Preparing kids for back to school during Covid-19

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 We are still amid the pandemic. The summer has almost gone by. It is almost time for back to school. It is no surprise this time the back to school is different than any other year. Here in Ontario, Canada there is an option for kids to go back to school in person or study virtually through distance learning if parents are not comfortable sending kids back to school. 

It is a well-known fact child with autism thrives on a routine. It is a fact that many kids with autism have low immunity when compared with other kids. My son is no exception. It has been very stressful for us to make a decision with him going back to school in person.

 He loves going to school which is extremely important for his overall development and socialization. But considering his overall health we have decided for him to do distance learning at least for the time being. His safety is our priority at this time. It is important for you as a parent to decide what is in the best interest of your child's health and not feel pressured by what others are doing as everyone's situation is different.

We need to prepare our kids for back to school no matter which model you choose. We must start speaking to them about the back to school plan. We need to explain to them about Coronavirus, social distancing, wearing a mask in simple language which can be understood by them. There are lots of social stories available to address these topics. If your child is going back to school in person make sure you take them to school so they can meet their teacher if it is safe to do so at this time. It is also important for you to speak to the teachers to see what kind of safety measures are put in place to give you some peace of mind.

It is inevitable there will be outbreaks of the virus once the kids start going to school. Our kids with special needs need to learn proper handwashing procedures. It is the best time now for our kids to start working on this before starting school. It is a good idea to use a task analysis to teach them hand washing. 

Task Analysis is a process wherein a skill is broken down into smaller more manageable components.  There are many handwashing visuals available on line wherein the skill is broken down into simple steps. 

The next important skill you need to teach your child is to wear a mask. I have done a blog post on this. Lots of kids will find it difficult in the beginning to wear a mask. We need to work on this skill slowly with a short duration of time and reinforcing them with a special treat or toy. These skills will make their transition back to school a bit easier. 

Our kids thrive on a schedule so if your child is going to do distance learning we must have some kind of a schedule in place for them which will show them the activities which will happen during the day. It is also important we set aside a fixed time every day preferably in the morning when the kids will work on distance learning. 

Most of the kids with autism mine included cannot work for longer duration at a stretch so we need to break the work time into short 15-20 minutes sessions. It is a good idea to maybe have a couple of these sessions, to begin with. In the beginning, start working on the skills they have already mastered and reinforce them so kids are motivated to work.

I hope I have given you a few ideas to help you with back to school strategies to help your kids. If you have any other ideas do comment and let me know.

















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