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18 Tips for Back to School

Lia Jones-Allan

18 Tips for Back to School

Copyright © 2019 Lia Jones-Allan

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form by any means, graphics, electronics, or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, taping, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews, quotes, or references.

Introduction

Heading back to school can be the most stressful time of the year for parents and children. Parents of unique children may feel more anxious as their children may have a variety of challenges that need to be addressed. In this eBook you will learn 18 easy tips you can take to smooth out the transition back to school. Key areas of focus include:

• What to do before school starts • What to do the first week of school • How to set up a communication system with your child’s teacher • What can I do if I feel that the curriculum is too hard or easy for my child • How to possibly reduce bullying situations • Sensory tools that may improve your child’s focus at school • How to reinforce learned skills at home

Here’s to a successful start of the new school year! Contact Us

Email: [email protected] FB: Communication Cubbyhole for Parents Phone: 844-977-3324

18 Tips for Back to School Page 1 [email protected]

Chapter 1

What to do Before School Starts Tip #1. Walk Through Daily Schedule

Could my child walk through the daily schedule before school starts?

Yes. Schools allow this.

Let your child walk through their daily schedule before school even starts.

Your child may “walk through” his or her daily schedule by visiting different

classrooms and seeing how long it takes to get from one to the other. School is

closed to students during the summer months, but the buildings are open with

administrators and other staff members to help you and your child with your visit

before school actually starts.


Walking through a daily schedule is helpful, whether your child is continuing in

the same school or if he or she is moving from an elementary building to a middle

school building, or middle school to high school. These are often huge buildings,

and it is much easier to navigate those larger schools without the entire student

body there. The first day of school is nerve-wracking enough without having to

navigate a huge new, or sometimes bigger, building.

Even if your child is continuing in the same school it is ok to see the new

classroom. To see how to get to the lunchroom compared to how your child

reached the lunchroom from the last year’s classroom. It could be in a different

direction or even in a different hallway from last year. It is ok to walk through the

school.

Tip #2. Help Your Child Organize His/Her Locker

How can I help my child organize his or her locker? What’s the best way?

If you label where things should go in a locker, your child has a better chance of

finding important books, papers, gym clothes, etc., when they need them. It is also

an excellent idea to practice you child’s locker code. This is a good tip if your child

has a locker with a built-in lock. Some of these locker codes do not work. I have

personally seen lots of very frustrated students in the hallways because they were

unable to open their lockers. Practice this skill before school starts.


Tip #3. Organize School Work Efficiently

Which is more efficient for organizing schoolwork, a binder or an accordion

folder?

Most of us had traditional notebooks that open horizontally, but not everyone

organizes better with a regular binder. I have seen some students use accordion

folders that open vertically. Depending on your student it may be easier for them to

organize their notes and papers vertically.

Often accordion folders have more slots than a regular binder. They also have a

cover that stays shut in case it is dropped. This can be an easier way for some

students to organize their notes and important papers. These can be purchased at

any office store or at Walmart® or Target®.


Chapter 2

First Week of School

Tip #4. Meet with the New Team

As you know I am not only a special educator, I am also a mommy. My son

received special education services for 17 years. When my son was younger, I

always tried to meet with his entire team during the first week of school.

My son had a variety of services from Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy and

Listening Therapy. He also had ADHD. He was a unique little boy. I wanted his

new team to know who he was early in the school year or before school started.


Who should be at this initial team meeting?

• Your child’s regular education teacher • Your child’s special education teacher • Speech Therapist • Occupational Therapist • Physical Therapist • Vision Therapist • Mobility Therapist • Behavioral Therapist • Your child’s One on One Therapist • Anybody who touches your child’s life.

It may be challenging to have some of the special area teachers attend such as the

art teacher or gym teacher etc., but if you request them, they may be able to attend.

Sometimes students need one-on-one support to help them navigate the school

throughout the day. If your child has a one-on-one support person, that staff

member should be at this meeting, too. Sometimes this person is available before

school starts. Once school starts that person will probably be with your child. See

if such a staff member is available for your meeting. If not, you can also request

that the one-on-one’s supervisor attend the meeting.

It is very important to have as full a team as possible.

I recommend that you keep a running tally of your child’s accomplishments and at

what ages they were achieved. Bring this document to the team meeting. It gives

the team history and helps them to understand your child better.

I can remember attending an IEP (Individual Educational Plan) meeting for my son

years ago. There wasn’t a single team member present who directly worked with

my child. I was perplexed as to how this could happen. Larger school systems may

have a special education coordinator. This person can lessen the paperwork load

for many special education teachers in that school. It is important that at each

meeting you have people in attendance who work directly with your child daily.


