We all know how stressful and nerve-wracking going from school to college, picking courses, meeting new people and much more. It can be a very overwhelming time for anyone but for people with autism/autistic people it can be much harder with all the big changes, new teachers and feelings, it can be very overwhelming. Here are some tips on how to help your autistic child cope with the change:
- Let them be involved: Let them be involved in picking the college that’s right for them, applying for the college etc, letting them do this will help them know that it is happening and they will know where they are going so that it will help them be prepared for the big change.
- Transition days: If it is possible have them go to the college for 1 day a week, it can be as little as a half day, this will help then get used to the suroundings so its not as shocking when they go full time.
- Let the teachers know their needs: in the transition from school to college it can be hard to know if the new teachers/staff know of their needs and coping strategies so it’s best to let them know directly from you like for e.g “Tom doesn’t like loud noises and they make him feel overwhelmed, so he has ear defenders to help him in these situations”
These are some of the things you can do to help, you can also ask the college to help as well if you are not sure.
Teagan
Autistic World 