Back to School

Back-to-school time can bring a LOT of big feelings for PDA kids and us! New routines, new teachers, more expectations, earlier mornings, and less downtime can feel overwhelming.

Here are a few things that may help make the transition a little easier:

🌸 Keep it Low Demand
Try not to turn the weeks before school into a checklist of everything your child needs to be doing. Slowly ease back into routines and give them plenty of flexibility.

🌸 Give Choices
Whenever possible, give your child some control:
"Do you want to get dressed before or after breakfast?"
"Which shirt do you want to wear?"

Having a sense of control can make a big difference for a PDA child.

🌸 Expect a Little "After-School Crash"
Your child may hold it together all day at school and then completely fall apart at home. This is very common with masking.

Try to make after-school time a recharge time rather than jumping straight into homework, chores, or questions about their day.

🌸 Work With the School
Help your child's teacher and Educational Assistant understand that "refusal" isn't always simply a choice. Too many demands, anxiety, sensory overload, or exhaustion can all make a task feel impossible.

Share what works at home and talk about things like breaks, flexible language, choices, and reducing unnecessary demands.

🌸 Watch for Burnout
If you notice more meltdowns, school refusal, exhaustion, anxiety, aggression, or difficulty with everyday things, it may be a sign that your child's load is becoming too much.

Don't wait for them to completely crash before making adjustments.

💗 And Most Importantly...
Your child doesn't have to start the school year perfectly.

Some days will be great. Some will be hard. That's okay.

The goal isn't to make our kids comply with every demand. It's to help them feel safe, understood, supported, and capable of getting through the day.

Sometimes the best back-to-school strategy is simply:

"Let's make this easier." 💗