6 TIPS TO HELP PARENTS GET READY FOR BACK TO SCHOOL

BY STEPHANIE DELUSSEY

Back to school is right around the corner, and for many families with special needs it means more than grabbing school supplies and sending your child off to school on the first day. There are a lot of things to prep and plan for, and it can be overwhelming. To help, here are seven things any family can do to get ready to go back to school:

1. Get all of your child’s IEP paperwork organized. This might seem like the most boring item on this list, but it’s one of the most important things you can do as a parent. Make sure you have a copy of your child’s most recent IEP, their latest progress report from the end of last year, and any additional information you’ve been keeping in your parent IEP binder. If your child is going to a new school this year, your IEP to do list is going to be a bit more elaborate – but not unmanageable! It might include requesting your child’s educational records from the previous school and sending them to the new school, researching your new state or district’s regulations and policies, sending all documentation to your child’s new school for registration (which also helps the new special education department), and reaching out to your child’s new teacher. 
2. Think about what you want your child to learn this school year. A new school year is a fresh start, and your child may have made many gains over the summer – or maybe even had a little regression. Regardless, it’s important to think about what skills you want your child to learn over the next couple of months. What skills does your child want to learn this school year? Take some time, during the last few weeks of summer to think about this, and then reach out to your child’s teacher to schedule a meeting if necessary. 

TIP: Even if you had your child’s IEP meeting at the end of the last school year, you can still request an IEP meeting at any point in this school year. If you look back at your child’s current IEP and your goals or vision has changed since the last meeting, it’s time to ask for an IEP meeting to make the updates, or at least meet with the team to let them know. 

WARM WELCOME : Meeting your child's new teacher will help get ready for school and ease anxieties they may be feeling (and maybe your anxieties too!)