This is critical! Remember also to ask your child’s IEP team questions during the

meetings. Please also remember to bring someone with you to take notes during all

school meetings. The school team will always have a designated note taker. The

family team should also have a designated note taker as well. This will ensure that

what your child is working on was talked about in the IEP meeting. You should

also not attend IEP meetings alone. It is too difficult to listen to all the team

members, comprehend everything while you take notes. Remember to ask your

child’s team exactly what you can do to help your child at home with difficult

homework and attention skills. Your school team is a good resource for those types

of things.

Tip #5. Ensure New Team Understands and Implements Latest IEP

My IEP was written toward the end of the last school year with a different team.

How can I ensure that this new team will understand what’s in the IEP and be

able to implement my wishes as I stated at the last IEP meeting?

This is a great question.

The only way to ensure that the new team is fully aware of what took place at the

IEP meeting is to have a team meeting. Let’s say that your child’s last IEP was

implemented toward the end of the school year, April, May, or June. Now it is

August or September and the new team has to follow this IEP. It is important for

the new team to know your wishes, and to learn some history about your child

before they try to implement that IEP. Of course, teachers talk to one another from

one grade to the next, but it is critical for you as a parent to share your wishes for

your child and what your expectations are for the new grade that your child is

entering.


Tip #6. Specially Designed Instructions

What are SDIs? Are all of my child’s teachers aware of his SDIs?

Teachers use Specially Designed Instructions (SDIs) when helping students

achieve their goals.

For example: If a child is easily distracted, an SDI will suggest that the student not

sit next to the pencil sharpener or the classroom door, as extraneous or surprising

noises could distract this child.

The new team needs to know what your child’s SDIs are, and it is your child’s

primary special educator’s responsibility to share your child’s SDIs with all of the

staff members who come in contact with your child.

This is what I did for my son and it prevented me from feeling frustrated in

October or November. There were not any team members who did not understand

my child’s history or my wishes because I made sure to chat with all of them.


Chapter 3

Communication with the Teacher

Tip #7. Establish a Communication System with Your Child’s Teacher

Be sure to establish a communication system with your child’s teacher. It should

lessen over time as the child adjusts.

You don’t have to talk to the teacher every single day. However, seeing how your

child is adjusting to their new classroom and routine is important, especially if

your child is unique.

This will help reduce parent worrying. We are all a bit worried during the first few

weeks of school. The kids are worried, the parents are anxious, and even the

teachers are kind of nervous as the school year starts.


CLICK HERE http://communicatewiththeteacher.com/ to watch the brief video above.

Establishing a communication system before you get into October or November is

a great idea. It’s best to do it very early in the school year or before school even

starts. That way if any problems arise, you’re already on top of it.

What is the best type of communication?

• Email - This is fine • Phone - As a professional I always called the parents who asked me to. I

kept the call length to 3–5 minutes just for a quick check in. I would share how our speech therapy session went earlier that day. I would also ask the family if they had any questions, I could answer for them.

As a mommy I also preferred telephone communication. You could hear the

inflection. You know what that tone means. It can be difficult to discern tone

through an email.

Communication is key.

Establish a communication system with your child’s teacher that wanes over time.


Tip #8. Know What is Happening in the Classroom

My child is nonverbal. How will I know what is happening in his classroom?

If your child is nonverbal, I suggest using a communication book, in addition to

phone calls, that both parents and teachers can use to communicate with one

another.

Parents would document the activities that took place from the time the child got

home until bedtime. They would also describe how the morning routine went

before school. Then when the child arrives at school the teacher can see how the

evening and morning went for that child. The teacher will then write in that same

book throughout the school day. This will let you know what is going on in school.

This book should be sent home, and then back to school, every day. This way the

communication and dialogue continue thorough out the day and evenings around

your child.


Chapter 4

Curriculum

Tip #9. Ensure Curriculum is Working for Your Child

Often for students who are in Kindergarten to 2nd grade, the first few weeks of

school focus more on social skills, school and classroom rules, and routines. These

younger students are learning where the bathrooms are, where to line up for lunch,

how to get to the school nurse etc. Students in these early grades are focusing on

being at school but will get into their academics within the first month of school.

What should you do if you are in the first week or 10 days of school and you

think the work is too hard or too easy for your child? Whom should you call?

How long should you wait?


That depends on your individual child and the specific challenge that he or she is

having.

