Returning to School

It is helpful to consider school re-entry as an ongoing process, not as a single event. Each stage may require different skills, tasks, and information sharing. Ongoing open communication between the parent, child, and school is key to a child receiving adequate support. School re-entry can begin, stop, and resume at any point throughout recovery. It is common for children who have been injured or who have visible differences to need help with school at certain times. These include when starting school (daycare, pre-school, or kindergarten), returning to school after an injury or hospital stay, moving from one grade to another, or changing schools.

The return to school process can be affected by many things, including the needs of your child, the severity and location of their injury, the presence of visible differences, and the age of your child. Other factors, such as social support, personality, coping behaviors, family resources, and previous experiences with school, can also have a significant impact on the process. There are things you can do throughout your child’s recovery to help ease their transition back to school. It is helpful to think of the process in stages. Click on each stage below for advice on what you can do to help.

Depending on the age of your child, there are special considerations to keep in mind when facilitating their school re-entry process. Click on your child's age range below for more information. Since every child is different, you may find it helpful to review the advice for other ages as well.

  

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