Posted by Bama Hager, PhD on July 6, 2010

Many schools do not place students into classes until mid August.  As soon as I am informed about the teacher, I make an appointment with her/him during those busy days before school starts.  In the meeting, I try to foster a team approach to teaching my child.  I commit to helping with the transition and with school work during the year.  I will communicate with the teacher about issues at home or any problems at home that may have an effect on school functioning.  We discuss the schedule and try to make plans of action for problems like confusion with the new routine, tantrums should one occur and frustration with mastering tasks.   We also discuss peer relations and ways that the teacher might foster positive peer relations.  I use a buddy system for my son so that each day, a typical peer will interact with him at lunch, recess, etc.  This approach can be used in subtle ways by teachers so that it can be effective with students with Asperger’s Syndrome without singling them out or making the identified student uncomfortable.  

When I share my hopes and expectations with the general education teacher, I try to convey that I do not expect all of the teachers' efforts to be perfect responses to my child.  Teaching any child is a series of trials and errors and teaching a child with ASD is no exception.  I am usually asking the teacher to be flexible in interactions with my child.  I always set up a time to communicate by email or phone after the first day of school so that we can discuss the successes and challenges of the first day.  I also negotiate a safe place or “positive time out” or “rest” place for my son to go if he gets overwhelmed with classroom activities.  Someone will be assigned to show the safe place/rest place to my son on the first day of school.  This spot might be a carpet square or beanbag in the classroom or outside the classroom.   It can be a quiet reading area in the library or in a hallway or special education area.  It is a place for a student to go when he/she is overwhelmed, over stimulated or uncomfortable.  

Communication with the special education teacher is a great idea to discuss tactics for dealing with opposition, tantrums, difficulty with peers, difficulties with task completion or time management.  It is possible that the more that is addressed proactively before school starts, the less solutions that may have to be generated reactively.