Starting a new school year, changing classrooms or simply navigating the everyday demands of school can bring new challenges for children with autism and their families.
The classroom is filled with communication, transitions, social interactions, sensory experiences and expectations that can change throughout the day. For some children with autism, these situations may require additional support.
The good news is that parents, caregivers, educators and therapy professionals can work together to help children build the skills they need to participate more confidently and independently at school.
Every child with autism is different. There is no single classroom strategy or accommodation that works for every student. Understanding your child’s individual strengths, communication style, sensory needs and challenges is an important starting point.
1. Help the School Team Understand Your Child
A diagnosis may tell the school that a child has autism, but it doesn’t tell them everything they need to know about your child.
Parents and caregivers often have valuable information about what helps their child communicate, learn and feel comfortable.
Consider sharing information such as:
- Your child’s preferred way to communicate
- Activities or subjects they enjoy
- Situations that may be overwhelming
- Sensory sensitivities
- Strategies that help them calm or regulate
- Foods, sounds, environments or activities they avoid
- Motivators and interests
- Signs that your child is becoming frustrated
- Strategies that have worked successfully at home or in therapy
The Autism Speaks School Community Tool Kit even recommends using an “About Me” profile to help school staff understand a student’s interests, fears, needs and strategies that help when they become overwhelmed.
The goal is simple: help the people working with your child see the child, not just the diagnosis.
2. Create Predictable Routines Whenever Possible
Consistency can be particularly helpful for many children with autism.
The school day, however, contains plenty of changes. Students move between classrooms, teachers, activities, lunch, recess, therapy services and transportation.
Unexpected changes can sometimes create additional stress.
Schools may be able to help by:
- Establishing consistent routines
- Providing advance notice of schedule changes
- Using visual schedules
- Breaking activities into predictable steps
- Preparing children before assemblies, field trips or special events
- Using social narratives to introduce unfamiliar situations
Visual supports can be especially helpful because they allow a child additional time to process information without relying entirely on spoken instructions.
At home, parents can reinforce these routines by reviewing the school schedule, discussing upcoming changes and practicing challenging transitions when appropriate.
3. Keep Communication Clear and Simple
Communication differences can affect children with autism in very different ways.
Some children speak very little or communicate through an augmentative and alternative communication system. Others have extensive vocabularies but may struggle with conversational back-and-forth, interpreting social cues or understanding complex instructions.
One simple classroom strategy can make a significant difference:
Say exactly what you want the child to do.
For example:
Instead of:
“Don’t run.”
Try:
“Please walk.”
Instead of giving several instructions at once, directions can also be broken into smaller steps.
It is also important to allow time for a child to process a question or direction before repeating it. A delayed response does not necessarily mean the child wasn’t listening or didn’t understand.
Visual schedules, written instructions, gestures, pictures and demonstrations can supplement spoken communication.
4. Pay Attention to Sensory Needs
A typical school environment can contain an enormous amount of sensory information.
Consider everything happening during a normal school day:
- Fluorescent or bright lighting
- Bells
- Crowded hallways
- Cafeteria noise
- Fire alarms
- Playground activity
- Strong cleaning-product smells
- Physical contact with other students
- Assemblies
- Physical education
- Changes in temperature
- Clothing textures
- Classroom decorations and visual stimulation
A sensory experience that barely registers for one child may be extremely distracting or uncomfortable for another.
Sensory overload can sometimes look like a behavior problem when the child is actually struggling with their environment.
Children may become distracted, attempt to leave, shut down, cover their ears or demonstrate other signs that they are overwhelmed.
Parents can help school teams identify known sensory triggers and strategies that have worked successfully in other environments.
Depending on the child’s individual needs and school plan, strategies might include access to a quieter area, movement breaks, alternative seating, visual supports or other accommodations recommended by the child’s educational or therapy team.
5. Look Beyond the Behavior
Behavior communicates information.
If a child suddenly begins struggling at school, it can be helpful to ask:
What happened before the behavior?
There may be more to the situation than what happened immediately afterward.
Possible contributing factors could include:
- Difficulty understanding instructions
- A change in routine
- Sensory overload
- Frustration communicating
- Fatigue
- A difficult social interaction
- An academic task that feels overwhelming
- Bullying
- Physical discomfort
- Difficulty transitioning from a preferred activity
Understanding the reason behind a behavior can help parents, educators and therapy professionals identify strategies that teach the child a more effective way to communicate or respond.
The focus should not only be on stopping a challenging behavior. Whenever possible, the team should also consider what skill the child may need instead.
6. Support Communication Throughout the Entire Day
Communication doesn’t only happen during speech therapy.
Children communicate during:
- Class
- Lunch
- Recess
- Physical education
- Transportation
- Therapy
- Play
- Group activities
- Social interactions
That means communication support shouldn’t be limited to one person or one setting.
A speech-language pathologist may help identify strategies for developing receptive language, expressive language, social communication or alternative communication. But opportunities to practice those skills occur throughout a child’s day.
When appropriate and permitted, collaboration among families, educators and therapy professionals can help reinforce consistent strategies across environments.