If the schoolwork is too hard

If a student is taking a long time to complete homework and is struggling with

classwork as well, don’t let more than 2–3 weeks pass before contacting the point

person on your child’s team. Struggling with schoolwork directly affects your

child’s self-esteem.

Here are some suggested times of how long the average student should take to

complete homework according to their grade.

Homework time chart by grade: www.icaneducation.ca Kindergarten 10 minutes per night First Grade 20 minutes per night Second Grade 20 minutes per night Third Grade 30 minutes per night Fourth Grade 40 minutes per night Fifth Grade 50 minutes per night Sixth Grade 15 minutes per academic subject Seventh Grade 20 minutes per academic subject Eighth Grade 20 minutes per academic subject Ninth Grade 25 minutes per academic subject Tenth Grade 25 minutes per academic subject Eleventh Grade 30 minutes per academic subject Twelfth Grade 30 minutes per academic subject

If you child is taking much longer than this to complete homework within the

second week of school, then please contact your child’s teacher or case manager to

find out what is going on. You may even need to reconvene your child’s team. My

hope is that you have already established a weekly communication system with

your child’s teacher via email, phone, or communication book. Some parents may


even communicate via text message. If an issue should arise it should be caught

relatively quickly.

DON’T LET THIS SITUATION WAIT!

If the schoolwork is too easy

This is a completely different situation. I would wait and let the curriculum get

going. Wait until November for the initial parent teacher’s conference before

seeing if your child needs to be tested for a Gifted placement. Remember the

curriculum does get harder rather quickly depending on the grade your child is in.

Tip #10. Address Any Problems

What are we going to do if there’s a problem? If a problem arises during the first few weeks of school, you should contact your

child’s school. But whom should you contact first? It depends on what the issue is.

Typically, you should first contact the teacher where your child spends most of

their school day. That may be the special education teacher or the regular

education teacher. If the issue is with one of your child’s support services (OT,

speech therapist, PT, vision or hearing support), you should contact that staff

directly. Often these individuals work in more than one location. They may not be

at your child’s school every day. Make sure to get their direct contact information

at the initial team meeting.

If the situation is serious, here is a suggested chain of command you should follow:

• Regular or Special Education Teacher • Support services staff member


If things do not improve and your child is receiving special education, then contact

the following people:

Special Education Supervisor (They oversee the special education educators within

your child’s school building).

If the issue has to do with bullying, then contact the following people:

Principal and special education supervisor, and special education teacher, or

regular education teacher within the same email.

If you child has a one-on-one aide through wrap-around services or Therapeutic

Support Services (TSS) you can contact this individual along with their supervisor

or Behavioral Support Consultant (BSC). If possible, I would contact these

individuals at the same time. They can both be copied in the same email or text

message.

Tip #11. Schedule Your Next Team Meeting

How long should you wait until you meet with the team again? In November or

sooner?

After your initial team meeting at the beginning of the school year you will meet

with your team again at your child’s IEP meeting. You can also meet with

members of your child’s team at the parent teacher’s conference in the early to late

fall. You can request a team meeting as needed.

IEP meetings are annual, when your child’s IEP gets updated. If your child

achieves a goal before the end of the year, or if a new goal needs to be added into

the IEP, then a revision can be created. Often revisions take place without a full

team IEP meeting. However, you should be notified. You will have to give your

permission to have these new goals or updates added to your child’s IEP. The

permission form is called the NOREP (Notice of Educational Placement). Without

your signature on this document the old IEP will remain in place.


Chapter 5

Classroom Dynamics

Tip #12. Clarify Sensory or Movement Breaks

My child needs sensory or movement breaks to focus in a classroom setting. How

will these happen during the school day?

Please consult the OT (Occupational Therapist) on your child’s team for specific

tips on sensory needs and movement breaks. I am not an OT however; I am a

parent of a child who had severe sensory issues.

There are a lot of different sensory tools out there. After an evaluation your OT can

definitely point you to the right direction. Here is a list of a few examples:

• Fidgets

• Bumpy cushions (for chairs)


• Rubber tips on pencils that are good for chewing on.

Some elementary school teachers may have a “sensory area” in the classroom,

where your child could take a sensory break. In this area you may see:

• Bean bag chairs • A thick rug • Swings

Though most learning support classrooms will not have a sensory area, such

classrooms as Autistic support may have one, even at the high school level.


Tip #13. Ask Questions About Social Interaction in the Classroom

Who are the other students in the classroom?

