Back to School Tips for Children with Autism.

Heading back to school can be both exciting and challenging for children of all ages and abilities. For example, while they may be excited about seeing their friends again or learning new things, each academic year brings forth new challenges.

Children with autism and related disorders, however, are more likely to encounter challenges during school than their neurotypical peers. For example, a recent study found that “74% of autistic students in the U.S. graduate with a diploma, versus 86% of all students.”

However, this does not mean that your child is not capable of great things or excelling in school. You simply need to ensure that the right accommodations are put in place to allow them to thrive both academically and socially.

With that in mind, here are some useful back-to-school tips for children with autism!

Tour the Classroom Ahead of Time.

Students with autism and related disorders are more likely to thrive in environments they feel comfortable in. As such, you should reach out to the school to see if they can tour their new classroom (or classrooms) ahead of time so that they can familiarize themselves with this space. This way, they don’t feel quite as overwhelmed on the first day of school.

Meet with Their Teachers.

Meeting your student’s teachers ahead of time is also incredibly worthwhile, especially if they have not taught your child before. After all, while they may have previous experience in supporting neurodiverse children, no two children experience autism in the same way. As such, discussing your child’s specific needs with their teacher can allow them to put the particular provisions in place to support them.

Encourage Your Child to Advocate for Themselves.

One way you can ensure your child has the best possible experience at school is by encouraging them to advocate for themselves and ask for help when needed. For example, if your child deals with sensory issues, then you should encourage them to let their teachers know when they are overwhelmed and need to move to a less overstimulating environment. This can help prevent negative behaviors while ensuring their needs are met.

Read social stories.

If your child is starting school for the first time, they may benefit from reading social stories that help them to better prepare for the changes that come alongside this. For example, you may find the following social stories useful:

● Going To A New School
● Recess
● Transitioning To The Bus

Discuss School in Therapy.

Discussing school and the challenges they may face during this important period in their life with your child’s therapist can also be useful. For example, if they are attending ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis), their therapist can help them develop a range of effective coping mechanisms that will allow them to thrive in any environment. Alternatively, a speech therapist can help them improve their communication skills to better convey their needs to their teachers and make friends with other students.

If you’d like to find out more about our therapy services, please do not hesitate to get in touch today.

For children with autism and related disorders, receiving an official diagnosis plays a key role in their development moving forward. After all, this means that they can access additional support services, put accommodations in place to support them moving forward, and begin to explore different therapeutic interventions.

This is particularly important when you understand that early intervention has many benefits, as it means that your child is developing a range of skills and coping mechanisms that will set them up for life.

With that in mind, here are some steps that you can follow to ensure your child receives an autism diagnosis as soon as possible.

Understand the early signs.

Right now, the average age for an autism diagnosis is three years old for boys and four for girls. However, studies have found that “many children show symptoms of autism by 12 months to 18 months of age or earlier.” Being able to pick up on the early signs, alongside some of the lesser-known symptoms of autism, means that you can pursue the next step as quickly as possible.

The earliest indicators of autism are:

● Difficulty maintaining/avoiding eye contact
● Lack of response to their names
● Delayed speech/communication development

Keeping note of the different signs and symptoms you pick up on as a parent can prove useful when meeting with a paediatrician for the first time, as you can better advocate for your child.

Reach out to a specialist.

If you believe that your child may have autism or a related condition, then the sooner you reach out to their paediatrician, the better. While paediatricians are qualified to diagnose autism, they will likely signpost you to a trusted colleague, such as a child psychologist, who will carry out a series of tests to determine whether or not your child has autism.

The reason why you should reach out as quickly as possible is that there is often a long waiting time for autism evaluations, which can be incredibly frustrating. For example, a recent study found that over 60% of children experienced wait times longer than four months, and 15% waited over a year.

During an evaluation, the clinician will ask for information about your child’s developmental history, including any milestones they have reached (or missed). They will also interact with your child directly and observe them while playing or interacting with others. Following this, they will then carry out a range of standard assessments designed to identify the key signs and signifers of autism.

Following this, they can provide your child with a diagnosis.

After receiving a diagnosis.

When your child receives your autism diagnosis, it is normal to feel a little overwhelmed, especially when you’re thinking about what this could mean for your child moving forward. However, there are plenty of steps that you can take to put your mind at ease.

For example, you should start by learning more about autism. This will help you challenge any preconceived notions you may have developed about ASD and ensure that your knowledge is as broad as possible. However, you should be sure to seek out information from trusted, reputable sources.

Following this, you can look into the different therapeutic services available to you, from speech therapy to ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis). If you’d like to learn more about the services offered at our facility (or online), please do not hesitate to get in touch today.