Making the Back-to-School Transition Easier for Children with Disabilities

A new school year brings new teachers, classrooms, schedules, expectations, friends, and routines. For many children, that change is exciting. 

For some children with disabilities, developmental delays, sensory differences, communication needs, or behavioral challenges, it can also be a lot of change all at once. 

A different wake-up time. A new classroom. An unfamiliar teacher. New sounds and smells. A different bus route. New expectations. Less free time. More transitions. Even wearing shoes again after a summer spent in sandals can feel like a big adjustment. 

If the first few days, or weeks, of school are difficult, it doesn't necessarily mean your child isn't ready for school. They may simply need more time and support to adjust to a new environment and routine. 

The good news is that families can do quite a bit to make that transition easier. 

1. Start Rebuilding the School Routine Before the First Day

Summer schedules often look very different from school schedules. If possible, don't wait until the night before school begins to make the switch. 

Start gradually moving toward your child's school-year routine ahead of time: 

• Adjust bedtime and wake-up time. 

• Begin getting dressed around the same time they'll need to on school days. 

• Practice the morning routine. 

• Eat breakfast around the time they'll eat during the school year. 

• Reintroduce an earlier bedtime routine. 

• Practice packing a backpack or lunch. 

• Begin limiting late-night activities. 

Predictability can be especially helpful for children who have difficulty with transitions. The CDC explains that routines help children know what to expect and identifies consistency, predictability, and follow-through as important elements of structure. (CDC) 

The American Academy of Pediatrics also notes that children tend to do best when family routines are regular, predictable, and consistent. (HealthyChildren.org) 

You don't have to change everything in one day. Moving bedtime or wake-up time a little earlier each day may be easier than suddenly changing the entire schedule. 

2. Make the Unknown More Familiar

Sometimes the hardest part of going back to school isn't school itself. 

It's not knowing what's going to happen. 

Whenever possible, give your child opportunities to become familiar with their school environment before the first day. 

Depending on your child's needs, you might: 

• Drive past the school. 

• Walk the route they'll take into the building. 

• Visit the playground. 

• Attend an open house. 

• Meet their teacher. 

• Find their classroom. 

• Locate the bathroom. 

• Practice opening their locker. 

• Look at pictures of the school and classroom. 

• Talk about where you'll drop them off and where you'll pick them up. 

For a child who uses a wheelchair, walker, AAC device, adaptive equipment, or other supports, a visit can also help identify practical issues before the first morning. 

The CDC specifically recommends planning ahead for transitions for people with disabilities and emphasizes collaboration among families, schools, healthcare professionals, and other supports. (CDC) 

Familiar doesn't have to mean easy, but familiar is often less intimidating than completely new. 

3. Use a Visual Schedule

For some children, hearing, "You're going back to school next week," is too abstract. 

Seeing it can be much easier to understand. 

Consider creating a simple visual schedule showing what a school day will look like: 

Wake up → Get dressed → Breakfast → Brush teeth → Drive/bus → School →

After-school care → Home → Dinner → Bath → Bed 

You can use photographs, drawings, printed pictures, symbols, or written words depending on your child's communication and developmental level. 

A calendar can also help. Mark the first day of school and cross off the days leading up to it. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends visual schedules as one strategy for children with developmental disabilities because pictures can help a child understand what the day will look like and what to expect. (HealthyChildren.org) 

The CDC also provides printable schedules and notes that daily schedules can help "take the surprise" out of what happens next. (CDC) 

For some children, knowing what's next can make a very big difference. 

4. Tell the School What Works—Before There's a Problem

Your child's new teacher shouldn't have to discover everything about your child through trial and error. 

You know things about your child that may not appear in an IEP, 504 Plan, medical record, or enrollment form. 

Consider giving the teacher a short "About Me" page. 

Include things such as: 

• My strengths: 

• What does your child love? What are they good at? 

• How I communicate: 

• Speech, gestures, signs, AAC, pictures, behavior, etc. 

• Things that may be difficult for me: 

• Noise, crowds, waiting, transitions, certain textures, unexpected changes, etc. 

• Signs I'm becoming overwhelmed: 

• What does the beginning of dysregulation look like for your child? 

• Things that help me regulate: 

• Movement, quiet space, headphones, deep pressure, a favorite object, visual supports, breaks, etc. 

• Things that usually don't help: 

• This can be just as valuable. 

• Medical or safety information: 

• Allergies, seizures, feeding concerns, elopement risk, medications, mobility needs, or other important considerations. 

The goal isn't to introduce your child with a list of problems. 

Start with who your child is. 

The CDC emphasizes close collaboration among families, schools, and healthcare providers when children need additional support at school. (CDC) 

5. Review Your Child's IEP, 504 Plan, and Health Plans

Before school starts, or early in the year, is a good time to reread your child's current plans. 

Ask yourself: Does this still describe my child? 

A lot can change over a summer. 

Look at accommodations, communication supports, behavior supports, therapy services, assistive technology, medical needs, transportation arrangements, and safety plans. 

If something significant has changed, reach out to the school rather than waiting for the next scheduled meeting. 

