7 Strategies to Support Your Child’s Special Education Needs

Each spring, I say goodbye to the family I built. But it’s the work each fall that brings that family together. This year will mark the beginning of my 19th year as a special education teacher in Colorado. Parents are always asking me what they can do to help make the transition from summer to returning to school a little easier.

Here are 7 practical ways you can help your child get ready for a new school year.

Maintain Open Communication

Maintaining open lines of communication with your child’s school and teachers is essential. Take the time to introduce yourself to your child’s teacher, attend orientation meetings, and exchange contact information. Regularly check emails, newsletters, or any other communication channels used by the school to stay informed about important updates, events, and expectations. If your child has an IEP, make sure the new classroom teacher knows.

Establish Routines and Healthy Habits

A well-established routine can provide stability and structure, contributing to your child’s overall success. Before the new school year begins, gradually adjust bedtimes and wake-up times to ensure sufficient sleep. Set regular schedules for meals, homework, and recreational activities to create a sense of predictability. Encourage healthy habits such as balanced nutrition, regular exercise, and limited screen time.

Review the Individualized Education Program (IEP)

The IEP is a crucial document outlining your child’s specific learning needs, goals, and accommodations. Take the time to thoroughly review the IEP and familiarize yourself with its contents. If needed, schedule a meeting with the school’s special education team to address any questions or concerns you may have. Ensure that the IEP is up-to-date and accurately reflects your child’s current requirements.

Encourage Independence

Fostering independence in your child is a valuable skill that will serve them well throughout their academic journey. Encourage your child to take responsibility for their school-related tasks, such as packing their bag, completing homework, and organizing their materials. Teach them problem-solving and time-management skills, gradually allowing them to take ownership of their learning.

Nurture a Positive Attitude

A positive mindset can significantly impact your child’s motivation and enthusiasm for learning. Encourage your child to embrace new challenges, view mistakes as opportunities for growth, and maintain a positive attitude toward school. Celebrate achievements, both big and small, to boost their confidence and reinforce their love for learning.

Get Involved

Active parental involvement in your child’s education can make a tremendous difference. Attend parent-teacher conferences, join parent-teacher associations, or volunteer at school events. Engage in conversations about your child’s school day, listen attentively, and offer support when needed. By actively participating in their educational journey, you demonstrate the value you place on their education.

Advocate for Your Child

As a parent, you are your child’s strongest advocate. Familiarize yourself with your rights and your child’s entitlements under special education laws. Stay informed about relevant policies and procedures. If you have concerns or questions, communicate them clearly and proactively with the school’s special education team. Collaborate with the team to ensure your child’s needs are met and their educational experience is maximized.

Preparing for a new school year requires proactive involvement and collaboration. By implementing these strategies, you can help create a positive and supportive environment that fosters your child’s growth and success. Remember, your involvement and support play a crucial role in their educational journey.

Long-Distance Moving with Kids

My world feels a bit upside down. Or at least sideways. I am part of the “sandwich generation,” trying to balance raising my family while caring for aging parents. My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years ago. In the next month, we will be moving halfway across the country to be closer to my parents.

Our family has had many conversations about the move, as we process the pros and cons of starting a new life in the Midwest. While my kids are excited about the big move, each of them has unique concerns.

Getting a Job

My oldest is excited to move close to family and already has a new job lined up. As the most extroverted of my children, his apprehensions about the move surround leaving close friends behind. It is important to help him to find ways to stay connected with old friends while he makes new ones in the coming months. We toured his new school on a recent trip to our new state, which helped him get excited about new opportunities and friendships.

Keeping Life Simple

My middle daughter has a rare genetic syndrome. Change is difficult for her to process. Keeping some type of normalcy during this transition is very important for her. We talk often about the places, people, and activities in our new home that she already knows and loves. I researched and found that my daughter’s inclusive sports organization here in California has a league within driving distance of our new home. Her amazing speech therapist, who has worked with our daughter for almost ten years, offered to get licensed in our new state and continue services via Zoom. These familiarities help ground and stabilize my daughter during this big change.

Caring for the Pets

My youngest daughter has many friends, but loves animals most of all. Because of the long-distance move, some of our animals from our hobby farm had to be rehomed. I knew this would be the hardest part of moving for my daughter. I gave her full license to approve and suggest new homes for the animals we could not move with us. We planned a way to move our three cats ahead of us. They are now waiting for us at my parents’ home and in typical feline fashion, are not homesick for us at all. Our Bassett Hound, Betsy, will be riding shotgun in the U-Haul next month, drooling her dog-breath in my face for all 2500 miles! We have plans to buy new baby chicks soon after landing in the Midwest, and my daughter has reminded us about the importance of buying a property with enough room to house her new menagerie of animals.

Accepting Change

The excitement and anxiety about this moving transition are unique to each child. Allowing them to grieve, plan, and discuss the move in their own ways gives them a sense of agency over this big life change.

Going Back to School During Wildfires

After a long hot summer and expanded lockdowns in California’s schools, students are excited to return to school. Some are in shock as they learn to navigate through the daily schedule. Many younger students have never been to a public school. Older students may have lost nearly two years of middle school and now must attend a large public high school. Many retired teachers are returning to help these challenged students and their teachers overcome these many obstacles.

Plan for Wildfire Safety

As I return to school this coming week as an elementary substitute teacher, I am prepared to share engaging units of study for children to read, write, and discuss with their classmates. My second graders will learn about how wildfires can be started in California’s wooded fields. Then we will discuss what they can do as a family to protect their homes from wildfires and how they should plan for a fire in their community. Next, we will learn about how to read the Air Quality Index. In our area, many students had to stay inside for two days last week because of the unhealthy air quality in the community. We will learn when to open windows at home and how we can protect our health if we must be outside.

Create a Wildfire Action Plan

Finally, we will write an action plan that we can share with parents on:

How to prepare their home for a wildfire
What supplies should be collected ahead of time for a wildfire that may include important papers, money, medicines, clothes, valuables, photos, and family heirlooms
How the family can escape from their home in an emergency
Where the family will evacuate to in case of an emergency
How the family will communicate with each other during an emergency
What emergency contact information parents should collect for an emergency

Share Fears About Scary Events

As we discuss and create this safety plan, the students will be able to share their fears about other scary events that have occurred in the past year. For example, many students know folks who have survived Covid infections, lost jobs, or are living in poverty this past year. As students discuss current challenges in their community in relation to other scary events, they will feel more confident that they can share their feelings with classmates. Through these activities, students will learn how we overcome many emotionally challenging times in our community by supporting each other with relevant learning activities.

Happy new school year with your children!

Mary Ann