Preparing your child with a disability for the new school year

Key Points:

• Educate your child about the back-to-school process by pre-planning a look around the school and giving them school resources to consume 
• Prepare your child’s teachers by briefing them with a small profile about your child and their needs so they can properly support them
• Getting everything organised and routines reinstated early can streamline the back-to-school process

School can be daunting for kids, especially if they have a disability, so giving them as much preparation time and information as possible can help put their minds, and yours, at ease.

You can help reduce their feelings of overwhelm by preparing them for what to expect, who they can lean on and what their daily routine will look like.

So how should you help your child get ready for another year of learning?

The early bird gets the worm

There’s no such thing as “too early” to begin preparing your child for the new school year.

Getting everything organised as soon as you can is the best way to reduce any anxiety for your child and smooth out the process of the first day back at school. 

Organising uniforms, books, lunchboxes, and preferred snacks and supplies early will help streamline the preparation for when school starts. 

To assist with this, it is worth organising a visit for you and your child to the school before the first day to become familiar with its layout and extra support options.

This will inform you and your child know where they need to go, how they will get there and what school staff will be around to help them. 

When liaising with the school, give your child the space to ask any questions they may have.

If they don’t feel comfortable doing that, some of the questions you can ask are:

• Where is their classroom?
• Where are all the accessibility aids located?
• Who are some of the year-level teachers? 
• Who is the Student Support Officer (SSO)? 

Being able to help kids become familiar with their surroundings, map out a plan and see how their first day back may look will put their minds at ease about going back to school.

Alternatively, they may enjoy reading books about going to school, hearing stories about other kids their age going to school, or doing their own research on the school’s website about what is available to them to help prepare for the new school year.

Preparing the school  

Giving your child’s school and more specifically, their teachers, as much information as possible about your child and their disability can help ensure they are just as prepared as you are for the new school year. 

Compiling a small profile for your child’s teachers outlining their disability, their character, any learning difficulties, strengths and weaknesses, and triggers is the best way to support new teachers and can educate them on the best way to support your child.

Ideally, this can be handed in on the first day of school so that you can visit the classroom and meet each other and establish a rapport. 

Alternatively, email this profile to the teacher directly, or to the school, and ask for it to be passed on to your child’s teachers.

Practice makes perfect

School holidays often see daily habits and routines subside as we wind down over the break, but it’s important to reinstate that structure before school goes back.

Getting a headstart on practising elements of school life such as waking up early, social interaction or playground etiquette and getting dressed can make the first day back a breeze. 

Ensure your child is familiar with your daily routine and consider having a visual schedule or timetable available to them so they can follow along.

Practice makes perfect, and the more times you can successfully complete your morning routine before school goes back, the more your child will be calm and prepared.

But be realistic! Some mornings might not go to plan and that’s okay.   

To learn more about routines during the holidays, read our article, ‘​​A parent’s guide to getting through summer holidays with your child with disability‘.

What does your back-to-school routine look like? Let us know in the comments below. 

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