this is to use a model such as the “Just Right Kids” Model of Self-Regulation. Children turn the arrow to show exactly how they are feeling, and use the colors to describe their emotions (e.g., I’m feeling blue, green, red, or yellow). More information on this is provided below.
Helping children to transition back to school can feel a little overwhelming in the anticipation. As parents, look after yourselves, keep yourself active and fit (bottom up approach), and pick some ideas from this article to create a plan for how you are going to support your child (top down approach). If you are feeling overwhelmed, talk to your occupational therapist or other professional, your child’s teacher, or your support network. You are not alone; you can do this and you are doing a great job.
This article was featured in Issue 66 – Finding Calm and Balance of Autism Parenting Magazine.
]]>It is one day before Padawan and Malaika Rose return to school and we have two different scenarios in the house, Padawan is a typical Aspie that is very excited to find out who his teacher is and to see his friends, but most importantly to start school because he simply loves it. I asked him once what he dislikes most about school and he said break time because its boring and he loves doing class work. Today he decided to enjoy his last day of holiday watching you tube channels because when school is on - no more tech!
Malaika Rose on the other hand, an Aspie with PDA, is over-active in preparing for the first day of school. We can see the slow build-up of anxiety behind all the organisation, but she is handling it very well at the moment. We are expecting a possible meltdown later tonight when the reality that school is starting tomorrow hits.
Here are a few tips on preparing your child for school and we hope it works for you!
These are tips from our household to yours. We really hope it can be of some help to you, and remember we are all in this together, so please feel free to share your tips with us too.
-Sincerely, Nikita and the ARSA team
]]>Having a child with Asperger Syndrome (i.e. level 1 autism) in your class will have a different impact on your classroom environment than having a child with classic autism. But as is the case with all individuals on the autism spectrum, each individual with Asperger Syndrome is different and will present his or her own unique challenges. This information was written with students with Asperger Syndrome in mind. For basic information about AS, click here.
Children with Asperger Syndrome often display considerable academic strengths. Due to the effects of the disorder, however, these students often require different teaching strategies in order to discover and capitalize on those strengths. Within the school environment, students with Asperger Syndrome also face many obstacles to relationship building and interacting socially with their peers.
The first challenge is to recognize that Asperger Syndrome presents serious challenges for both the student and you. It can be very deceptive, almost hidden to the untrained eye at first. Children with Asperger Syndrome can, at times, look and act like much like their typically developing peers. Further, these children tend to perform as well or better academically than their classmates, which has the potential to mask the effects of the disorder.
Asperger Syndrome is a neurological disorder; individuals with the disorder often have difficulty controlling certain behaviors. Most often these behaviors are a function of Asperger Syndrome and not the result of an individual’s willful disobedience or defiance.
People with Asperger Syndrome exhibit a variety of behaviors. Learning about Asperger Syndrome and how it specifically affects your student will help you effectively manage these behaviors. Here are some helpful hints for teachers:
The parents of your student with Asperger Syndrome are your first and best source of information about their child; they can provide you with information about their child’s behavior and daily activities. Ideally, this partnership will begin with meetings before the school year. After that, it is critical to establish mutually agreed-upon modes and patterns of communication with the family throughout the school year. You can use this sample document to maintain communications with parents.
Having learned about the individual sensitivities and characteristics of your student with Asperger Syndrome, you now have the information you need to organize your classroom appropriately. You can manipulate the physical aspects of your classroom, making it more comfortable for children with Asperger Syndrome without sacrificing your plans for the entire class.
Our Life Journey through Autism: An Educator’s Guide to Asperger Syndrome resource contains information about specific approaches for structuring the academic and physical environment to address your students’ needs.
Children with Asperger Syndrome have social deficits that make it difficult for them to establish friendships. However, with appropriate assistance, they can engage with peers and establish mutually enjoyable and lasting relationships.
The characteristics of Asperger Syndrome can cause peers to perceive a child with the disorder as “strange” or “different.” Children with Asperger Syndrome are more likely than their typically developing classmates to be the victims of teasing and bullying, and often cannot discriminate between playful versus mean-spirited interactions. Teachers and school staff must be aware that students with Asperger Syndrome are potentially prime targets, and they must watch for signs.
Research shows that typically developing peers have more positive attitudes, increased understanding, and greater acceptance of children with Asperger Syndrome when provided with clear, accurate, and straightforward information about the disorder. Thus, educating students about the common traits and behaviors of children with Asperger Syndrome can lead to more positive social interactions between your student and his or her peers.
Many social interactions occur during unstructured times in settings outside the classroom, where students with Asperger Syndrome may end up being isolated. You may want to create a “circle of friends,” or a rotating group of responsible peer buddies for the student with Asperger Syndrome; they will not abandon him or her, serve as a model of appropriate social behavior, and protect against teasing or bullying. This strategy should also be considered for use outside of school.
School is a stressful environment. Common academic and social situations may create extreme stress for students with Asperger Syndrome. These stressors may include: difficulty predicting events because of changing schedules, tuning into teachers’ directions and understanding them, interacting with peers, anticipating change, and structural items such as classroom lighting, sounds, noises, odors, etc.
Tantrums or meltdowns (terms that are often used interchangeably) typically occur in three stages that can be of variable length. These stages and their associated interventions are described more fully in the Educator’s Guide to Asperger Syndrome. Students with Asperger Syndrome rarely indicate (verbally) that they are under stress. While they may not always know when they are near a stage of crisis, most meltdowns do not occur without warning. There is a pattern of behavior, which is sometimes subtle, that suggests an imminent, behavioral outburst. Prevention through the use of appropriate academic, environmental, social, and sensory supports, as well as modification to environment and expectations, are the most effective methods.
