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Navigating the new academic year

A line of colopures pencils in rainbow order

Now that the schools have gone back, I have been turning my thoughts to how different it can be for our Daisies to go back into a school environment after a long summer break, and why.

For those who have not managed to make it back into school, it may be of interest to you that next week is School Avoidance Awareness Week. There will be various online events and webinars available throughout via the website.


A couple of things that affect our Daisies more than most are transition and change, whether in a new school, or moving up a year in the same one.


Change

The change of classroom and of teacher(s) will almost certainly cause some anxiety, whether the young person understands the feeling or not. The change of location means possibly a new peg or locker, a new classroom or common room to get used to, and perhaps at least one new teacher who will be their go-to teacher for the year. This can be very unsettling.


Add into the mix new classmates or other new people around, and social anxiety may well come into play. There may also be extra responsibilities or activities which were not a part of the previous year, which can also cause pressure (for example, being told that they are going to be role models for the younger pupils once they move up to the new year group). For more about helping your Daisy with change, please read our previous blog post.

 

Transition

In addition to this, there will be the transition back into school life. I’m assuming that most people don’t spend the summer holidays surrounded by quite as many people as they would be in school. Suddenly being around the hustle and bustle of school life, with its noise and crowding, and the different smells, can take a while to get used to again.


There may be extra challenges around lunchtimes – the noise of the dining hall, and the smells of everyone else’s lunches can be a challenge as well. It is important to never underestimate the impact of sensory sensitivity on our Daisies, and how this may affect how they cope with other things.


Lots of different analogue clock faces showing different times
How it can feel when you are trying to be ready on time!

Time pressures

The need to be ready by a certain time can also be a challenge – this can be partly due to a change in routine, and partly due to it triggering demand avoidance.


Having to get up at a certain time is a demand. Having to have breakfast and get dressed in particular clothes are demands. Then there’s the need to leave the house and be in school on time – that’s a big demand, and that’s before they have even started the school day, which will definitely place many further demands on them. This can be difficult for others to understand.  For more about demand avoidance, head over to the PDA Society website.


 There may also be an element of ‘time-blindness’ – a common trait of ADHD and other neurodivergence, which makes it very hard to keep track of how long things will take or when something needs to be done in order to be ready at a certain time. This is not deliberate, and can be very challenging for the person concerned, as well as frustrating for them and those around them. For a great explanation of this, head over to YouTube and watch this video by ADHD Love.

  

Clothing difficulties

The additional sensory challenges relating to school uniform can be another stress for neurodivergent young people. The type of clothes which have to be worn at school are not generally the same as would be worn at home, and so the ‘different-ness’ of being back at school is emphasised further. There is also the possibility that she has had a growth spurt over the summer, and so her uniform may not fit the same as before, not to mention new shoes and the issues that getting used to them can bring.


There are sometimes accommodations that can be arranged with the school, and for many of our Daisies this will be extremely helpful. Examples may include variations on the style of socks, or a different fabric for trousers or other items. There may also be adaptations needed if she has difficulties with buttons and fastenings, for example. You can point schools in the direction of the Autistic Girls’ Network list of reasonable adjustments in school for more information.

 

Not wanting to look different from her peers

For some of our young people, especially those starting at a new school or setting, there may also be the added challenge of not wanting to seem different from those around them. It can be difficult to balance giving her the support that she needs to thrive, alongside her desire not to be perceived as needing extra help. This can be a difficult balance, and one which needs to be approached with sensitivity. However, bringing her alongside others who have similar needs may help, as will helping her to identify what things have made the most difference to her. It can also benefit others around her who may be feeling unsure about having support as well – as I wrote about in a previous blog post.

  

Memory challenges

For many of our young people, there will be extra things to remember to bring into school, for example, sports kit or other useful items. This can also be a challenge after a summer of not having to be as organised, and can take a little bit of time to get used to.

 

Things you can do to help

 

Visual reminders

One thing that my family find extremely helpful is visual reminders. I have talked about them in my previous blog posts about Strategies and helpful work-arounds for everyday living 1 and 2, and Keeping organised: Top tips for people with ADHD, but here are some more examples:


Home-Made visual reminders

My home-made visuals are simple to make . I photograph my daughter’s actual belongings where possible, as we have found that she finds it more helpful than a generic picture. I then use Word or Publisher to create a poster, and then laminate it. I use laminating pouches like these ones and then put them in between sheets of baking paper and use an iron to fuse the plastic. They are not quite as perfect looking as ones done with a laminator, but they work just as well, and can be written on with an erasable whiteboard pen.


My daughter has to remember different things on different days of the week, and so as well as a printed copy of her school timetable, I have created this visual reminder to put on the wall near where we keep her shoes and coat:

 

 

I created one for her last year as well, and it proved extremely useful as it reminded me as well as her of the things she needed to bring to school. In addition to this, the night before, we usually leave the bag by her shoes and coat so that it can easily be grabbed on our way out.

 

We are also trying a new strategy this year to help with mornings, after school homework, and bedtimes. It’s important to try to foster independence where possible, and so we are trying to encourage our Daisy to do more for herself. To this end, I have created some checklists for her (again, photos of her things, and laminated so that she can tick the things off) – her is the one for the evenings:

 

A checklist with pictures of each thing to do

 

Alarms and scheduled times for different things

In our household we have found that one thing that helps us all in the mornings is having a time when we need to have done things by. For example, 7am is breakfast time for my daughter, and shower time for me. She has to have her teeth done by 7:30 and be dressed and ready to put her shoes on by 8am. We have figured these times out using trial and error, but it ensures that we are usually out of the house in good time.


We also make use of alarms and electronic reminders to help. Someone else I know uses their Alexa to remind their young person of times to do things, and have found that it has more success than a parent telling them, because it is impersonal and can’t be argued with! I personally have had a lot of success over the summer using the Finch app, which allows you to set goals and reminders in relation to self care and other tasks, and the reward is your own personal Tamagotchi style pet (which cannot be killed by accidental neglect!)

 

Look ahead to future events which may be a challenge

Where possible, it really helps to be aware of any events happening later on in the term which may prove a challenge to your Daisy due to a change in routine or sensory challenges. Ones which spring to mind are anything to do with Halloween, and events leading up to Christmas. If you are able to, it may be worth considering what her needs might be and conveying this to a member of school staff, if appropriate.

 

Organisations which may be helpful

If your Daisy is struggling, there are a number of organisations that may be of interest. Please note that some of the organisations may charge a fee for direct support, as well as providing information which is feely available on their website or Facebook page.



Laura Webb is a director of NeonDaisy

 

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