7. Consider the Skills Behind School Participation
Academic ability is only one part of succeeding at school.
A child may also need skills involving:
Communication
Understanding directions, expressing wants and needs, asking for help and participating in conversations.
Fine Motor Skills
Writing, cutting, manipulating classroom materials, opening containers, dressing or managing other everyday activities.
Gross Motor Skills
Running, jumping, navigating stairs, participating in physical education and safely moving through the school environment.
Sensory Processing
Managing sounds, textures, movement, touch and other sensory experiences.
Social Skills
Taking turns, participating in groups, understanding personal space and navigating interactions with peers.
Executive Functioning
Planning, organizing, remembering instructions, transitioning between tasks and completing multi-step activities.
These skills frequently overlap, which is one reason communication between everyone supporting the child can be valuable.
8. Understand the Role of OT, PT and Speech Therapy
Some students with autism receive related therapy services through their school, while families may also receive therapy through providers outside the school system.
The goals and requirements of school-based and clinic-based therapy can differ, but the skills being developed often affect many of the same daily activities.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy may address skills related to independence and participation, including fine motor skills, handwriting, dressing, feeding, play, sensory processing and other daily activities.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy may address movement, strength, balance, coordination, walking, running, jumping and other functional motor skills.
Speech Therapy
Speech-language therapy may support spoken language, receptive and expressive communication, social communication and alternative communication systems.
When appropriate, sharing strategies across settings may help children practice emerging skills in more than one environment.
9. Know the Basics of IEPs and 504 Plans
Some children with autism may qualify for additional support through an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 Plan.
An IEP is designed for students who qualify for special education services. It identifies the student’s current abilities and needs, establishes goals and outlines specialized instruction, services, supports and accommodations.
A 504 Plan may provide accommodations for students with disabilities who need support accessing their education but do not qualify for special education services through an IEP.
Parents and caregivers are an important part of these conversations.
If you have questions about your child’s educational supports, contact your school or school district’s special education department. Educational and legal requirements can vary depending on the child’s circumstances, so families should seek guidance from qualified educational or legal professionals when specific questions arise.
10. Prepare for Activities Outside the Normal Routine
Some of the hardest parts of school aren’t necessarily academic.
Field trips, assemblies, picture day, substitute teachers, school performances, sporting events and changes to the regular schedule can introduce new environments and expectations.
Preparing in advance may help.
Depending on the child, preparation could include:
- Reviewing pictures of the destination
- Creating a simple visual schedule
- Talking through what will happen
- Practicing part of the activity
- Using a social narrative
- Identifying a quiet space
- Preparing an alternative communication method
- Discussing transportation arrangements
- Identifying who the child can approach for help
Small amounts of preparation can sometimes turn an unpredictable experience into something much more manageable.
11. Watch for Bullying and Social Isolation
Children with autism can be particularly vulnerable to bullying and social isolation.
Some children may not immediately recognize that another student is teasing or taking advantage of them. Others may have difficulty explaining what happened.
Parents and educators should pay attention to changes such as:
- Suddenly avoiding school
- Increased anxiety before school
- Changes in behavior after school
- Losing belongings repeatedly
- Unexplained injuries
- Withdrawal from previously enjoyed activities
- Changes in friendships
- Increased emotional reactions
A child’s reaction may sometimes be the most visible part of a larger interaction.
When concerns arise, adults should try to understand the entire situation rather than automatically assuming the child who reacted was responsible for starting it.
12. Build on Your Child’s Strengths
Supporting children with autism shouldn’t focus only on what they find difficult.
Children may have significant strengths involving:
- Memory
- Visual learning
- Mathematics
- Music
- Art
- Technology
- Patterns
- Specific interests
- Attention to detail
- Deep concentration on preferred subjects
These strengths can become powerful tools for learning, motivation and building relationships.
A child’s interest in trains, animals, numbers, maps, computers or another subject isn’t simply something to work around. In many situations, it can become a way to connect new learning with something the child already understands and enjoys.
The Most Important Strategy: Work Together
Children move through several different environments every day.
Home.
School.
Therapy.
Community activities.
Each environment creates opportunities to practice communication, independence, movement, social interaction and everyday living skills.
The Autism Speaks School Community Tool Kit emphasizes collaboration between parents, caregivers and school staff as an important part of helping autistic students succeed.
At CompleatKidz, we also believe that supporting the whole child means understanding how different areas of development connect.
Our interdisciplinary pediatric therapy services may include Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy, depending on the child’s needs and services available at their location.
When appropriate, collaboration can help families create greater consistency as children work toward meaningful skills that can be used at home, in therapy, at school and throughout their community.
Looking for Support for Your Child?
If your child has autism or developmental concerns and your family is exploring therapy options, CompleatKidz is here to help.
Our team works with children and families to develop individualized therapy plans designed around each child’s unique needs, strengths and goals.
Source & Additional Resource
This article was developed using information and strategies from the 2024 Autism Speaks School Community Tool Kit, a resource created to help parents, caregivers, educators and school communities support students with autism.
View the Autism Speaks School Community Tool Kit
This article is intended for general educational purposes and does not replace individualized medical, legal or educational guidance.
