Over the next two weeks many children will be returning to school for the first time in over five months. Starting a new school year can present challenges at any time but this year children will need to adjust to new safety routines and procedures that schools have worked hard to introduce in response to the government guidelines. Here below are some links to resources that parents might find useful to support their children during this time of transition:

Widgit have produced a free toolkit to help parents support their children returning to school. The pack includes: social stories to help reduce anxiety and prepare children for changes in routine; planners, checklists and reward charts to support structure, routine, behaviour and independence; emotional and well-being supports to help children talk about how they are feeling, and a maths mat and science experiment to ease children back into curriculum learning. You can download the free pack here.

Earlier this summer a useful series of free webinars about preparing children for returning to school was produced by Schudio. The webinars were developed by an autism specialist, but relevant for all children. The webinar include clear explanations about explains how teachers and parents can support transition with some very practical tips and resources. You can access the webinars here