Autism Home Learning

Are you thinking about preparing your children for going back to school?  There are more changes to plan for as schools prepare to open on 8th March. See my previous posts #43 & 44 for considerations, tips and resources.  Some key points to consider: Dates: Find a way of visually presenting information about key dates. This may be as straight forward as writing key dates on the family calendar, whilst many youngsters will require their own personalised visual information. Obviously the date your child will return to school is important (in most cases 8th March), but another consideration is that schools close for the Easter break just 3 weeks later and reopen again 2 weeks later after Easter. This may feel like another 'start-stop-start' to your child so prepare them for this by providing them with the information they need. Structure & routines: Getting back into the usual structure and routines of school is important. Check your child's school website for key info...

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: Autisti...

Lots of us are thinking about when schools reopen. Whilst we are not yet aware of the details of when/how this will be, it is important to start thinking about how to prepare our children. This post provides an example of a Social Story to illustrate how the approach can be used to prepare your child for another big change!  Social Story to prepare your child for going back to school. We are still waiting to hear details about when schools will open and we know that not all children will be going back to school at the same time. I am posting this now to illustrate how a Social Story might be used to prepare your child. This Social Story is written for primary aged children, however it can be adapted for younger and older children. As it is, this Social Story may be too lengthy and includes a lot of information.  Some children will cope with the full information in one story, so I have suggested where page breaks could be – but this must depend on the individual. For many...