Liza Krassner, Regional Center of Orange County Board Member, helped distribute free backpacks to families with children with developmental disabilities from low-income and financially stressed families last weekend at Regional Center of Orange County. Designed for parents and caregivers, back-to-school tips (available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese) were also provided to ease the transition for children with developmental disabilities as they start a new school year.
With sponsors, including Premier Healthcare donating the back-to-school items, this annual event is presented by the Regional Center of Orange County (www.rcocdd.com), one of 21 private, nonprofit organizations contracted by the State of California to coordinate lifelong services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. The Regional Center is the first stop for those seeking to obtain local services and supports to help them live safely and with dignity in the community. RCOC serves more than 22,000 Orange County residents with developmental disabilities and their families. Developmental disabilities include autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and intellectual disabilities.
Emmitt, who has autism, and his mother, of Santa Ana, along with Liza Krassner, Regional Center of Orange County Board Member.
Haron, who has Down syndrome, with his sister, Yuridia, and their mother, of Anaheim.
Exciting New School Year!
Back-to-School Tips from Regional Center of Orange County
Some children love the idea of going back to school after the summer break, but many children with developmental disabilities are challenged by the changes in routine, environment, and people a new school year brings. Here are some quick tips to help ease the transition and make this the best new school year yet for your child!
Become an expert on your child’s IEP. No one knows your child better than you do, so be sure to carefully examine your child’s Individualized Education Program and ensure that plans developed in the spring are still on-target with your child’s current needs. If you think the plan may need tweaking, don’t hesitate to request in writing an IEP meeting.
Visit the campus before the first day of school, if it is accessible. With an entire summer away from school and/or perhaps summer school being held at a different site, it can be helpful to simply walk around the grounds of your child’s school, helping them to remember the layout. It’s unlikely that you would be able to actually visit the classroom but a walk around the school campus can be reassuring. Be sure to locate the playground, eating areas, restrooms, and any other buildings or facilities your child may encounter. This visit will be particularly important if your child will be attending a new school site on his/her first day.
Gradually move towards the new school time schedule. If your child has been staying up later and sleeping in later during summer vacation, begin now to move the daily routine towards what will be necessary for the school routine. Changing bedtimes and wake-up times by 15 minutes every few days will allow for a gradual adjustment. Practice your morning at-home routine for getting up earlier, having breakfast and getting dressed; this is especially important if you’re integrating school into your own pre-work routine; if you feel stressed, your child’s anxiety will escalate in response.
Take pictures of new people and places. Once school has started, help ease anxieties about unfamiliar people and surroundings by taking pictures of the school, classroom, teacher, and staff. It can be helpful to make a photo book to walk your child through the key people and places she encounters during a typical school day.
Be involved throughout the year.
Be sure to find out when Back To School Night will occur at your child’s school and put the date on your calendar; this is an important time to meet the teacher and talk briefly about how your child is adjusting to the classroom.
If you have any significant concerns or questions, schedule a meeting with the teacher after the first month to discuss specifics of your child’s educational program. (This does not need to be a formal IEP meeting if your purpose is simply to check-in with the teacher. If you want to change goals, services or placement, then you should formally request an IEP meeting.)
When you are asked to complete all the enrollment forms, look for an invitation to join the Community Advisory Committee (CAC). Involvement in the CAC allows you to meet school administrators outside of an IEP meeting and can be very helpful; CAC meetings are for all parents of children who have an IEP and can be very informative about special education services in your district.
For more tips, information and resources for children, parents can contact their RCOC Service Coordinator, visit RCOC’s website where you can check out Resources for Children at www.rcocdd.com/frc/ccfrc/resources/, or stop by Regional Center of Orange County, 1525 North Tustin Avenue in Santa Ana.
Andy Weisser
Communications and Public Relations Consultant
Photo Credits: Regional Center of Orange County
