- child to speak with psychologist / counsellor (daily if possible)
- keep a diary recording feelings, fears and thoughts about going to school, as well as strategies
- positive reinforcement of attending school (rewards) may increase anxiety and stress
- better not to let them stay home, can make things worse, reinforce the message that not attending school is ok
- don't get angry or irritated with the child
- encourage them to speak with you about feelings, but don't force it
- don't deny their feelings but do explain what WILL happen
- often children don't understand why they are feeling as they are
- don't trick or surprise them, don't change the rules as you go
- no punishment for non-attendance
- consider ways to encourage - eg: phoning parents or parents staying for short periods
- meet with the child's teacher away from the school, just to get to know each other informally
- focus on the positives of going - write a list with pictures
- encourage attending for longer times each occasion or longer periods in the classroom
- encourage a support system - friends, other staff in the school, grandparents, psychologists and specialists
- talk with your child about your anxiety and fears and how you deal with them
- try various relaxation techniques
- try Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
- try online schooling (? not sure if this is similar to radio on the air here in Australia, have read about it recently but can't remember details)
- have a communication book for communicating with school staff
- ask the school to provide opportunities to build community and relationships with others in the school community
and my suggestions:
- consider the school environment and what might be difficult for the child - overwhelming sensory input, no down time, change of friends etc
- explain the reasons for school attendance and participation, particularly as they relate to the child and their interests and ambitions (a social story may be useful)
- medication for anxiety may be of use
- allow plenty of de-stressing time after school, preferably doing something related to current special interests. reduce after-school activities and homework until after they are settled into school (ie: term 2)
- consider part-time home-schooling (legal in the ACT)
- work with the school on flexibility - does the child NEED to do the exact same work in the same way as other children. what is the point of the exercise, can it be met in a more ASD / your child -friendly way?
- DO investigate health complaints (tummy aches, headaches etc) to rule out medical causes, don't always assume anxiety
- consider disclosing the child's AS / ASD to the class to heighten understanding and support
- ensure the teacher is supported to support your child eg: schedules, providing downtime for sensory overload, providing written step by step instructions for work etc etc
- investigate the use of alternate technologies to engage the child and reduce the stress of having to handwrite etc
- we ask for feedback on each session of the day - so each session of approx 45-60 minutes is started fresh. after participation with some effort (ie: he doesn't have to have done every thing for every minute) we link it to a reward (as stated above rewards can make it more stressful so we need to be careful not to place additional pressure on him, we don't ever put deadlines on when it must be achieved by etc). he also gets the reward at school of earning 5-10 minutes at the end of each session to do something he enjoys - mostly this has been time spent drawing, painting, crafting etc
- we include him in almost all discussions and meeting about this issue at the school. it's important that he feels valued and listened to and able to make suggestions
do you have any other ideas?
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