Back to School Transitions

Here We Go Again (with Support This Time)

Oh no, not another back-to-school blog. If you’re reading this, you’re likely following the age-old tradition of worrying about the upcoming transition back to school, or one that's currently stressing you out. While the kids are getting used to their new school shoes, or refusing to wear them because they’re wrong, parents and caregivers are here, on the internet, following their own yearly ritual of trying to prepare or adapt for another back-to-school transition. 

If you need some reassurance that this struggle is normal, please keep reading. If you’re short on time and here for the tips, go ahead and scroll past my rookie attempt at humor and reassurance, backed by a bit of research, and head straight to the tips and templates. 

There are numerous reasons why the transition back to school can be challenging for kids, parents, and those of us working to support them—new environments, routines, social anxiety (theirs and ours), and learning new expectations. The list is endless, and I’m going to stop adding to it because it’s stressing me out. I want to assure you that this is a common concern. You are not alone if you’re feeling overwhelmed. This is a well-researched problem. Rest assured, there are many people, much brighter than I, working to develop and disseminate research-based tips and strategies. 

This brings us to the paper, "Barriers to and Facilitators of Successful Early School Transitions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Developmental Disabilities: A Systematic Review," published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. In this paper, the authors conducted a systematic review of 39 studies in order to identify “particular parent, child, and support staff needs during the transition to school, while also emphasizing the importance of collaborative practices in facilitating successful school beginnings (O’Toole et al., 2019).” 

This is likely unsurprising to you, but they found that parents and caregivers often face barriers such as unclear communication from schools, limited opportunities to collaborate with teachers, and uncertainty about whether their child’s individual needs will be met. These barriers can create stress and make the transition feel overwhelming. I’ll assume if you’re reading this, you can relate. In addition to these barriers, the review focused on what they refer to as facilitators, or components, that can help to make the transition process smoother. These include open and consistent communication, opportunities to build trusting relationships with teachers, and clear guidance on what to expect during the transition.

So what do we do to help facilitate these facilitators? (hah, glad you asked). Of course, this means preparing ahead by sharing important information about your child, advocating for their needs, and seeking open dialogue with teachers. For educators, this means prioritizing effective communication, offering reassurance, and collaborating with parents as partners in the educational process. Here are some tips and strategies for caregivers, to help support you as you support your child through this transition. 

Hey! If you scrolled past the funny/not-so-funny background, here’s where you stop for the tips.

Sharing Information About Your Child

While teachers and educators may not be able to use every system or strategy that you use at home or in other settings, the more you’re able to share and provide, the more they are able to collaborate with you on coming up with strategies appropriate for their new classroom setting. Here are some tips and examples for ways you can share information about your child, to help and collaborate with educators in different ways.

• “All About Me” Info sheet

  • Create a simple, one-page information sheet to share with your child’s teacher to highlight important information about your child. 

  • Include strengths, interests, things that work well for them, as well as things that may be challenging, dislikes, and focus areas. 

  • This is a good place to include any special interests your child might have, letting educators know it might be a way to begin building rapport and a relationship with your child.

• School-focused Antecedent Strategies

  • You’ve probably learned a lot of different strategies that work, and many that do not work, to help support your child. 

  • You might consider creating (or, better yet, ask your behavior analyst to create) a concise one-page summary of antecedent strategies, along with examples of strategies that work best for your child. 

  • These can include providing choices, using visual timers, or employing “grandma’s rule” (first eat your veggies, then you can have a cookie).

• Prompting Hierarchies

  • While we’re all doing our best to promote independence, a brief prompting hierarchy may be helpful for educators to quickly identify the most effective strategies to promote that independence. 

  • Prompting hierarchies are a clearly delineated way to use cues or prompts to help learners acquire new skills.

  • The hierarchy begins with the least intrusive prompt and progresses in a stepwise manner to more intrusive prompts, providing as many opportunities as possible for independent responding. 

  • If you have a behavior analyst on your child’s team, you can always ask them to help create and incorporate this!

• Visual Supports

  • You likely already know visual supports can be invaluable with everyday activities, transitions, or for prompting independence. If there are certain ones your child responds well to, share them with their teacher!

  • These can include supports such as picture symbols, schedules, choice boards, daily schedules, visual task analysis for specific tasks, or first-then boards.

• Reinforcement Systems

  • Don’t forget the reinforcement! If you use a specific reward system at home, you can share that too. 

  • Educators often have their own reinforcement systems for classroom management, but if a particular sticker chart, token system, or reminder about potential rewards work well, share them.

Advocating for Their Needs

As mentioned by O’Toole et al. (2019), caregivers often face barriers such as unclear communication or limited collaboration with schools during transitions. But there are concrete ways you can advocate effectively for your child. 

• Share your knowledge

  • You know your child best. As mentioned in the previous tip section, there are many ways and things to consider sharing with educators. As a caregiver, one of your biggest strengths is the knowledge you have about your child. 

