Simple Tips To Make Your Child Enjoy School

Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting, tips
21 Jul 2015


Your child spends a good part of her day in school. To maximize the benefits from this time in school here are some simple tips to be shared with your child’s teacher. Parents and school’s staff’s cooperation will achieve best results.

  • Sensory integration issues can be overwhelming. If your child have very sensitive ears to school bell or fire drill alarm, ask the teacher to send her/him a few minutes earlier outside before the bell or the alarm comes off. During recess and lunch if your child has a hard time coping with the noise level, have her wear head phones, so she can have hear snack or lunch in peace.
  • Warning: Headphones and earplugs cannot be worn constantly because they may affect the child’s hearing.
  • If the child’s eyes are too sensitive to sunlight let her wear sunglasses when she goes on the playground, field trip, or any outdoor activity. It also helps to make her wear a hat or a cap. Even inside the classroom, if she is sitting in a bright spot ask the teacher to allow her to wear her sunglasses, cap, or hat.
  • Because of food allergies, it is not allowed to share food in school. Teach your child to respect this rule by writing her name on her lunch box and sending her most favorite foods, so she doesn’t attempt to try other kids’ food. Pack lunch and snack the night before and prepare her for what to expect inside her lunch box.
  • Group sports are not for everyone. Kids with autism cannot always cope with the group’s pace of running, jumping, chasing the ball, and so on. Besides, their social skills and communication abilities challenge them to be part of a big team. However, they can always find a play partner who shares the same interest on the play ground. In the worst case, the child can do her favorite activity by herself, whether playing, drawing, or reading.
  • Dress your child in comfortable clothes, so he/she doesn’t struggle to unbutton or unzip her pants when using the restroom. Try to avoid this kind of accidents, they can be very embarrassing for your child.
  • Remove the tags on the back of the undershirt or shirt, feeling itchy can be very irritating. Same for the socks, have her wear them inside out to avoid the seams from rubbing her toes.
  • If tying shoelaces are hard do, replace them with Velcro. Just by tripping over anything because of undone shoelaces can trigger a temper tantrum. Better be safe than sorry.
  • To make life easier on yourself, prepare the clothes she/he is going to wear with her/him the night before. Save yourself a temper tantrum.

The tips above are meant to ease transitions and avoid needless temper tantrums. If your child spends a peaceful day in school, she’ll associate going to school to positive experiences that she would enjoy repeating.

To be continued…stay tuned!

Nadia Shanab

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