Birthday parties can be challenging when you have a child with special needs, and not always for the reasons you would expect. Read about our experience at 5 Minutes for Special Needs.
But before you do that, I need some help. We have less than 5 weeks until the start of kindergarten, and, although is it very exciting, it is also a bit nerve-wracking. Plus, we just found out that our TSS has taken another job (she is the behavioral support person who would be with him in his classroom), so we will be getting to know a new person the week before school starts!
So, whether you have a child with special needs or a typical child who has started school, I need your best advice for a smooth transition. We have a great IEP with some good supports planned, but I haven’t been able to get a hold of the autism consultant to find out how much will be in place on the first day versus gradually put together after school starts.
So, please leave me a comment with your suggestions and then you can go read my other post!
I'm a mom with Asperger's raising an amazing son with autism, which means I'm basically the case manager/advocate/cheerleader/chauffeur. The rest of the time, you can usually find me with my nose in a book!
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Try to strike a balance between vigilance and patience during the first few weeks of school. It’s important to make sure that your son’s IEP is being followed, but it may take some time to get everything in place. Giving staff the time to find their groove and to see you as a part of the team will make things run much more smoothly down the road. Best wishes to your kinder.
Try to strike a balance between vigilance and patience during the first few weeks of school. It’s important to make sure that your son’s IEP is being followed, but it may take some time to get everything in place. Giving staff the time to find their groove and to see you as a part of the team will make things run much more smoothly down the road. Best wishes to your kinder.
Just come from there!
When mine started as his new school, we went for a walk around the grounds before the new school term started. I checked which room he would be in and photographed the door and the number whilst we were there. In fact I look loads of photographs and made sure that he touched those things [it somehow makes it more real and memorable for him]
Once home I made up a shortish ‘social story’ with the photos and we ‘read’ it together every day for the week before he started.
That said, this approach was disasterous with my younger son [sorry, but I've got to tell the truth!] This merely fed his OCD into a huge nightmare of anxiety.
This is probably [hopefully] the only unhelpful comment you’ll receive.
Sorry.
Best wishes
Just come from there!
When mine started as his new school, we went for a walk around the grounds before the new school term started. I checked which room he would be in and photographed the door and the number whilst we were there. In fact I look loads of photographs and made sure that he touched those things [it somehow makes it more real and memorable for him]
Once home I made up a shortish ‘social story’ with the photos and we ‘read’ it together every day for the week before he started.
That said, this approach was disasterous with my younger son [sorry, but I've got to tell the truth!] This merely fed his OCD into a huge nightmare of anxiety.
This is probably [hopefully] the only unhelpful comment you’ll receive.
Sorry.
Best wishes
As a more general type of tip (not exclusively for kids with special needs, maybe more for mommies who dread the return of school and early alarm clocks!), we always start about two weeks before school to limit the after dinner activities (swimming at night, walks around the neighborhood, playing out till dark, etc).
We start backing up the bed times to more reasonable hours, rousing ourselves earlier every couple days, settling into a transitory kind of routine. We have a NON schedule in the summer so this transition is important to all of us. I also ease us back into regular dinner times together around the table and more regular shower/bath routines, too.
Cold turkey never works for any of us, least of all me!
As a more general type of tip (not exclusively for kids with special needs, maybe more for mommies who dread the return of school and early alarm clocks!), we always start about two weeks before school to limit the after dinner activities (swimming at night, walks around the neighborhood, playing out till dark, etc).
We start backing up the bed times to more reasonable hours, rousing ourselves earlier every couple days, settling into a transitory kind of routine. We have a NON schedule in the summer so this transition is important to all of us. I also ease us back into regular dinner times together around the table and more regular shower/bath routines, too.
Cold turkey never works for any of us, least of all me!
Thank you for stopping by my blog to say hi! I’m really enjoying getting to know this community of families who support and inspire each other so much.
If your son has difficulty with transitions, maybe a calendar or a schedule will help. You could talk to him about how his day might be structured and prepare him for the more unstructured times, such as lunch and playground time. Social stories might help him as well. He could also have a schedule with him at school to which he or his instructors/therapists can refer to help him see when he’s going to transition. Crossing my fingers for you!
Thank you for stopping by my blog to say hi! I’m really enjoying getting to know this community of families who support and inspire each other so much.
If your son has difficulty with transitions, maybe a calendar or a schedule will help. You could talk to him about how his day might be structured and prepare him for the more unstructured times, such as lunch and playground time. Social stories might help him as well. He could also have a schedule with him at school to which he or his instructors/therapists can refer to help him see when he’s going to transition. Crossing my fingers for you!
Visiting before hand worked the best for M and not talking too much about it. That depends on how each child handles the stress of waiting. M does not like to think too much ahead of time. I am sure everything will go very smoothly. If the IEP is good now it is just observing and making certain it is followed. Good luck!
Visiting before hand worked the best for M and not talking too much about it. That depends on how each child handles the stress of waiting. M does not like to think too much ahead of time. I am sure everything will go very smoothly. If the IEP is good now it is just observing and making certain it is followed. Good luck!
I don’t know, but if you figure it out, let me know before my son starts kindergarten in a year. I know I will be a mess. Now, doesn’t that help you, lol.
I’ve met the woman who is likely to be M’s kindergarten teacher, but we’re still not sure which building (of two freestanding kg’s) her class will be sent to. It was supposed to have been one (which I visited and LOVED) so I showed it to her and got her excited, but now the district is saying they may switch the pre-k and kg since a number of kids from the pre-k are moving up together and they may prefer to keep them where they were. An adequate facility, but not quite as nice and slightly further away (but still walking distance, barely). She starts 9/1 and the official letters STILL haven’t gone out. I’d really wanted to be sure so I could show her the building and playground again before we leave on vacation on Friday. Ugh!
I’ve met the woman who is likely to be M’s kindergarten teacher, but we’re still not sure which building (of two freestanding kg’s) her class will be sent to. It was supposed to have been one (which I visited and LOVED) so I showed it to her and got her excited, but now the district is saying they may switch the pre-k and kg since a number of kids from the pre-k are moving up together and they may prefer to keep them where they were. An adequate facility, but not quite as nice and slightly further away (but still walking distance, barely). She starts 9/1 and the official letters STILL haven’t gone out. I’d really wanted to be sure so I could show her the building and playground again before we leave on vacation on Friday. Ugh!