Video

Neurodiversity video series 4

Strategies for successful transitions, from student engagement and building the parent/school partnership to adaptations in the environment.

What is the purpose of transition planning? Is the school or new year group ready for the student? Is your child set up to build valuable relationships with their educators and peers?

In this episode of Parent to Parent’s Neurodiversity Series, Frian Wadia MNZM (Parent / Early Intervention Specialist / Facilitator) discusses strategies for successful transitions, from student engagement and building the parent/school partnership to adaptations across the school environment, culture and policies. And remember, clarity around who will do what is key to successful planning and implementation.

This series is brought to you thanks to funding from Sutherland Self Help Trust. Subscribe to Parent to Parent’s YouTube channel to stay up to date on the latest episode in the series.

Video transcript

The purpose of transition planning is to create safety for the student and build relationships in that new environment—to create a sense of belonging through inclusion and to identify how that inclusion can happen.

What needs to happen to allow for inclusion and participation in the new space? Familiarising yourself with the environment is crucial, as well as ensuring it is set up to support the student. To clarify, it’s not about the student being ready for school; it’s the school being ready for the student.

It’s about ensuring that everybody around the student is prepared to welcome the student into that new space, understand them, and support them on their learning journey. The sharing of information that happens needs to be student-centred. Their voice must come through; they should be engaged and listened to regarding their needs and what will benefit and support them the most.

At transition times, it’s a good opportunity to start building that partnership with schools by sharing your family values with them, your expectations, and your understanding about your children’s rights. That foundational communication with the school allows the child to be set up in a positive, supportive environment.

Look at all the different school settings. Start with the classroom: what supports, accommodations, and adaptations are needed in the classroom space for learning? Then, look at the wider school spaces, such as lunch breaks, assemblies, and other extracurricular activities. What is required for the student to participate in all those spaces successfully?

Then, you look at the higher governance and leadership spaces. What needs to happen in that space for the school board and leadership team to plan effectively for your child’s learning and education? Are the right policies in place? Do you have the right school culture in place? And, if something needs to change,  start considering, “How do you change it? What can you do to shift that?”

For neurodivergent children, sensory processing can be quite challenging, and schools can be pretty busy spaces with a lot of sensory input. So that’s a key factor to consider when a child is transitioning: how will the environment impact them regarding their sensory input and ability to cope? What needs to be modified in the environment? And if it can’t be modified, how can the student be supported to cope with that sensory overwhelm if they experience it?

If your child requires a slower, graduated transition plan, then make sure you speak to the school and arrange for it. It’s important to follow your child’s base and ensure that their needs are met to have a smooth transition, feel safe going into that new environment and build valuable relationships with their educators and peers as they start in the new place.

So, planning is really important. Try to give time to planning and organising. You might need environmental modifications, or you might need some resources to be brought into place. Speak with the school and look at who will do what and who will take responsibility for what. It’s essential to have that clarity to plan successfully—and implement the transition plan.

 

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