Hi Michele,
Just remember, tomorrow is another day. TessLouise is right, a loving and involved parent, who is supportive of both the child and the teacher, makes all the difference. It sounds as though you like the teacher, believe me, that is huge. A compassionate, competent teacher who is willing to work as a team with the parent and support staff is key. Can you imagine if you were unhappy with the teacher?
You mentioned that you met with the teacher prior to the start of school. Did Luke get to meet her also? One thing that we found worked well for many of our autistic or Asperger's students was a video taped visit before school started. Two adults(ideally, Mom and Dad) would accompany the student to the school a few days prior to the first day. One adult would video tape and the other is a support person for the child. You can film the outside of the school and the child entering the front doors. Make sure to film the route to the classroom, bulletin boards etc. Once inside cover the entire classroom, cubbies, bathroom, meeting area, play area etc. Film your child's teacher, have her introduce herself or record a brief message for Luke. It would be ideal if his support people could also participate. You can use this tape to point out where he might put away his coat, eat snack, sit for meeting. If your child is having a positive experience with the visit, make sure you film him checking out his cubbie(mailbox), washing his hands for snack (you could bring a small snack for him), sitting at the table, practicing sitting on the carpet for meeting, etc. You could discuss the general routine with the teacher beforehand and film in the same order of a typical day. Have a clear idea of what you will do before you go, this preparation will help things go smoothly. I do not reccommend letting him play with any toys however, this can get them very much off track and transitioning away from the toys may be very difficult. If your child is not reacting well to anything, obviously you do not want this to be filmed, concentrate on the surroundings instead. You want the video to be as positive as possible.
Let Luke watch the video as many times as he is interested, even after school has started. This can provide important clues to areas he might be having trouble with. For example, the carpet at meeting is scratchy, is that why he can't sit still? Seeing and experiencing school on the first day, with all the other children, can be sensory overload without prior preparation. If he has seen it all before, at least it will feel more comfortable. I know Luke already had his first day, but perhaps you could arrange to film on a weekend or when it is convenient for his teacher. If Luke already has a few days experience, ask him to narrate the video as you watch it together.
One other thing we found worked well was a schedule board. I made laminated pictures of activities on the computer to represent different parts of the day, for example, arrival, meeting, snack, visitor, playtime, bathroom, story, bus. One set of pictures I put in order with magnets on the black board. I made a smaller, duplicate set, on a velcro board, which I gave to the students support person. As we finished each activity, I would remove the picture. The child would do the same. This showed the child that there was a beginning and end to each activity. For example, the child knew they would be going home after story. Most children with Asperger's are so set in routines that they welcome this approach; it helps them feel in control and makes transitions much easier.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful. My guess is that his support staff will have some wonderful ideas. It will get easier for everyone and Luke (and you) will be just fine. Good Luck, keep us posted. artist (Kathleen)
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some suggestions and encouragement