Their full, 101 page guide can be obtained here:
An Educator’s Guide to Asperger Syndrome
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It's normal to feel anxious about your child starting school. If your child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), you might have extra concerns about preparing her for the transition to school.
For example, you might be worried about how your child will cope with learning a new set of routines and activities. But with a bit of planning and preparation, you can help your child start school successfully.
If your child is starting school, moving schools or changing teachers, it can help to develop a profile of your child. The profile can describe your child’s strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and any other information that you think teachers will find useful. You can give the profile to your child’s new teacher.
Making a successful transition to primary school
When you’re getting your child ready to start primary school, planning ahead is a good idea. As a general rule, slow and steady works best. These simple strategies can help make the transition successful:
Building familiarity
It can help to slowly introduce the things that your child needs for the school day. This way your child can get familiar with them before he starts school. It can also help reduce your child’s anxiety about too much change all at once.
For example, you could put out your child’s new school bag, lunch box and uniform so your child can get used to seeing them around.
Helping your child get used to the school itself can be done in small steps. You could start with just walking or driving past when you’re on normal trips to other places. This will help your child see the school as part of her everyday routine. Visiting the school out of hours could be the next step. If you can, try to do this several times so that your child gets to know the school environment. It’s best to do this before you start any formal transition plan that involves visiting the classrooms.
You could also make a Social Story™ about starting school or a visual storybook with photos of the school, classroom and new teacher. This can help your child understand what to expect – and what other people will expect him to do. If your child understands the concept of time, a countdown calendar to the day he starts school can help cut down anxiety about when it’s happening.
Practising
Practising at home before your child starts school can help her feel familiar with the new school routines and activities. It can also help you spot any potential problems and find solutions before your child actually starts. For example, your child could practise:
For many children, a school uniform feels very different from the clothes they usually wear. The labels or the type of fabric can upset children with sensory sensitivities. If your child practises wearing the uniform ahead of time, you can work out a way round these sensitivities. It might be as simple as removing labels, or finding another fabric your child can wear under the uniform to reduce irritation. Or you could get second-hand school uniforms, which are worn in and feel softer on the skin.
Organising
Being organised and ready for when your child starts school will ease the stress and help things go well. It’s a good idea to make sure you and your child have everything you need well in advance. Schools usually give you a comprehensive list of what your child needs, which means you can buy – or make or borrow – things in plenty of time.
You might also need to change your household routines to smooth the transition process.
Try writing down everything your child needs to do before school, and put the activities into sequence. Put all the things she needs in set places. Pack her lunch box each night and put it in the fridge. Put her school shoes by the door. Take photos and make a visual plan of the morning routine. Follow the plan for a couple of weeks, then review it to see how well it’s working. If you need help developing a school morning plan, ask your child’s early intervention teacher.
Making transition plans
You can talk to your early intervention provider or kindergarten teacher about developing a transition plan for starting school. Ideally, the plan for the transition to school would start at the beginning of your child’s last year at preschool.
Your early intervention provider will have lots of experience in helping children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) make the transition to school. The provider can give you specific advice about your child and the kinds of strategies most likely to be successful for him. You’ll also be able to discuss strategies that have helped at home.
Your provider can work with the school on the more formal aspects of the plan, like making sure the school has all the information it needs about your child’s support needs and learning styles. The provider might also be able to help you set up structured visits before the first official day.
It’s normal to feel anxious about your child starting school. If your child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), you might have extra concerns about preparing her for the transition to school.
For example, you might be worried about how your child will cope with learning a new set of routines and activities. But with a bit of planning and preparation, you can help your child start school successfully.
If your child is starting school, moving schools or changing teachers, it can help to develop a profile of your child. The profile can describe your child’s strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and any other information that you think teachers will find useful. You can give the profile to your child’s new teacher.
The first few days at primary school
Starting school can be tiring and confusing for any child. You might see an increase in rigid or repetitive behaviour, or your child might have tantrums if you ask her to do something. The tips below might help during the first few weeks.
At home
When your child gets home from school, give him half an hour to settle before starting any usual routines. You might find that your child needs longer at the end of the week when he’s really tired.
Give your child extra time to process and respond to instructions.
Try not to ask your child lots of questions about school.
At school
Use a communication book or exchange regular emails with your child’s class teacher or aide to make the link between school and home. This can help to highlight a potential problem or solve any problems quickly.
Ask for your child to have a buddy to support her at school.
Make sure your child has a safe place to go if he feels overwhelmed.
Give your child a help card. This is a visual reminder to your child to ask an adult for help when she needs it. A help card can help your child feel less stressed and anxious when she gets overwhelmed.
Ask the teacher to give your child short, timed breaks during which your child can do his favourite activity or de-stress for a few minutes. If your child doesn’t speak much, a ‘break’ card that he can use when things feel overwhelming might help.
This article was developed by Raisingchildren.net.au with help from Martyn Matthews, Autism Spectrum Disorder Service Leader, IDEA Specialist Services.
Arif, M.M., Niazy, A., Hassan, B., & Ahmed, F. (2013). Awareness of autism in primary school teachers. Autism Research and Treatment. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/961595.
Connolly, M., & Gersch, I. (2016). Experiences of parents whose children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are starting primary school. Educational Psychology in Practice, 32(3), 245-261. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02667363.2016.1169512.
Denkyirah, A., & Agbeke, W. (2010). Strategies for transitioning preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders to kindergarten. Early Childhood Education Journal, 38, 265-270.
Stoner, J., Angell, M., House, J., & Jones Bock, S. (2007). Transitions: Perspectives from parents of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 19(1), 23-39.
Yu, T. (2008). The transition from specialized preschool to inclusive elementary school for children with autistic spectrum disorders: Six case studies. Ed.D. thesis, Harvard University
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