School Changes

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-10-2007
School Changes
3
Sun, 06-10-2007 - 3:13am
Totally new to this... but here it goes. Today I'm looking for help. I am the proud parent of an almost 10 year old little girl named Chelsea. My wonderful daughter is Autistic. She falls within the Asperger's disorder. Oh Lord, I hate that word... "disorder". Anyway, Chelsea is just finishing the 4 grade. The past two school years she has had the same teacher and the same class peers. That is something our school district does. Which is a wonderful thing... especially for Chelsea. But next year she will be going to a Middle school for two years, then to Junior High for two years, then to High School for four. Anyway, Chelsea is having to deal with, not only losing her teacher next year, but her school (surroundings), class peers, school staff, and (mainly) her routine. I know she will get through this and be fine. My concern is the actual transition. If anyone has walked my shoes before with a "pre-pubesent", Autistic little girl.. please help! I'm doing everything I know how, but I fear it's just not good enough. We've walked through the school together. I've interviewed the pricipal and her new teacher. Hell, I've hand picked her teacher for next year! Chelsea, though, is having some anxieties already about this coming fall. Please let me know of anything that might help. I am 100% open to suggestions!
Thanks so much!
Jenni
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
In reply to: misdarlin
Sun, 06-10-2007 - 10:01am

Hello Jenni and welcome to the board.


OMG what a lot of transitions you are facing in the next few years! And I thought elementary, middle, high was bad enough!


I have not had to deal with this yet, but next year my son will transition from fulltime special ed to a mainstream class, and the school has been great about preparing him.

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
In reply to: misdarlin
Sun, 06-10-2007 - 11:53am

My little guy is just transitioning to kindy, a little less stressful than middle school. Some of the things we are doing for him...driving by the school so it is a familiar looking place. Going into the school when we have a chance, open houses, PTA meetings, looking at the classroom, lunchroom etc. The library is open one day a week in the summer and we plan to use that day to visit every week. He has met his teacher and some of the other staff a few times so now they are not strangers. So it won't be his safe familiar place, but it won't be a totally strange place full of strange people.

I heard of ASD kids going to middle school and getting special tours, meeting teachers in their classrooms. Having the couselor or resource teacher showing them the cafeteria, the gym, the bathrooms, the lockers and how they work, and the office and the nurses office and all the places that might be overwhelmingly different from grade school. All on the basis that familiarity breeds less anxiety.

HTH.

Heather

                                

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: misdarlin
Sun, 06-10-2007 - 7:23pm

I have some experience with this. My 13yo dd transitioned to middle school in 6th grade, she is going to 8th next year. My 11yo son is transitioning for middle school this next year but he is going to a small special needs school.

I can tell you some of the things we did that seemed to help.

1) Get schedule as soon as you can. highight the classrooms and walk her schedule with her. You said you already walked the school, do you think that is sufficient for her? It may be. Cait was the type to get lost easily and wander off. We walked her schedule I think 3 or 4 different days. Then we also walked the routes to the bathroom, library, office, special ed class and lunchroom from different classes.

I highlighted Cait's schedule with colors for different rooms. She only went to 3 rooms but it was at different times so one room was in green, one in yellow, and the other in pink. This helped too. She had a highlighted schedule in a labeled spot in her backpack.

2) Get to know her teachers and noon duties if you can. I met a couple noon duties and had a talk with them. They kept an eye on Cait for the first few weeks to make sure she didn't get lost.

3) I labelled her backpack with sharpie where everything went. I only had to do that the first year then she got into the hang of it.

4) This one is my favorite for any school. Get to know the teachers and keep open communication with them. If they will give you their email even better. That is the way I keep in contact with my kids teachers best. Then I can shoot them an email with any questions or concerns and they can answer at their leisure.

5) Is there a peer she knows who will be going there she can buddy up with at first? It may be helpful if you can find someone like that. We didn't but cait was in a program where there were aides for the kids and their own built in Aspie pals. I wish I would have though.

It hasn't been perfect for us but mostly it has been ok. Work is alot harder in the upper grades and that is what has been tricky.

HOWEVER, on a really really really good note, Cait has come out of her shell since going to the new school. She started doing volunteer work and attending youth group at the same time. But I do think that being able to start fresh with kids that didn't know her has helped and she actually has some friends in school now.

Renee

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