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Managing back-to-school jitters: Tips to help children with special needs ensure a smooth transition
By Amy Kelly, MBA, MNM – Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health National Director of Family Engagement Remember how it felt as a child before your first day of school? Perhaps you experienced butterflies in your stomach or loss of sleep the night before. You were excited to see your friends, but also nervous about what the new school year would bring. That is exactly how I am feeling about sending my daughter back to school. While some children have already returned to in-person classes during COVID-19, others, like my 19-year-old daughter, Annie, will do so this fall after more than a year of remote learning. For Annie, who has autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities and limited verbal ability, the loss of the last year-plus of her school life has been challenging. Regardless of the age of your child, or if they have already returned to in-person instruction, there are some things parents can do to help youth with special needs ensure a smooth transition back to school.
While much has changed since many students were last in the classroom, with a little preparation, you can help your child thrive this school year. About Amy Kelly …Amy Kelly, MBA, MNM, is the mother to Danny, Annie and Ryan. Annie is diagnosed with moderate to severe autism, verbal apraxia, intellectual and developmental disabilities and general anxiety disorder. Amy is the National Director of Family Engagement for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, one of the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit providers of behavioral healthcare, and serves as a family representative on several special needs boards in the community, locally and nationally. In addition, she participates with other patients and families in efforts supported by the American Board of Pediatrics Foundation and the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network to address children with special needs and the importance of quality care.
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