Build a relationship with the school and/or the schooling community:

– have a conversation with the principal, or if home or distance schooling, the Tasmanian Home Education Advisory Council or the Home Education Association about some of the ways that you might be able to work towards a flexible approach for your child;

– seek out other parents and community groups in your area;

– help your child to form friendships with others who will be starting school;

– develop relationships with professionals (these may be available within the school), e.g., autism consultants, deaf and hearing impaired or vision services, speech and language pathologists, and support teachers.

Put together a team that can help you with the transition. This may include:

– family members;

– professionals (e.g. your early intervention service, early childhood education service, psychologists or allied health professionals that can provide information about your child);

– other parents (they might have experiences that you can draw from);

– school representatives (e.g. teachers, guidance officers, and support staff);

– family advocates.

Prepare for meetings. Put together a folder of important information:

– previous assessments and reports;

– examples for success/stories (these might be about your own child or other children);

– information about your child (e.g. specific educational, socialisation needs);

– contacts of professionals (current, and those who have worked with your child in the past). See Get Started for a handy Finding Your Way template – My Network of Support;

– a copy of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, and the Disability Standards for Education for those tricky conversations.

Prepare your child for the transition:

– read stories about school. You might even like to create your own stories with real photos;

– enrol in your local “Launching into Learning” program. This is a free program supports children’s learning for those aged 0-4. See Get Started for more information;

– visit the school with your child. Introduce them to the playground and the classroom and meet the teacher. You might like to do this a few times, depending what is right for you and your child.

Remember, there is no right or wrong way to go about transitioning your child to school, and you can make changes as time goes on to adapt your vision to your child’s changing needs. You can get ideas and examples of things that worked for children from other families and professionals.

Once you have chosen the school and or the method of enrolment for your child, there are a number of things that you can do to ensure that your child experiences a smooth transition to school.