Schools across the country have made the transition to remote learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been challenging for students of all educational levels. As a parent, you want to do everything you can to keep your child’s school life as normal as possible. This means adapting to remote learning and helping them regain their focus for the rest of the school year. Here are a few simple ways to help children with autism adjust to virtual and remote learning sessions with ease.
Speak with Their Teacher
Your child’s teacher is there to help navigate virtual learning. Take the opportunity to speak with them on a regular basis and work together to identify their challenge areas. Find out what they’re noticing your child struggling with during class time and let them know about any issues you’re seeing at home. Together, you will be able to make the necessary adjustments to enable more effective learning for your child.
Your treatment team can help identify any missing skills necessary for success (attending, using technology, following a schedule). Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) are experts in harnessing your child’s motivation and remediating skill deficits that might make this format of learning more difficult for your child with autism. Be sure to keep your team posted about how missing skills and behavior impact their access to virtual education.
Give Them What They Need
The easiest way to help your children be as productive as possible during remote learning sessions is to make sure they have what they need to be successful. Think about the types of tools your child might need to learn most effectively. If they find it hard to focus with ambient noise, consider comfortable headphones so they can focus on what the teacher is saying. If they need a quiet work area, create a dedicated workspace in your home for your child’s school sessions.
Keep a Consistent Routine
During a normal in-person school year, your child has a clear routine they follow every day. Strive to do the same this year. This provides them with a clear idea of what comes next, what subjects they’ll study, and what the expectations are. The best way to help your children adjust to virtual learning is to mimic their normal routine as closely as possible. You might not be able to control their school day schedule, but you can help keep a consistent routine for the rest of the day.
Virtual Learning Is Tough
There’s no denying that adjusting to a virtual learning environment is difficult for both parents and students. Keep these things in mind and you’ll be able to help ease the adjustment for the rest of the year. If you’re not sure where to start, reach out and speak with our experienced team today.