Post #43 Physical and Emotional Aspects of School Return: Be Prepared

September is approaching fast! This post reflects upon the physical and emotional aspects of returning to school or college and considers ways to prepare your son or daughter to support a positive return.

Many of us are beginning to return to a more 'normal' routine, although we may still have anxieties due to ongoing uncertainties regarding the impact of this pandemic. Most youngsters have been at home for months, so preparing them for the transition back to school/college is crucial. Of particular importance to consider are the physical and emotional aspects of returning to school/college. Use the next couple of weeks to prepare yourself and your child - this preparation  may help to reduce anxieties for you and for your children and support a positive return. 

Physical and Emotional Aspects of Returning to School or College

Many youngsters will feel  anxious about returning to school or college. Their anxiety may show itself in many different ways, for example:

Autistic children and young people are likely to be particularly anxious. As the return to school countdown has begun, use the remaining time available to prepare your son or daughter for the physical and emotional aspects of returning to school/college after such a lengthy absence.

Physical aspects

Energy levels during lockdown may have fluctuated and for some youngsters their energy levels will have greatly reduced. Some children and young people have had very limited exercise and may have been leading sedentary lifestyles. The longer the period of lockdown, the lower individual energy levels may have fallen. So be aware that your son or daughter may be very tired when they first return to school/college. This may be exacerbated by poor sleep due to lack of and/or changes to sleep routines.

Weight gain may also need to be considered. It is widely recognised that autistic youngsters are at risk of gaining excess weight. This is most likely due to a range of factors, including their limited opportunities for physical exercise. In addition, there are some suggestions that weight gain is also influenced by the 8th sensory system interoception which, simply put, is the sense which helps us to feel what is happening inside our bodies. Interoception enables us to feel, for example, when we need to use the loo, or whether we are too hot. Difficulties processing interoceptive sensations means individuals may not know when they feel hungry, full, thirsty, hot, cold, are in pain and so on. If you are interested in learning more about interoception, see: Interoception and autism or Interoception and sensory processing. A child who does not 'feel' the sensation of being full may well eat to excess. Combine this with lack of exercise and we can see they will be at greater risk of gaining excess weight. Many youngsters may have gained weight during lockdown and this may be difficult for them to lose whilst physical activity is limited. They have not had access to school PE lessons and activities such as swimming or sports at weekends. In addition, if they usually walk to school this has also stopped for a lengthy period of time. This means that some youngsters have become lethargic and may need some help to increase their energy levels before going back to school.

What to try:

Energy levels Re-energise your child/ren (and yourself). Go for a walk every day, gradually increasing the length and/or speed. You may face resistance, but increasing energy levels is important preparation for what will be a long and tiring day when back at school/college. A daily walk also prepares your child for becoming more active, e.g., PE lessons at school. If you are not able to go for a walk, try exercise activities at home. If you have stairs, set a challenge for going up and down stairs; if you have a trampette or trampoline, set a time challenge for jumping; try some active chores with your child - anything to get active! 

Sleep routines: Autistic youngsters often have unusual sleep patterns, for example not sleeping/sporadic waking through the night, not being able to fall asleep. Your child may have developed different sleep patterns which will need to change as they go back to school/college. Establishing a school sleep routine may be difficult, especially if your son or daughter has not been falling asleep until late at night and laying in bed in the morning. It is a good idea to begin the transition to a more regular sleep routine before the start of term, rather than going from no bedtime routine to a school bedtime routine overnight. 

• Use a bedtime schedule to re-introduce a 'sleep for school' routine.
  
  

  

  
  
  
• Use a timer to set time limits for pre-sleep activities. For example, if your son or daughter has been playing computer games before bed, it's unrealistic/unfair to go from this to "no computer games before bed" in one step the night before they start school/college. Set a time limit for activities such as gaming or watching videos and gradually reduce the amount of time allowed before bed. They may resist this if they have had no time limits so provide an explanation for why you are setting a limit, then agree longer time allowances for weekends. 
• Introduce more relaxing activities before bed. Many youngsters have 'busy brains' as they process their day. Read your child a story, try relaxation music or use essential oils that soothe your child. Some youngsters use sensory toys/objects, repetitive behaviours or stims to fall asleep - this is ok. Falling asleep may prove difficult, especially just before starting back to school/college. Your son or daughter may have a head full of worries about what will happen, changes to usual school/college routines, meeting peers and so on. Practising ways to relax before trying to go to sleep is important to help your son or daughter to switch off/turn down their busy brains or worries (see emotional aspects).

Sensory sensitivities: 

If your son or daughter wears school uniform, they may need to be encouraged to try their uniform on regularly before they have to wear it all day, especially if they are sensitive to different fabrics, textures and smells (new clothes smell different!). If they are tactile sensitive, trying new clothes on may alert you to any sensitivities they experience, for example trouser seams or sweater cuffs which you might alleviate by covering the offending texture with soft cotton or by removing labels which they find uncomfortable. If they are affected by the smell of new clothes, wash them in your usual detergent and fabric conditioner. Likewise they may need to try on new shoes repeatedly before wearing them for a full day at school. 

