Preparing autistic child for school

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Preparing autistic child for school

Your child's early intervention program will help with the transition to school. Here are some suggestions for things you can do.

1) Arrange visits to the school and participation in short sessions or activities - start with time periods as short as five or ten minutes - and gradually increase these.
2) Prepare a Social Story, or series of stories, to help your child understand the routines and social situations at school.
3) Make a 'School Scrapbook' - including photos of the buildings, classroom, canteen, toilets, playground and key staff members.
4) Prepare a calendar to count down the days (and intervening major events) before school starts.
It is important to be aware of things that are important to your child, or that make him or her anxious. Prepare a daily schedule or timetable to help reduce these anxieties. A colourful chart will show your child that lunchtime, toilet time and home time are part of the school day and he or she won't miss out!

Hopefully the school will cater for any particular obsession your child may have, and include 'chill out' time where he or she can engage in their obsession. Your child needs to know these times (and conditions), so that they will more readily accept the boundaries that the school will impose.

http://www.autismvictoria.org.au/services/school_years.php#preparing