I’m sure most of us remember the anxiety and nervousness we felt during our transition from elementary school to middle or high school. Now, imagine facing this new transition without having fully functional social and communication skills. This is what children who are diagnosed with autism have to deal with, and it probably makes their transition even more difficult. However, as a parent or caregiver, there are many things you can do to make this process less stressful for you and your child.

Before the young adult is enrolled, there should be a meeting with the parents, the staff of the grade school, and the staff of the high school, so that the staff of the grade school can fill in all the missing gaps of information necessary for the high school to know how to best serve the child.

Before the school year starts, the student with ASD should be given time to get used to the new school setting. The parent and teacher should take the student to campus and show him or her the various aspects of the new school. Take him or her inside the classrooms and ask the teacher to walk the new student through a typical schedule of daily events and routines. This will help alleviate some of the anxiety and discomfort your young adult will experience from being exposed to a new environment.

Classes should have a firm structure and routine so that the student can gain comfort from his/her familiar school environment. If any changes in schedule loom ahead, it is very important that he/she is warned of it before it happens.    

Despite their older age and more sophisticated brains, teenagers with ASD will likely remain very visual learners, so it is important that their teachers continue to use visual aids and resources as learning techniques and strategies.

Social Skills training is something that should be emphasized along with the basic school requirements.

Most importantly, you should regularly speak to your teenager’s teachers. Not only do teachers know how your teen is doing in school, but they also see the way he or she acts around peers and other individuals. Ask the teachers if they have noticed your teen showing any specific learning disabilities. If there are issues completing homework or assignments on time because of a disability, teachers should consider allowing extended time to complete more complex or difficult subject material. Also, make sure that your teen can study in a worry-free, stress-free environment with very little noise or visual distraction.