Back to School Tips for Your IEP or 504 Student: How to Maximize the School Year from Day One!
Sleeping in, summer camps, and vacations are quickly coming to a close as the first day of school quickly approaches! A smooth back to school transition means getting a head start on preparing your child for the new school year before the first day of school arrives.
Are you ready to hit the ground running? Check out these back to school tips to help maximize the school year from day one!
Prepare for the First Day of School
Along with knowing all of the staff that works with your child, you should make it a point to learn your child’s daily and weekly schedule. Ask them questions like, “Do you have “Lunch Bunch” with the Counselor on Mondays? Were there any new kids in your group this week? Do you have Physical Education on Tuesdays? Do you have speech on Wednesday? What kind of sounds and words were you working on in speech? Do you have OT on Thursday? How are you doing with your new pencil grip? Did you earn any special activities? Knowing this information will help you to facilitate communication with your child, let them know you are aware and care about their day, and help them remember things like “Fun Friday” or to take their gym shoes to physical education class.
Establish a Communication System
In many cases, children with IEP’s or 504 accommodation plans need more parent-teacher collaboration than other students. There are many different ways to promote parent and teacher communication. These are typically dependent upon the child’s age and the technology and media that all parties are familiar with. For some parent-teacher teams, sending notes back-and-forth in an agenda book is a good way to communicate about assignments and expectations. For behavioral concerns, a point sheet or checklist showing how the child’s behavior was throughout the day can be a helpful way to communicate. For older students who are less likely to share information between parties, it may be necessary to communicate via phone call or email. It is a good idea to establish the expected frequency of this contact early in the school year so that everyone is on the same page.
Make Adjustments as Necessary
Back to school is a great time to get good systems in place. If you’re concerned about your child’s schedule, your communication with school staff, or your child’s progress, communicate with the involved party as soon as possible. It is much easier to fix something when it’s new than after it has become a habit. Each day that passes with your child having a problem are days that potential instruction could have been maximized.
Once school begins, begin to establish patterns and routines and to develop communication systems with the professionals working with your child. Working out potential problems early in the school year means that your child has more time to maximize their success and make meaningful progress.
Have questions about our Back to School Tips or need to talk to someone about your child’s education needs? Schedule a free consultation to learn more about how we can help you.
Dr. Brandi Tanner is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and former special educator with over 15 years of experience in her fields. She founded Your IEP Source to guide parents through the IEP journey and to empower them to become better advocates for their children.