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Transition suggestions?

11 replies

MyAngelChuckles · 04/07/2012 19:44

I have a transition meeting at ds's school next monday, he is going up to year 2. Last year he had huge problems settling into new class with new teacher and I would like to make this as smooth and easy for him as possible.

Do you have any suggestions that I can put to his school that could be helpful please :)

OP posts:
Ineedalife · 04/07/2012 19:55

Dd3 has made a passport today to take to her new class with her, it contains information such as what makes her anxious, what she needs to do when she is anxious, who she can go to talk too [she has nominated some staff members who she trusts].

She is being awkward at the moment and wont tell me what else she put in itHmm.

If I get any more info out of her I will post again laterGrin

MyAngelChuckles · 04/07/2012 20:26

Thankyou, will put that forward on monday, sounds like something ds will like as he likes to feel like he has some control and if he has imput will help :)

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coff33pot · 04/07/2012 20:34

Passport is a great idea. Also perhaps your DS can spend some quality time with his new teacher in the new classroom during the run up to the end of the hols?

Perhaps during normal assembly time or something where he can go into the empty classroom and get the feel of it, perhaps pick his seat, play a letter game or something with her.

Take a disposable camera to school so he can take photos of the teacher/ta and the classroom that he could pin on his wall at home so he can look at them over the hols?

Doraemon · 04/07/2012 20:39

DS1 had a photo book last year that school made for him (essentially a social story although at that point he didn't yet have his ASD diagnosed, but after I burst into tears on his Year One teacher because he had hit me in the face school started to be quite helpful...).
It was called 'DS1 is moving to Year 2' - essentially it says 'after the holidays, I will be in Year 2, My teacher will be Miss X, My TA will be Miss Y, This will be my classroom, some things are different [DS got to pick what to write here, he wrote 'more tables and chairs'], these are my friends X and Y, they will be in Year 2 with me, All the grown ups in year 2 want to help me, they like helping children, if I need help I can ask a grown up'. DS and another boy in his class with similar AS traits got to go round the new classroom and choose what photos to take.
I think it helped as he did look at it quite a lot over the summer, they're doing the same thing for him this year.

Doraemon · 04/07/2012 20:40

Just re-read my post and thought I should clarify that it was DS1, not the Year One teacher, who hit me in the face Wink

moosemama · 04/07/2012 20:48

Passports are brilliant, as they are very personal and the child get's to help make it, so it includes the things that are really important to them.

There are a few examples on the net, which annoyingly, I can't seem to find at the moment but this pdf is a good introduction to how they work and can be used.

Ds's was initially created between him and the EP he was working with at the time and uses Super Mario characters as a theme to make it more interesting and appropriate to his interests. It talks about what things he likes and dislikes about school, what he finds hard and what he enjoys and is good at and what sort of things worry him and make him anxious, as well as his physical limitations. It also gives some background to his life, that he has a younger brother and sister, pet dogs and his main obsessions interests so that teachers etc can easily find something to talk to him about, iyswim. Finally it outlines what his coping strategies are, where and to who he will go for help and what he needs in the way of support when he is upset or anxious. Some children like to include photos of themselves, their family, their toys, pets and home etc as well.

Another idea I've loved recently was the one from Coff33's thread about her ds's new primary school, where they encouraged him to take photos of the new classroom and teachers and put together a scrapbook with them. I love this idea for him being able to refer back to it across the summer and familiarise himself with where everything is in his new class and how everything looks etc, so it doesn't all seem so new and scary come September.

I would also suggest introducing him gradually to the teacher before he breaks up for the summer, so that he knows her and doesn't see her as someone completely new and unexpected in the new term. Similarly, if he could spend some time with next year's class TA before the term is out he might feel he has an ally in him/her.

moosemama · 04/07/2012 20:50

Blush cross posted with just about everyone! Grin

Ineedalife · 04/07/2012 21:14

Thanks for telling me what should be in the passport moose, Dd3 was still refusing to tell me what she put in hers todayConfused.

She was in a really odd mood tonight, either being really grumpy towards me or wanting to be a limpet on me!!

I guess it all the end of term stuff going on.

We are on holiday next week so will be out of it for a weekGrin

In the setting where I work, we make photo books for new children with SN's and I am trying really hard to get the local primaries on board for the transitions onwards into school.

MyAngelChuckles · 04/07/2012 21:14

Thankyou guys, these are all excellent ideas, I'll have to take notes in with me to remember it all, I'm terrible for remembering things when I actually get in a room Blush

I'd love for ds to meet his teacher before end of term and possibly once or twice before start of next, but ds's school doesnt decide on new teacher's until 2 weeks b4 end of term, maybe bit later, they are also turning into an academy start of next term and there is going to be a large turnover of teachers so not sure if this will be possible :(

Least his support worker will still be with him, she is fantastic with him :)

OP posts:
moosemama · 04/07/2012 21:24

Ds doesn't tell me either Ineed, but his EP emailed me a copy of the first one and I got an updated copy when I wanted to make sure all the staff on his residential trip were clued up last year! Wink

Ds is similar at the moment, either wanting to sit on my knee or lean on me or being really short tempered, tearful and anxious. I hate this time of year.

MyAngel, I am exactly the same. I seem to forget almost everything I've ever known the minute I step across the threshold of a meeting room doorway. Blush

baboos · 04/07/2012 22:05

Ds is due to start school in sept and I gave them a talking photo album, and his new teacher has compiled an album of relevant places and people, with a short voice recording describing the picture, which we actually recieved today, and he hasn't put it down since we came home.

I have also completed an "All About Me" book for his teacher and 1-2-1, which sounds exactly like the passport Moose described up thread.

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