Back to School for Neurodivergent Children

Going back to school is an exciting, and sometimes nerve wracking, time for parents. It can be especially worrisome for parents of neurodivergent kids since starting back to school is often challenging for neurodivergent kids. But with the right strategies and support, this time of year can also be an opportunity for growth and success. Here are some tips for easing those neurodivergent children back into school.

Get Those Accommodations

If your child goes to a public or charter school, you can work to get a 504 plan or IEP plan set up to provide accommodations in the classroom. Having accommodations in place can make a huge difference in your child’s school experience! By coordinating with your child’s teacher and therapists at school, you can ensure your child has more consistency in their day, both in and out of school.

For Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

• Plan to Regulate: Work with your OT to come up with a plan to provide sensory input before your child goes to school and when they return home. If their sensory needs aren’t being met, that will lead to being dysregulated, which then interferes with their ability communicate.

• Share Sensory Preferences: By letting school teachers and therapists know your child’s sensory preferences, they will be better prepared to effectively connect and communicate with your child.

• Check the Accommodations: As part of your child’s 504/IEP accommodations, identify potential sensory triggers in the school environment and include ways to address them. Incorporate the use of a sensory-friendly space, noise-canceling headphones, calming tools, or sensory breaks.

For ADHD

• Teach Time Management: Use timers and alarms to help your child manage their time. Break tasks into smaller, manageable chunks and use visual timers to track progress.

• Implement Organizational Tools: Enlist the help of planners, checklists, and reminder apps to assist your child with keeping track of assignments, deadlines, and daily responsibilities.

• Encourage Fidgets: Talk to your child’s teacher about their classroom policy regarding fidgets and come to an agreement on how your child may use fidget tools or stress balls to help them focus during work or class time.

• Check the Accommodations: Make sure your child’s 504/IEP include such accommodations as extended time on tests, seating arrangements, or frequent breaks.

For Social Communication Difficulties

• Model Social Situations: At home, model more difficult social interactions and communication situations through role-play. Some examples to practice are:

• Joining a group

• Asking people to play at recess

• Asking for help

• Encourage Social Interaction: Talk with teachers about finding kids with similar interests as your own child, then set up after-school playdates. This gives more opportunity for relationship building, plus you’ll be present to support your child as they navigate social situations.

• Ask the School for Help: Enlist the help of school teachers or therapists to get your child connected with other kids at school who have similar interests. Even if they’re in different classes, they can still connect during lunch buddies or recess. 

For Gestalt Language Processing

• Educate the Teacher: Talk with your child’s teacher about gestalt language processors and share any information you have that might be helpful. Many teachers are still operating under the analytic language model (one word, then two words, then three words, etc), and are not as familiar with the gestalt model.

• Provide Helpful Scripts: Share some examples of scripts they can use at school.

• Talk About Your Child: Discuss songs, scripts, shows, and sensory input that the child is interested in to help build up their gestalt language skills.

For Non-Verbal or Assistive and Augmentative Communication (AAC) Device

• Presume Competence: Encourage teachers and support staff to always presume competence. Just because your child may not be able to verbally communicate does not mean they don’t understand what is being said to them

• Share Preferences: Tell teachers your child’s sensory preferences as a way to build connection and relationship with your child. 

• Discuss Communication Methods: If your child does not have another communication device, talk with your child’s teacher and SLP about finding alternative communication methods (i.e. sign language, AAC program like Proloquo2go)

• Encourage Interactions: Suggest to teachers and support staff that, instead of just requesting objects, they focus on asking your child to play and for their help in order to build that connection and relationship

For Childhood Apraxia of Speech

• Discuss Approximations: Talk with your child’s teacher about ways to model approximations, or shortened forms of words/phrases, to offset words your child is unable to say.

• Monitor Skills: Stay up to date on how your child’s literacy and phonological skills are doing.

• Practice Self-Advocacy: At home, role-play using approximations/phrases to self-advocate so they can communicate effectively with their teacher and peers.

• Consider an AAC Device: Meet with the school SLP and discuss the possibility of your child using an AAC device, if they need an alternative form of communication.

Returning to school can bring its fair share of bumps, but making a plan and having purposeful conversations with school teachers, SLPs, and staff can help smooth out the bumps and ensure your child has a good year.