First Day of School Autism Program

Welcome back, everyone!

It was exciting to see all the familiar faces on the first day of the school year. Teachers spent many days and hours preparing for the best first day of the school experience for our kids- New school year themes, new school year wishes, etc.

School begins at 8:15 a.m. every day. By then, my staff and I greet the kids at their general ed. classroom and proceed them to the morning meeting with their peers. As we talked about the Responsive Classroom approach, this is the time for kids to practice sharing, greeting, checking in with others-

Around 9 a.m. some of my kids’ transition back to the classroom for their Deskwork- This is the time when students get to be more independent. Using visual work systems, simple fine motor tasks or file folder tasks(academics) will be completed with minimal staff support.

Deskwork Area

At 9:30, I am ready to see my kids at the opening social group area. Students will work on calendars, schedules, social communication skills(making choices, waiting, turn-taking, etc.), and playing with different toys or cool science experiments. Very routine-based, and familiar activities/language. It is all about organizing our students for having a good day.

Opening Social Group

By the time, we finish up good 4-5 activities during an opening group, the bell rings. It is time for recess- I love the big smile on the kid’s face when I call his name for checking the schedule. “Check schedule. It is time for recess!!!”