Back to School: Advice for parents of neurodivergent kids
Teach your children at home that they can do things if you help them first and keep practicing.
I didn’t have the kind of life or education my sister had. It is not fair. So, I tell parents of nonspeaking students:
Read lots of books that are age appropriate
Teach lessons for their right grade. Don’t do baby talk or activities.
Think higher education than you have in the past.
Too many parents put kids into ABA. Don’t. Teach them at home that they can do things if you help them first and keep practicing.
Help your child find their voice.
~ William Britton
Be positive and encourage your kids.
I would tell parents to be patient with their kids it takes us longer to process things at times, we are always listening and working hard to be better but our bodies and minds do not always agree.
Also, be positive and encourage your kids that will give them confidents even when others and maybe even myself doubt our abilities. Hearing confident words from my mom and dad always help to keep me going during the hard and scary times in my life. Keep practicing typing because the goal is to be independent.
Talk to your kids to make sure they are really good not just saying they are so parents do not get worried about us. My mom and dad always tell me and my brother Matthew not to keep things that are bother us hidden inside us. It will come out at sometime and it will be much worse.
~ Brian Collins
Keep yourself calm then your child will be more calm.
I think parents need to keep their own anxiety about new things under control. Many times my anxiety comes when I feel the worry from my parents. If I feel calm from my parents then I can feel calm. I don’t think parents realize how much of their anxiety becomes our anxiety. My advice is to keep yourself calm then your child will be more calm. They need to stop overworrying about us because it is making them nuts.
~ Nick Moran
Give your child confidence they can accomplish anything they put their mind to.
I would like to tell parents of neurodivergent kids who are beginning school to always give them confidence they can accomplish anything they put their mind to.
I would like parents to always advocate for their kids by making sure the school educators listen to what is needed for their child such as communicating in their own way because they have a voice, they need to open it up the best way that suits them.
I want parents to keep an eye on their child’s behavior to make sure they aren’t treated poorly in school or they are down about school because they are not getting the correct education in school that is best for them. I am for school and not for school because I wasn’t able to learn more through my own voice of typing so it was hard for me to advocate for myself in school we tried so many times but no one would listen and I was so frustrated at times in school and I don’t want that for your kids. I feel like I’m learning more now from my parents, DSP, therapists, and communication teachers. they are all helping me to show how smart I really am with my voice and typing.
Please parents don’t ever give up on your kids, always advocate for them and just go with your instincts and pay attention to see how happy your child is in school and if changes need to be made then do them.
~ Tiffany Broskoskie
Keep a good routine set up in your day so they can know what to expect in each day.
I am writing to tell about what parents can do for their kids with autism for beginning a new school year.
First make sure you tell your kid that there will be changes. Just talk to them about it even if they cant respond. Do not talk about it over and over. They are going to know what you said and will not need to hear it again and again.
Second take them to see the new class before the first day and let them figure out the new room and the new teacher.
Third keep a good routine set up in your day so they can know what to expect in each day. If your child has anxiety do not feed it but stay calm so they feel safe in your presence.
Fourth do not keep asking them questions or make them do things you want them to do like say hi or make eye contact because they are using all their energy to learn a new routine and space telling them to say hi or look at someone will cause them to get more upset.
I think we need calm understanding from our parents and for them to let us move into new things in ways that work for us and not be pushed to do things that might seem normal to them but make us uncomfortable.
We cannot interact with people the way others do so should not be required to. Our ways are totally acceptable if you allow them to be. The way we act or interact is not a reflection on your parenting so do not feel pressure to pressure us to comply when met with new situations.
~Sagarika Vaidya
#ExceptionalMinds #BackToSchool #Neurodiversity #WeAreInHere #NonspeakingAutism #NonSpeakingDoesNotEqualNonThinking #BelievingInMeIsSeeingMe
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