Unique children can sometimes be the source of bullying. This has happened in my

experience as a parent, and it is extremely upsetting when it does. It is hard to

know what to do when your child is being bullied. One of the things I did was to

ask the teacher or the principal who else was in my child’s class. Did he have any

good friends in this classroom? Were there any children who could be an advocate

for my child in a bullying situation? Sometimes having a good friend in your

child’s class is a good thing. Other times it can be an academic distraction.

As adults we forget the level of strength within the observers or bystanders of the

bullying. There can be 10-15 bystanders observing a bullying interaction. A lot of

bullying instances can occur on the playground or in the cafeteria. Often the

number of adults (teachers, aides) is fewer than the number of students in these

locations.


Tip #14. Ask Questions About Social Interaction at Lunch

Where will my child sit during lunch? Is he at a table with his friends or the

bully from last year?

There can be hundreds of students eating lunch in the cafeteria. There may only be

a handful of adults in the same location. Of course, these adults cannot see and

hear everything. The strength is in the bystanders. You want to know if the

students at the table will stand up for your child. Now, it may require the school to

train the entire student body in an assembly to know what a bystander should do to

stop a bully. As a parent you can request that the student body along with the

teaching staff receive this training. These trainings can occur at any grade.


Chapter 6

Reinforcement at Home Tip #15. Have an Extra Set of Books for Home

My son struggled with remembering what book he needed to bring home to

complete a homework assignment. When he was younger, we would often have to

drive back to school after school hours to retrieve a necessary and forgotten book.

This happened countless times.

Then I decided to ask the IEP team for an extra set of books for all of his classes.

One set of books always stayed at home and another set of books stayed at school.

This made life much easier for both of us.


Tip #16. Have Sensory Tools at Home

What sensory tools do I need at home for support so that my child can complete

his homework?

Ask your child’s Occupational Therapist (OT) for specific sensory ideas. My son

had a severe sensory processing need. When he was in grade school the only way,

he could focus on his homework was to jump on a small trampoline for 15 minutes

followed by another 15 minutes of spinning rapidly while lying down on an office

chair. Without this level of daily sensory input my son was unable to even start on

his homework. I would encourage you to ask your child’s OT what type of

sensory diet your child needs.

Your son or daughter may need a larger pencil to complete homework. Your child

may be using thicker pencils at school successfully but unable to switch easily to a

skinnier pencil when completing homework. He or she may need a pencil grip (a

device often made of rubber that attaches to a pen or pencil and is designed to

teach children how to hold their writing utensils correctly). Your child may need

an overlay over a book to change the color of the page they are reading. Not

everyone finds it easy to read from a white sheet of paper with black lettering. An

overlay could be easier on your child’s eyes and could improve their reading

comprehension.

Tip #17. Understand How to Explain Difficult Concepts

What is the best way I can help my child improve their understanding of difficult

concepts at home?

Your special education teacher is a good resource, and you can ask him or her how

to best explain a concept that your child is struggling with. You could ask, “What

can I say to my child that would make a difficult concept easier? Please give me

some of your teacher tips.”


Tip #18. Final Thoughts Remember that you are your child’s best advocate.

As parents, you know your child better than anyone. It is your job to educate the

team so they will understand your child better.

Good luck with the start of the new school year.


About the Author

Lia Jones-Allan is a licensed Pediatric Speech

Language Pathologist with 32 years of experience in

the field. She has spent her entire career supporting

unique children and their families. She enjoys

working with toddlers, children, teens, and young

adults with communication challenges.

Lia has worked successfully with individuals who

present with the following communication needs: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

Disorder, Autism, Dyspraxia, Apraxia, Oral Motor Weaknesses, Medically Fragile

Children, children who need Augmentative and Alternative (AAC) technology,

Learning Disabled, Emotionally Disturbed, Behavior Disordered, Intellectually

Impaired, Language Delayed, Developmentally Delayed, Physically Challenged,

Hearing Impaired, Deaf/Blind and Phonologically Disordered.

In addition to her professional experience Lia is also a mother of two young adult

sons. Her second son is a unique individual who presented with ADHD, Sensory

Processing Disorder, Auditory Processing Disorder and a communication delay.

Her son received the following support services: Occupational Therapy, Listening

Therapy, Speech Therapy and Special Education Services. Lia’s son received

educational support for 17 years before he was discharged from services.

Lia is passionate about supporting unique children and their families. As a

professional in the field and a parent she has seen it all. Her primary goal is to

guide families through the special education system, so they don’t waste their

child’s time.

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