Supporting Neurodiverse Kids Heading Back to School

Back to school can be a stressful time for parents and neurodiverse kids.

For a lot of neurodiverse kids, they can feel overwhelmed by their classes and homework, making it harder for them to feel calm and ready to go into the school year.

Parents always ask me, what can I do to support my child when they are about to head back to school or if they have just started back to school.

In this blog post, I’m outlining some resources and tips that you can use as a parent to better support your child or teen.

1. Reflect back on what went well this past year or summer with your child

It can be really helpful to talk with your child about what went well and what they would like to be different about this past year (summer included).

• For example, your child may have found that staying after school to do their homework was much more beneficial than coming home and then trying to get started on their homework.

This worksheet by Understood.org can help guide you in discussions with your child about what went well and what they want to focus on this upcoming year.

If you are looking for other resources, I highly recommend the Wunder app by Understood.org (they also just released the Android version).

2. Get prepared for your child’s support and accommodations at school

If your child has a 504 plan or IEP, review their accommodations prior to the start of the school year and mark down any upcoming meetings in your calendar.

If your child is a tween or teenager, they should be aware of their accommodations because they will often be responsible for reaching out to their teachers for extended testing time or extensions on projects.

If you have been considering a 504 or IEP but aren’t sure where to start, the Shining at School course by The Childhood Collective is a fantastic resource that walks you through how to best advocate for your child at school.

Accommodations are an evidence-based support option for kids with ADHD, and they can be particularly helpful for kids at school.

3. Expect some anxiety and hesitation about returning to school

Anxiety is a normal response to starting something new. As an adult, it can be hard to get back into the swing of work after a vacation too.

For kids with ADHD, they might be nervous about having a new teacher, returning to schoolwork, or friendship issues at school.

As a parent, one of the best things that you can do is to validate and normalize these feelings, while also expressing confidence in your child’s abilities to manage these challenges.

For some kids, I’ve seen that their anxiety about certain school subjects decreases significantly with accommodations and an IEP so you can also remind them about their supports they have at school.

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Keep in mind that returning to school can be really challenging and there are new challenges that can often come up each year. As kids go into new schools or move into middle school, new challenges might come up.

The biggest support kids have is you and just by reading this blog on new strategies, you’re already being a big advocate for them.