The new school year…
I can remember from my own school days, and when teaching, that some children (admittedly the minority!) are excited to return to school after the long summer break. They love the idea of getting back to the routines of school and seeing their friends. This was certainly not how I felt as a child. I loved being at home, with freedom from the demands and expectations of school. I really couldn’t understand why anybody would be excited to go back. My children took after me.
Many autistic children dread, and are fearful of the return to school. In fact, anxiety about the need to return to school can start very shortly after the start of the holiday, meaning that any break from school based anxiety is very short lived. Parents, carers and family members tread the tightrope of not mentioning school to avoid triggering spike in anxiety and trying to initiate discussions about school in order to prepare their child for what’s to come.
The start of the school year represents a fresh start. For primary aged children the new school year often brings a new class teacher, a new TA, a new classroom, new routines and expectations alongside increasing curriculum challenge. Of course many of these changes can be positive, depending upon the child’s experiences the previous year. For secondary age pupils, there a more new and unknown teachers, perhaps new subjects, embarking on their GCSE courses and a completely new timetable.
Of course, some children will be joining their primary school in Year R, and others leaving their primary to start at secondary school.
Through my years to working alongside autistic children and young people, I have always been struck by their often overwhelming positivity in the face of a new, but unknown, challenge or change. This enthusiasm can be understandably be seized upon by adults working with them as an indication of how well things will go. This is often contrasted by parents’ concerns about what ‘reality’ will feel like for their children and, although they hope that things will go well, have this uncomfortable feeling that their child will again experience the pain of realising that reality doesn’t match up to what they were expecting, feelings of fear and anxiety and probably most upsetting of all, feeling that they have in some way failed. During this period, parents sometimes feel that they are being perceived as pessimistic, not ‘believing in’ their child and being overly-anxious.
We know that the first few weeks of term often do appear to go well from the school’s perspective. In contrast, parents notice the change in their child as soon as term starts; withdrawal, seeking solitude after school, quick to become upset and angry, difficulties with sleep or eating. The effort required from an autistic child to understand and navigate the school environment can be exhausting and overwhelming. Sometimes the impact of this effort can no longer be ‘masked’ by the child in school and they may start becoming visibly distressed or withdrawn at school, perhaps reporting frequently that they feel unwell.
Working with your child’s school to ensure that they understand the extent to which your child is struggling can, at times be challenging. Parents often report feeling unheard and disbelieved, alongside the frustration of knowing that some fairly minor adjustments and support could make a world of difference to their child’s experience of school.
There are two documents that it may be useful for you to share with your child’s school to support them to help your child. the document from the Autistic Girls Network is clearly focussed on supporting autistic Autistic Girls Network - Reasonable adjustments at schoolgirls, however, the advice, in my view, can be useful for all autistic children and young people. of course, not everything suggested will be suitable or helpful for your child.
Autistic Girls Network - Reasonable adjustments at school
KCC Mainstream Core Standards (Look at Communication and Interaction section, page 19-24)
KCC Mainstream Core Standards - Parent Guide
Your child’s school might find it helpful if you highlight to the school those that you think would work particularly well for your child.
Sometimes, despite the school doing all they can, your child may still struggle with anxiety about school. The school at this point should be seeking advice and guidance from the local area and discussing with you whether they, or you, should start considering whether to request that the LA carry out an EHC needs assessment for you child.
I am here to provide you with advice and guidance should you need it.
With warmest wishes,
Louise