Tips to Help Provide a Smooth Start to the School Year for Autistic Students
Heading back to school after the holidays can feel like a big change for many Autistic children and teens. The long break, the adjustments to routine, and the jump back into busy school environments can be a time of mixed emotions.
With a bit of planning and support, families and educators can make the return to school feel safer, calmer, and more successful, so children with Autism can head into the new school year feeling more settled and confident.
Check out our tips for a successful start to the year below.
Gently Bring Back Routines
During the holidays, routines may have been more relaxed, so easing back into school structure gradually can make a real difference.
- Start adjusting wake‑up and bedtime routines a week or two before school starts.
- Practise the morning steps together — getting dressed, packing the bag, leaving the house.
- Visual Supports, such as schedules or checklists can take the pressure off repeated verbal reminders. Information that is presented visually can help children to feel prepared for what steps are coming up next and can help to work through the routine more consistently, effectively and independently.
- If it helps, do a practice drive past the school or walk the route together especially if your child is starting at a new school.
Think Ahead About Sensory Needs
Schools can be loud, bright, busy, and unpredictable places. Preparing for sensory experiences can help Autistic children feel more in control.
- Pack a small sensory kit suited to your child’s sensory preferences — this may include headphones, fidget toys, sunglasses, and/or anything else that helps them get in the ‘just right’ sensory zone for learning. It can be helpful to check with your new classroom teacher about any existing sensory supports they have in place like quiet corners or sensory rooms.
- Talk through what sensory experiences might pop up at school and how, with the support of teachers and education assistants, they can try to manage them.
- Work with your school to make a plan for what you can do in the situation that sensory inputs become overwhelming.
- Planning for breaks throughout the day is important to provide time away from stressful and overwhelming environments. Practise using a “break card” or signal so they can ask for time out when they need it. You can also ask the school about quiet rooms or areas for breaks.
Make the First Day Feel Predictable
Many Autistic children feel more confident and more at ease when they know what is coming or what will happen next; consistency and predictability can help to reduce anxiety.
- Talk through any changes from last year — new teachers, new classmates, new routines.
- If possible, ask the school for photos of the classroom and other spaces, teachers, or timetable. This is especially important if your child is changing schools or in a different area of the school than previous years. Sometimes a school may even allow a special time for some students to visit the school and view their new classroom before the term starts.
- Create a simple social story about the first day back. Explaining key information around the who, what, where, when and why, helps to increase predictability, uncover hidden social rules and make children feel more confident in a new or unknown experience. You can download our ‘Starting a New School Year’ social story by clicking on the button below.
- Use a visual support, such as a schedule or timer to help with predictability and independence with before and after school routines.
- Use calendars or countdowns to show how many days are left until school starts and map out key events that may be taking place in the first few weeks of school like swimming lessons or excursions.
Keep Communication Open with the School
Effective communication and collaboration will help ensure your child can receive effective, consistent support, from everyone in their support network, across all environments.
- Share key information with teachers — such as strengths, interests, sensory needs, communication preferences, triggers, and what works well. A student profile or matrix could be developed with your therapist to provide key information and strategies to the new teacher.
- Collaborate on support plans like Individualised Education Plans (IEPs) to ensure that any support strategies and adjustments are discussed and agreed upon. Discuss with your school when these plans will be reviewed throughout the year to ensure progress is being measured.
- Set up a simple communication method with the relevant teacher/s (email, communication book, diary, app).
- Share a tip sheet to help teachers to use key strategies such as visual supports, clear language and consistent routines.
Support Emotional Wellbeing
Going back to school can stir up a mix of feelings — excitement, nerves, or both.
- Validate these feelings and let children know their feelings make sense.
- Practise calming tools like breathing exercises, or movement breaks.
- Consider reducing after school commitments and expectations for the first few weeks of term as they settle in and readjust to the demands of school.
Encourage Strengths, Interests, and Autonomy
A strengths-based approach builds confidence, helps reduce stress and can make the transition back to school feel more positive.
- Use special interests to support routines, reduce anxiety and build rapport with new people — maybe play a favourite song during the drive to school to make the transition easier or bring an item of interest to show a teacher or classmate at drop off (with parental supervision).
- Offer options where you can, to increase your child’s sense of control and autonomy — clothes, items in the lunchbox, or the order of tasks.
- Celebrate all wins — big and small.
- Find ways to help your child to make choices and express their own needs, requests, questions and/or preferences.
Keep the Support Going
The transition back to school does not end on day one; support is most effective when it is consistent.
- Keep mornings calm and predictable.
- Watch for signs of stress or sensory overwhelm and provide support to access calming input, as they may not be able to initiate this themselves. The support of a parent or trusted person to help regulate during these times is key.
- Adjust strategies as needed and keep communication open between the school and home
Need more advice?
Looking for more advice about how to best prepare for a smooth start to the school year? Find more information, including guides and tip sheets in our knowledge hub and resource library.
To build student knowledge about Autism and teach students how they can support their peers in the classroom and school environment, check out our Autism Heroes resource pack.