Emotional aspects

Autistic youngsters are likely to experience heightened anxiety as the day to return to school/college approaches. Many will experience anxiety and fear of the unknown. They may ask repeated questions, for example what will happen at break times, who will be in my bubble? Some will have concerns about COVID19 and what will happen if someone in their bubble tests positive. Many will be anxious about reconnecting with peers and with their new teachers and other staff. Those who are transitioning to a new school or college are likely to be especially anxious. 

It is important to reassure you son or daughter that anxiety is normal when there are changes. Whilst you may not be able to remove their anxieties, there are strategies which you might try during the next couple of weeks to reassure and support your son or daughter so that their return to school or college is positive. It is better to be prepared and to find ways to support youngsters for this big post-lockdown transition back to school/college.

What to try:

Visually clear information You and your child may well have questions, and/or feel anxious, about what will happen when they return to school/college. There are two key aspects they will need information about:

 

You may have already received information about these aspects from your child's school or college. If not, take a look at the school/college website where you may find some useful information. For example, some schools have provided colour-coded routes for moving around the school building. Try to find out as much as you can about measures in place to keep everyone as safe as possible. This information will be important to communicate to your child, especially if they are anxious about the risks if people in school test positive for COVID-19. If you have specific questions or concerns for your child, contact the school to arrange for someone to discuss these with you.

Once you have relevant information, think about how to present this in the most meaningful way for your child to process. Consider using appropriate visual strategies which your son or daughter can refer to regularly to reassure themselves. For example: visual schedules or timetables to show who, what, when, where. Some schools are providing these and there are also some freely available resources and templates which you might be able to adapt for your son's or daughter's needs, for example:

• Secondary timetable template   @SchoolsNlc For more visuals from NLC Communication Friendly Environments 
  
• Back to school resources  Reachout ASC

Set up a visual countdown using your family calendar, encourage older children to use their smartphone to set up a countdown. Make your own visual countdown - see this idea by 'Simplistically Sassy' Countdown to school which you could easily adapt using different objects (eg. Lego bricks) or pictures which are removed at the end of each day.

Communicate about anxiety and worries It is important to encourage your son or daughter to communicate about how they are feeling and to identify any worries or questions they may have. However, if your son or daughter is not able to tell you about their worries, you may be aware of their anxiety from their behaviour. For example, they may be having an increased number of meltdowns or become more rigid about familiar routines. Providing visually clear information about what will happen when they go back to school is important. For example, a visual countdown using symbols or pictures can communicate the passing of time (which is too abstract) in a more concrete way - counting down the number of sleeps can be meaningful for some children. You might look at the school's website with your child to show them pictures of activities and remind them of what school 'looks like'. Show them some of their previous work which might remind them of good feelings associated with school.

Some youngsters will show their anxiety by asking repetitive questions. It is important to answer their questions as often as they ask - they may be seeking additional reassurance and ask repeatedly to check the answer is the same every time. Providing visual information to answer questions can be reassuring, especially as the young person can then check this information as frequently as they need to. Social Stories can be a positive way of sharing information about topics which are causing your child some worries, see examples:

• Preparing for school return Social Stories by Dr Siobhan Timmins
• School bubble social story Reachout ASC

Each child will have their own individual worries. Start by finding out what  they are worried about. Some youngsters may find it helpful to write down their worries, or to make a simple mind-map:

When they have identified their worries, you might then discuss how/where to find answers and who may be able to help. Take a look at some of my previous posts on communicating about feelings for more ideas.

There are lots of useful resources here: Transition back to school

Focus on the positives of returning to school/college Whilst it is important to find ways for your son or daughter to communicate their concerns, questions or worries, it is also important to balance this with discussion of the positive aspects of going back to school/college. 

Some children will need to be reminded of what was positive at school before lockdown. Some children may enjoy looking at photographs of activities for example. Looking at previous work children have bought home, such as art work you may have on display, can be a good way to remind them of activities and lessons they enjoy. Similarly looking at teachers' comments on work books or on a school report can remind a child of their achievements. This can also help to focus upon the positive aspects of learning at school or college - what is your child good at? what activities do they enjoy? 

Remind your son or daughter of friends they may be seeing for the first time in a while. Look at photographs of friends and remind them of activities they have enjoyed together. Set up (or encourage your son or daughter to set up) a video meeting for your child to virtually meet their friends and talk about what they are looking forward to.

Thinking back and remembering activities they've enjoyed and people they like may help to remind your child of the positives and the 'good feelings' of school/college and give them something to look forward to. 

Finally the key to supporting a positive return to school or college is to be prepared. Consider the physical and emotional aspects appropriate for your son or daughter. Inform yourself of as much information as you can, then find a visually clear way to present this to your son or daughter. Try to be calm and have a positive and reassuring approach. 

Further resources

• See my previous post 'Thoughts about School and Next Steps' (posted 2 June 2020) for some links to useful resources and guidance. 
• The National Autistic Society have published back to school guidance for parents: NAS guidance  
• Ambitious about Autism resources to prepare for the transition back to school/college: Transition back to school or college includes some visual stories about changes to expect for children and young people and a useful checklist for parents.
• Check out this great blog post for more ideas: Special Educational Needs Resources Blog @senresourceblog