  • Be confident in that knowledge, as well as open to learning about the different ways your child may learn and respond in new situations and environments. One of my great joys as a behavior analyst is getting to surprise a parent with a skill their child has been showing consistently with me, but not at home! Another key reason for collaboration.

• Ask clear questions

  • Don’t hesitate to ask how the school plans to meet your child’s individual needs (routines, sensory supports, learning goals). It’s often best to put these questions in writing. Caregivers and educators alike are busy, while quick check-ins are great, follow-up with an email to ensure all parties are on the same page, and have a moment when it is convenient to give questions and concerns the consideration they need. 

  • Feel empowered to ask for clarification. It is the responsibility of those working with your child to ensure you have a clear understanding of their goals, progress, and strategies being used. Sometimes we may use technical language that’s common in certain fields, please don’t hesitate to let any member of your team know if you need more of an explanation. 

• Request regular communication

  • Advocate for ongoing updates in a format that works for you (email, app, weekly check-ins). 

  • We know unclear or limited communication is a barrier, ensuring ongoing and regular communication is the expectation from the onset, helps to set and meet expectations, and keep the team regularly collaborating.

• Bring up concerns early

  • Address issues as soon as you notice them, rather than waiting until they grow bigger.

  • If you’re unsure if something is a problem, it’s ok to frame it that way. But making observations and bringing up concerns allow potential problems to be on everyone’s radar, and help to keep them from turning into big problems.

• Seek collaboration

  • Frame conversations as teamwork: “How can we work together to support [child’s name]?”

  • Collaboration and teamwork is key. It’s easy for all of us to feel our methods, strategies, or approaches are THE BEST ones. But it’s not always feasible to have the same exact approach or materials in every setting. 

  • Caregivers, educators, and other service providers are part of your child’s TEAM. Each bringing valuable knowledge and each dealing with different barriers. The important part is remembering we are all working together to meet each child’s needs. 

• Document important points

  • Keep notes from meetings or communications so you can follow up clearly.

  • Life is busy and often hectic, you may not be able to address everything as it happens in real time. You can try keeping notes (in a phone app, or GASP, in a notebook) to help yourself remember important details when it comes time for your next meeting.

• Celebrate successes!

  • Share progress you see at home, and acknowledge the different educator’s efforts. 

  • Building a positive relationship supports advocacy long-term.

  • Have you tried something at homea home a teacher suggested and it worked? Be sure to let the teacher know! Hopefully they’ll also let you know how your suggestions and tips help them as well. If they don’t, ask them! It feels great to know your efforts to collaborate and share are paying off. 

  • And if you're a family I work with (or have ever worked with) PLEASE share your successes with me! I love to hear it.  

Starting the school year also often means meeting new teachers and adjusting to new routines. Adding to the tips already discussed, one of the most powerful ways caregivers can support a smooth transition is by building open lines of communication with teachers. When caregivers and teachers share information and work together, children are more likely to feel supported and understood (O’Toole et al., 2019). Establishing a dialogue early on not only helps teachers get to know your child’s unique strengths and needs, but also sets the tone for collaboration throughout the year.

Seeking an Open Dialogue with Teachers

• Ask about routines

  • Learn what a typical day looks like so you can prepare your child ahead of time.

  • You may even be able to visit the school and classroom early to help your child be introduced to the new environment.

• Clarify communication

  • Ask the teacher how they prefer to connect (email, notes, apps) and how often.

  • If their preferred method differs from yours, you may have to work together to find the right compromise. 

  • Some schools may have specific platforms or apps they require their teachers to use.

• Set shared goals

  • Discuss your hopes for the year and ask what goals the teacher has for your child.

  • Ensure all members of your child’s team are familiar with any IEP or 504 plans, including goals and supports.

• Build the relationship

  • A simple “thank you” or quick check-in goes a long way in creating trust.

  • Sending a positive note about something your child enjoyed in class, or checking in briefly at pickup can strengthen the relationship.

  • These moments show teachers that you see and appreciate their efforts, which makes it easier to have open and honest conversations when challenges come up.

Back-to-school transitions are rarely smooth sailing, they’re messy, unpredictable, and stressful for kids and caregivers alike. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to figure it all out on your own, and you don’t have to get it perfect on day one. Research shows (O’Toole et al., 2019) that the biggest game-changers are simple: clear communication, collaboration, and strong relationships between caregivers and teachers.

And remember, asking for help is part of the process. You’re not expected to do it all yourself. If you’re a Joyscape client, your behavior analyst is here to walk through these transitions with you, whether that means helping you create individualized supports, drafting tools like “All About Me” sheets, or collaborating directly with your child’s educational team.

Transitions will always bring challenges, but with preparation, open dialogue, and support, they can also open doors for growth, confidence, and connection, for your child, your family, and your relationship with their educators.

Citation: 
Laura, F., Jalisa, G., Beaudoin, E., & Sladeczek, I. E. (2020). Barriers to and facilitators of successful Early School transitions for children with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities: A systematic review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(6), 1866-1881. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-03938-w