Part time or full time start at school?

[Barmymummy]

DS (4, ASD traits) starts school in January after deferring him for a term. He has come on really well and I am alot more relaxed about him starting now. He has done 4 sessions of at least an hour at school now and all has gone swimmingly well

Now I am well aware that things could go downhill fast but I am allowing myself some time in my lovely little bubble of happiness for just a few more weeks

DS's biggest problem is his anxiety bless him. He gets in a right little pickle when he knows he is having lunch at playschool and also asks nonstop if he is 'having lunch today'. Lots of tears etc but calms down quickly when I go and apparently seems ok at lunchtime. Am aware though that he might look ok but maybe finds it intimidating and I also know he finds it stressful knowing he is going to be away from me all day.

School have offered to stsrt him off part time for the first couple of days or week and I said yes. However, am now having second thoughts. I don't want him to go in for the first week not having lunch and then thinking that this is the norm. Cue panic when lunch is introduced and a million questions every morning for the next year asking if he is having lunch! If I pick him up after lunch then again he will think this is the norm, cue panic when I don't pick him up after lunch when he goes full time!!

What do I do? Throw him in full time so he knows the set up from day 1 or ease him in gently as any other kid probably would be....I am just at a loss what to do for the best

I think you either have to throw him in full time or gradualy build him up from half days to full (by adding an extra half an hour each day.

dD2 will be starting next september at MS school, luckily the school start with half days until december and then the add an extra hour every week until they are full time.

I would be tempted to put him straight in on full days so he doesn't get confused, it might seem a bit harsh but at least you wont have to explain to him about weather he's staying for lunch or not.

Would it be possible to go for a mixture of the two? Say start with a full day and continue part time for the rest of the week. The second week he does a full day on Monday and Tuesday and then part time the rest of the week. Carry on until he's full time.

If he finds the part time days stressful then bump him straight up to full time.

Thanks everyone. Had a word with his teacher this afternoon and she said she would personally recommend him coming in from 8.45-12.40 (which includes having lunch with everyone else) and then leaving. Do this for a week or two and then go up to full days after that. That way he ALWAYS has lunch.

Will have a think Thanks again

I have no experience of this as my ds isn't at school yet, but i would say what the teacher proposed sounds good.
Going half-days for a while but still having lunches at school i'd give it a try.

Had a chat this afternoon with his teacher and they want to implement an induction like they did in Sept for all the deferred kids.

This means week 1 will be 8.45-11.30 which means no lunch . Week 2 MAY include lunch depending how they go and week 3 to include lunch. Then hopefully week 4 will be full time.

God this is going to be a nightmare