6. Practice the Difficult Parts

You don't have to practice an entire school day. 

Instead, think about the specific parts most likely to be challenging for your child. 

Maybe it's: 

• Getting dressed. 

• Wearing shoes. 

• Carrying a backpack. 

• Getting onto the bus. 

• Saying goodbye. 

• Eating from a lunchbox. 

• Opening food containers. 

• Using an unfamiliar bathroom. 

• Asking an adult for help. 

• Transitioning away from a preferred activity. 

• Sitting with a group. 

• Waiting in line. 

Break difficult routines into smaller pieces and practice them when there isn't pressure to get somewhere on time. 

If your child has trouble with transitions, provide warnings before an activity ends.  

Instead of suddenly saying, "Time to go!", try: 

"Five more minutes, then shoes." 

Then: 

"Two more minutes." 

Then: 

"School time. First shoes, then car." 

Small amounts of predictability can reduce the number of surprises your child has to process. 

7. Think About Sensory Needs Before the First Day

School is a sensory experience. 

There are bells, fluorescent lights, crowded hallways, cafeteria smells, playground noise, children talking, chairs scraping, fire drills, new clothing, different foods, and lots of people moving around. 

For some children, that's simply part of school. 

For others, it can be overwhelming. 

Think about what supports your child already uses successfully. Depending on the child and what the school permits, that could include: 

• Noise-reducing headphones 

• Fidgets 

• Chewable sensory tools 

• Movement breaks 

• Alternative seating 

• A quiet space 

• Visual schedules 

• Comfort objects 

• AAC or other assistive technology 

Don't wait until your child is consistently overwhelmed to begin the conversation. 

If sensory or assistive supports are necessary for your child's access to education, discuss them with the appropriate school team. The CDC notes that accommodations and assistive technology can be incorporated into disability-related school supports when appropriate. (CDC) 

8. Plan for the After-School "Crash"

A child who appears to hold everything together at school may come home exhausted, emotional, irritable, withdrawn, hyperactive, or dysregulated. 

Remember how much they've been doing all day. 

They may have been working hard to: 

Listen. 

Communicate. 

Follow directions. 

Navigate social situations. 

Process sensory information. 

Transition repeatedly. 

Control impulses. 

Complete academic tasks. 

And adapt to an environment that isn't yet familiar. 

Your child may need less from you immediately after school, not more. 

Consider creating a predictable after-school decompression routine. That might mean a snack, outside play, movement, sensory activities, quiet time, music, or simply being left alone for a little while. 

Try not to schedule every minute of the first few weeks if your child is already working hard to adapt to school. 

9. Focus on Connection Before Perfection

The first week doesn't have to be perfect. 

Your child may forget their backpack. 

There may be tears at drop-off. 

Lunch may come home untouched. 

They may be exhausted. 

Behavior may temporarily change. 

Morning routines may take twice as long as expected. 

That's okay. 

The CDC emphasizes predictable responses, warmth, sensitivity, routines, and supportive family interactions as important practices for children's healthy development. (CDC) 

Try replacing: 

"Why are you acting like this?" 

with: 

"This has been a really big change. What would help right now?" 

Not every child will be able to answer that question verbally. Their behavior may be part of the answer. 

10. Celebrate the Small Wins

For one child, success might be walking confidently into a new classroom. 

For another, it might be staying for two hours without becoming overwhelmed. 

Another child may independently ask for a break for the first time. 

Someone else might sit next to a new friend at lunch. 

Those all count. 

Children develop at different rates and have different strengths, needs, and ways of experiencing the world. The CDC defines healthy development as children of all abilities, including children with special healthcare needs, having their social, emotional, and educational needs met. (CDC) 

Instead of comparing your child's transition to everyone else's, compare it to where your child started. 

Progress doesn't have to look the same for every child. 

Give Everyone Time to Adjust

Back-to-school transitions don't end after the first day. 

Some children adjust immediately. Others need days or weeks to become comfortable with new people, expectations, environments, and routines. 

Keep communicating with your child's teachers and providers. Celebrate what's working. Pay attention to what's consistently difficult. Adjust supports when needed. 

And remember that a difficult transition doesn't automatically mean a child can't succeed in that environment. 

Sometimes it means: 

"I need more time." 

"I don't understand what comes next." 

"This environment is overwhelming." 

"I need another way to communicate." 

or simply, 

"I need some help." 

At WHALE Respite Center, we believe behavior is communication and that children learn best when they feel safe, supported, understood, and included. 

Whether your child is beginning preschool, returning to school, moving to a new classroom, or starting a new after-school routine, our goal is the same: 

Every child deserves the opportunity to belong, learn, grow, and THRIVE. 

Helpful Resources for Families

For more information about preparing and supporting children with disabilities, families can visit the CDC's Disability and Health resources, CDC's resources for building routines and structure, and HealthyChildren.org from the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Looking for childcare or school-out care for your child? WHALE provides inclusive childcare and school-age programming designed to give children of different abilities opportunities to learn, play, build relationships, and belong. Learn more here.