Helping a child to be successful in school requires effort, communication, and planning. All children need extra attention and coaching when they enter school and during times of change. You may find it helpful to review the "Returning to School" module to supplement the information you find below. Examples of a school change include:
- Moving to a new school in a different city or district
- Changing grades
- Getting a new teacher
- Starting day care, pre-school, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, or high school
- Changing from a small school to a larger school
Some school changes are easy. Others are complex and require more preparation. This module will assist you to successfully handle school changes. Click on each item below for detailed advice on the topic.
Take Steps to Plan and Prepare
When a school change occurs, both your child and school staff may benefit from steps similar to those taken during the initial re-entry process. The most important of these steps are:
- Discuss with your child what thoughts, feelings, and wishes they have about how to handle the change
- Identify what information and support current school personnel will provide to the new school staff
- Discuss the planned change with current and new school personnel and consider:
- Any concerns that your child expresses
- Any concerns that you have as a parent
- If your child would benefit from a pre-visit to meet educators and classmates
- Any special things your child wants their educators or other children to know
- Potential impact of this change on siblings
Work Together with the School
Families and schools can help a child successfully adapt to school changes by working together to address:
- Any barriers in the new environment
- Special academic needs
- Physical and/or medical needs (e.g. assistive devices, activity restrictions, ongoing physical therapy, hearing loss, etc.)
- Social development and/or coping skills issues
- Student and peer behavior, including teasing and bullying
- Any psychological issues that may arise
- Coping with a new environment, teacher, or classmates
Share the REACH website as a possible resource for the new school and educators. If you believe your child’s new educators, school, or class would benefit from a school re-entry educational intervention, discuss this with your child and their teacher.
Encourage Information Sharing
Maintain a record of contacts and things you did to assist your child with school changes. Keep a copy in your child’s care binder and refer to it during future periods of change. See the Resources section for a handout with tips, details, and examples.
Assist Siblings
Changes at school can have an impact on an injured child’s siblings. Siblings might receive questions or comments about their brother or sister. Siblings can even become the victim of teasing and bullying behavior. If new behavior problems arise, it can be a sign the sibling is struggling with school changes.
Include siblings in discussions on how anticipated school changes may impact them. Help them develop responses for questions and comments that they may receive. If you believe that your child’s sibling or classmates would benefit from a re-entry educational intervention, discuss this with their educator. It may help to learn what other families have done to help siblings cope.
Ongoing Considerations
The first few days and weeks after changes in school is a period of adjustment. Parents, educators, child, and siblings need to assess the success of adjustments to school changes. It is important to share these assessments with each other to focus on what is working and to identify any issues that still need to be addressed. Here is a short list of things to keep in mind as you evaluate the success of your child’s school change:
- Have frequent communication with educators to find out how your children are handling the school change
- Address questions and concerns as they arise
- Request parent-teacher conferences as necessary
- Seek counseling help when needed
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 age ranges as well.
Children 2-6 Years Old
Young children can experience separation anxiety that causes them to have a difficult time adjusting to changes in educators and caregivers. They may need additional time getting to know new staff and making the school (or day care) transition. Make sure to share with day care and school staff the specific words that you and your child use to describe their injury and appearance. Children of this age often use special or simple words.
Children 7-11 Years Old
Children of this age need to have an active part in planning how the school change will be managed. They may wish to see and explore the new school to decide what will help them with the change. Allow time for your child to say goodbye to friends and teachers at their current school. Review the "Meeting New People" module for ideas on helping your child make new friends.
Teens 12-17 Years Old
As children grow older, they may develop strong feelings about privacy and may wish to limit what is shared with others about their injury and treatment. It is important to include your child in discussions about what information will be shared (and with whom it will be shared). For example, your child may not desire a school re-entry educational intervention or visit.
Young Adults 18 years and older
You can support and help your young adult, while also encouraging independence by:
- Helping them to anticipate changes in their school or work environment
- Facilitating ongoing discussion
- Being positive and supportive
- Providing advice when your young adult asks
- Helping them to connect with other survivors and resources
