Getting Ready for the New School Year: Transition Strategies for Neurodiverse Students (Episode 363)

Discussed in this Episode:

✅ Start in November: My view was that November is the best time to begin transition, because concerts and end-of-year events leave little capacity later, and some children need more visits than others.

✅ Reduce Staffing Uncertainty: I argued that neurodiverse children and their parents need to know the teacher and classroom before the break, because many children co-regulate. Even a 50 50 chance is worth sharing (I put the real odds at roughly 80%), with a note that changes can happen. Where staff churn is high, I kept the teacher assistant the same for the first four weeks, until funding and staffing were known, so there was one familiar face.

✅ Plan for Sensory: Every move brings different sensory demands: one confined classroom of 20 to 25 children with fewer quiet nooks, constant movement between classes in secondary, and changes in uniform and shoes. I asked what each child’s sensory needs would be in the new setting.

✅ Map the Support People: Children need to know who they go to for help (the teacher assistant, the teacher or a peer) and which other staff, such as learning support, they should meet. Office staff mattered too, because some children are dropped off there in the morning due to separation anxiety.

✅ Make It Visual: A physical map of the school (toilets, library, bag hooks, lockers), plus written rules such as which days equipment can be used, gave my visual learners time to process the information.

✅ Build Peer Connections: Parents were the focus here. I encouraged them to network, find out whether their child knows anyone, and organise play dates in the holidays.

✅ Teach the Hidden Rules: Neurotypical children pick up school routines by osmosis, while neurodiverse children often do not. I recommended explicit social scripts for things like asking for help, sitting on the mat, lining up and saying sorry.

✅ Prepare for the next step – Join sue now for upcoming workshops OR same course online on demand upcoming workshop

✅ Start volunteer work and job experience in November – For students transitioning to work, arrange “go to work” days with parents or family friends, start volunteer positions, or secure summer jobs at franchises like McDonald’s, Baker’s Delight, or Subway that have structured training programs.

Looking for more tips and strategies for transitioning to 2027? Join me for upcoming workshops.

It’s starting to get to the end of 2026, and you might already be starting to think about how you will ease the transition for the children you know. Or if you are just coming out of learning from home and moving to in-person teaching, these transition tips will help reduce anxiety and stress!

Transition can be big or small changes: it includes change in teacher, change in room, change in students in the class not just starting preschool, school, high school and beyond.

The nature of autism is such that transition can be extremely stressful, no matter what age or how BIG or SMALL the change maybe.

Changing Teacher is Like Moving to a Foreign Country

_{Transition Tips Booklet}

_{✅ 13 Separation Anxiety Tips
📌 12+ Page Student Transition Guide
⭐️ Preschool to Post School Tips
✅ Checklist for Success
📌 Top Tips for Children Starting School in 2024
🌼 School to Work Transition for Young People with Autism Spectrum Disorder}

_{10 Things About Me}

_{An informative guide to enable student self-advocation}

This is the perfect solution for assisting a smooth transition, and ensuring the student’s new teacher is aware of what to do and what not to do.