Back to School!

We are thrilled about the start of the new school year! We of course are excited about new backpacks, new teachers, new school supplies, and all of the new adventures that are to come. In addition to the typical back to school preparation there are a number of things we consider in preparing our clients with speech, language or hearing impairments for the new school year. Below is a list of a few of the things we consider.


1. An experience book about the first day of school: Who will your child meet on the first day? Will they ride the bus? What will they say to a new friend? Will they be going to the cafeteria for the first time? If your child is still mastering social skills or the language for interacting with peers this is a great way to preteach language, and set your child up for success for the first day. Make a story together in a composition notebook and review it with your child before the first day of school. If you have pictures of the school this would be a great place to include them.

2. Teacher training and education: Since many of our clients are in a full inclusion setting, they may have teachers who have never taught a child with a cochlear implant or hearing aid. Consider meeting with the teachers a few days before school to orient them to the device and basic troubleshooting. Many of our parents have created a "cheat sheet" reference card for teachers about their child's device. Even if your child does not wear amplification, a meeting before the start of school can also help orient the teacher to strategies and techniques you use to help facilitate your child's speech and language. If your child is on an IEP in the public school your team can help with this process.

3. A visit with your child to the classroom before school starts: If this is your child's first school year it may be worth a quick visit to the empty classroom to help your child experience all they will see in the classroom. This will allow the child to get acclimated to the new environment, and will allow you to review the language and vocabulary associated with the classroom.

4. Creating a resume: All of our clients are unique in in their own way, and we know that their hearing impairment or speech/language impairment is just a small part of who they are. Help your child's teacher get to know them better by creating a "resume" about them. Let your child tell about their favorite books, activities, and and games. This could be done on a sheet of paper, or even as an electronic document like a PowerPoint presentation. If your child is older you could include a video of them telling their teacher what helps them learn best.

5. Setting up a communication system: We believe that parents are a child's first and primary teachers of language. For this reason it is essential that a good communication system between home and school is established before the start of school. Consider who will send notes home about the day or any speech/language services your child may have had. It may also be necessary to create a plan for how you will be informed if your child's device malfunctions during the school day. Our families have used everything from email, to sticky notes as a way to keep in touch with schools. Since every school's policies are different, this will be something that is typically done on a school by school basis.


We are looking forward to a great school year, and welcome any suggestions you may have about preparing your child for school. Feel free to post below and share them. Should you need any assistance with preparing your child for school, we are happy to help.