A Back to School Letter

Here’s an example of a letter we sent in Michael’s 3^rd grade year. You can start drafting your letter now if you think this is something you’d like to do.  That way, when back-to-school craziness rolls around, you can bring your letter to the meeting with your child’s teacher and their special education professionals. 

Note: in our school system the one-on-one aides that accompany the kids are called Behavior Therapists. We also included our contact information on the letter, which I have cropped out for privacy purposes. 

This letter combined with a classroom visit (during which I shared a children’s book about Autism and answered questions) helped the kids in Michael’s class to feel they were a part of the team. They were in-the-know and they looked out for him and advocated for him with kids in other classrooms. I will talk about the visit more in another post, but the letter is a great first step because it allows the parents to be in the loop and helps them prepare their kids to be kind and welcoming.

Back to School is a Busy Time for Teachers

We tried to make it as easy as possible for the teacher.  We offered to make the copies and put them in the kids’ classroom mailboxes.  To make sure parents get it, you can see if the teacher would be willing to send it on the classroom e-mail list.

Something to Consider

These letters are only appropriate if they do not embarrass your child. It’s a personal choice for your family.  We felt it was right for us and for Michael and it helped the kids open up to him. I’m glad we did it, but I know that in different circumstances it might be the wrong choice.  You’ll never be perfect, but use your best judgement as to whether this is something that might work for your family.