For the Parents: Back to School Tips

It's back to school time and here are some tips a special educator wants you to think about for back to school.

• return your health forms, it sounds obvious, but because so many students with severe special needs/medical fragility stay in the same class for a few years it is easy to forget that we need the forms filled out AGAIN, sorry about that!
• on that note make sure the TEAM has the most recent contact info for you and your emergency contacts
• speaking of paper work make sure your IEP is signed and returned, loose tracking of those papers from back in May happens, but it is much easier for the TEAM is there is a current plan
• working with your team decide where a spare set of clothes will be stored, (back pack? cubby? nurses office? locker?) and send in a set of clothes that fit and are weather appropriate for the season (repeat as needed, LOL)
• send in a few back up meals (be in some Easy Mac, a few cans of formula or the cost of a school lunch)
• make sure school has plenty of supplies for all your students needs(feeding, changing, medical, communication)
• see what for of school/home communication your child's team uses and try to fit it into your day, teachers and staff LOVE knowing what is going on at home, then we can make what we are teaching so much more relevant
• consider sending in a photo album of important family, friends and places with short sentences about each, it doesn't have to be fancy, just print out pictures, hand write sentences and staple (although fancy is fine, you can even great it on an AAC device for the student to share)
• when was the last time your child's wheelchair, walker, AAC device or other equipment had a good scrub down?  Follow the manufacturers directions, toss those cushion covers in the wash and give everything a good cleaning. 
•  if your child is in a new class, program or school, or even if their is just new staff in the room consider creating "cheat sheets" or a full transition portfolio/communication passport that includes basics about health needs, feeding, positioning and communication
• label everything!