School can be a stressful time for any child, and especially so if they have autism or other exceptionalities. We know you want your child to have a relaxed, fun school experience while they figure out who they are and prepare themselves for life beyond school. The best way to go about this is with an open mind. Understand the potential obstacles you may face, tune in to your child’s reality, and remember that help is available.
Environmental Stressors
The very layout of a school can impact students mental status, exceptional or not. Sensory overload can interrupt a student's ability to self-regulate, engage in problem-solving, and observe acceptable social norms with their classmates. The number of other students, the walk to the classroom, classroom layout, lighting, noise level, frequent unexpected changes in daily routine...
All of these factors can prove to be highly disruptive to a student’s ability to pay attention or do their school work as expected. A school specialized in catering to children with autism or other exceptionalities is aware of all of this, taking into consideration sensory needs, layout, and many other factors to best create a peaceful atmosphere conducive to learning and socializing.
Academic Anxiety
Schools are becoming more and more reliant on compiling data to demonstrate educational achievement. Where does this data come from? From frequent testing and performance objectives. This can cause performance anxiety and negative social comparison, instead of encouraging them to see that everyone has unique strengths and weaknesses. They may take their negative results to heart and develop a highly fierce internal critic.
To combat this, parents should look for somewhere where they know their child will be appreciated and valued for who they are as an individual. Where, regardless of diagnoses, they are encouraged to recognize their strengths, make friends and socialize with like-minded peers, and prepare themselves for a successful future beyond school.
Peer Groups
Kids are typically not capable of the level of empathy of adults. They must learn these skills from their caregivers, teachers and over time from personal life experience. This can mean that when they are most vulnerable and susceptible to influence, they may fall prey to negative comments or behaviors by those around them.
The consequences can prove devastating and long-lasting. The correct environment for a student is one where they and their classmates are instilled with the ethos that differences should be celebrated, and that empathy is a core value. School doesn’t need to be survival of the fittest or a game of avoiding the bully on the playground.
Your child deserves not only to be understood and accepted, but they also deserve to grow in a healthy environment, surrounded by a mutually supportive peer group.
We hope to have identified the three main potential threats to your student’s mental health while they attend school, and how by carefully selecting the right atmosphere for them, you can marvel as they become a capable young adult. The choice is yours!