3 tips for families with children on the autism spectrum heading back to school this fall:

For families with children on the autism spectrum, support exists to enable your child to reach their fullest potential.

• A parent is a child’s greatest advocate

When it comes to your child’s educational journey, and Individual Education Program (IEP) can be a critical step to outline the best available supports for a successful school year.

IEPs serve as a valuable tool for educators, support professionals, and families to come together to outline the best strategies and resources to meet each student’s goals.

Parents should remember that they are an equal partner in their child’s IEP team and serve their child’s greatest advocate.

• What environment is best for my child? School or Specialized Services? “Both, And”

Some parents of school-aged children, may ask “What environment is best suited for my child?”

Two questions parents should reflect on include: “Is my child’s current environment producing our desired outcomes?” and “Does my child currently possess the skills necessary to fully participate in their environment?” If the answers to these two questions are currently “no,” your child may benefit from other specialized services.

Evidence-based services such as ABA, OT, and Speech therapy are available to enhance independence across home, school, and community environments in order to build upon skills targeted in school settings. For some children, individualized instruction found within 1:1 ABA therapy provides additional learning opportunities across communication, social, or coping skills to benefit future academic goals.

These services should be viewed as complementary and additive towards a child’s overall development, with school and service professionals aligning on the following core pursuit: to see your child thrive with maximal independence.

• Advocacy Resources

For many parents, navigating the IEP process can be overwhelming – thankfully, there are several free community resources that can help.

Michigan Alliance for Families (michiganallianceforfamilies.org) provides special education resources and support from parent mentors.

Special Education Mediation Services (mikids1st.org) offers families meeting facilitation and mediation services when necessary to achieve a collaborative IEP partnership.

Brian Kaminski, MA, BCBA, is Vice President of Clinical Services at Lumen Pediatric Therapy. For more information, please visit: lumenkids.com.