Health & Wellbeing News
Supporting students with their transition from one school to another:
Transitioning from one school to another can be particularly overwhelming for students with intellectual disabilities, Autism and ADHD. Sometimes, students who have moved to Jackson School from another school may take several months to adjust to their new school setting and routine. It may also take time for school staff to build trust with these students and understand the needs of these students.
Throughout this transition period students may struggle with:
- Anxiety and stress
- School ‘can’t’ (formerly ‘refusal’)
- Withdrawal
- Emotional dysregulation
- Meltdowns
- Decreased self-confidence
- Changes in mood and behaviour
- Fatigue
What contributes to this overwhelm?
- Loss of familiar routine and predictability
- Unfamiliar people and environments
- Loss of previous social connections
- Having to build new social connections and friendships
- Sensory overload
- Adjusting to new expectations, rules and routines
Processing change
Some students might ‘mask’ at school (i.e. appear calm, settled and engaged), and experience overwhelm and anxiety about school when they return home, as they feel safe expressing their feelings in the familiar home environment. Other students may struggle immensely with missing friends from their previous school, and feel socially isolated within the new school environment.
Here are some practical tips for supporting your child while they adjust to their new school:
Use visual forms of communication & schedules to assist your child in communicating and processing information while they feel overwhelmed. Your child’s NDIS speech pathologist and/or occupational therapist may be able to assist with this.
Try to maintain routines at home – to provide predictability and comfort.Validate feelings and empathise with loss of social connections. If possible, organise for your child to see friends from their old school on weekends or in holiday periods to maintain their friendships.
- Try to maintain routines at home – to provide predictability and comfort.
Validate feelings and empathise with loss of social connections. If possible, organise for your child to see friends from their old school on weekends or in holiday periods to maintain their friendships.
Be mindful of mental health- check for signs of low mood and anxiety which may include: frequent nausea, withdrawal, increased dysregulation, changes in appetite, loss of interest in preferred activities, changes in behaviour, decreased motivation, etc. Inform your students teacher and/or leading teacher if you are concerned for your child’s wellbeing.
- Try to model regulation and calm – children and young people pick up cues from the adults around them. Providing a calm and strengths-based space can help children feel safe and confident during transition periods.
- Communicate with school! Please communicate with your child’s classroom teacher and leading teacher if you notice your child is struggling significantly with the change. Jackson School has a wellbeing team and other supports available to assist students who are finding the transition to their new school challenging. New students who find the yard overwhelming during break times might benefit from accessing break time clubs (including karaoke, slime, lego, drawing, games). Please speak with your child’s teacher if being in a more contained and structured space during recess and lunch time would be helpful. These clubs can also help with building social connections.
