Starting School

The term ‘neurodiversity’ is often used to describe the natural variation in the way an individual’s brain functions. It refers to the differences in the way people behave, and how they experience, understand and interact with the world around them. 

No single person can be neurodiverse – that’s a common misuse of the term. Everyone is different from others, so everyone is neurodiverse, including neurotypical people. The term ‘neurotypical’ simply refers to a person with a more common type of brain (otherwise known as a neurotype) in terms of how they sense the world and people around them, and how they think, feel and respond. When you are neurodivergent, you differ from the ‘typical’ or more common type of brain. Autistic people are neurodivergent, as are people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or with learning differences such as dyslexia or dyspraxia. About 1 in every 5 or 6 children has variations in their brain development (raisingchildren.net.au, 2022).

Autistic people are not broken or disordered, they are just different, and may have additional support needs. When we understand and make allowances for neurodiversity, children are less likely to experience difficulties at school and more likely reach their full potential.

Notes on language

Communicate to your school and teachers the language you and your child prefer to use – such as ‘neurodivergent’, ‘autistic’, ‘on the spectrum’, or ‘with autism’. Note that most autistic adults prefer the term ‘autistic’, as it is part of who they are, and seen as part of their identity. You cannot remove autism from a person – autism is part of who a person is.

This resource uses both person-first language (for example, ‘a student on the autism spectrum’) and identity-first language (for example, ‘an autistic student’). We acknowledge that individuals choose how they wish to be identified. 

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability and can present in different ways as a child matures. It is generally associated with differences in the way a person learns, thinks, communicates and behaves. An autistic child may have a wide range of strengths, interests, abilities, needs and challenges.

Every autistic child is different. Some may have communication difficulties that prevent them from expressing their needs and feelings in ways others do. They may also have challenging behaviour that places them at risk and impacts their safety and wellbeing at home and at school. Some children also have restricted interests or display repetitive or highly focused behaviours.

Autistic children may have average IQ, or be academically gifted. They may be able to communicate effectively but experience other social challenges, such as with learning to play with other children or understanding the perspectives of others.

Some autistic children may be constantly conscious of sensations that other children are not aware of (for example, sounds, smells, tastes, touch, visual stimuli). On the other hand, they might not notice sensations inside their bodies, such as hunger or pain, in the same way their peers do.

There is considerable variation in the way autistic children’s brains work. For this reason, it is important that a child is provided with individualised support to help them access and participate in learning at school, and feel a sense of belonging.

Autistic children may act in a different way to other children including showing some indicators of autism.

Embracing your child’s neurodivergence involves acceptance, awareness, inclusion and appreciation.

As your child’s caregivers, your love, experience and knowledge of their needs should influence decisions that are made about their participation in the early years of school. Being positive about your child and sharing information with your child’s teacher about how best to support and include your child in the classroom environment will guide planning and support your child's wellbeing. Families have a legitimate role in partnering with their child’s school to advocate for their child and to ensure their own views and the voice of their child are heard.

It is important, particularly in the first terms of primary school, to establish open dialogue with the team around your child. This will allow you to provide information about your child’s strengths and interests, and suggest how the school can support your child to be calm and happy, develop independence and interact with friends. This initial contact provides the groundwork for ongoing communication.

A vision statement is a short, written description of what your family and your child want for their future and the goals for their education. It clarifies your goals for a positive schooling experience and fulfilling life for your child, and communicates these to others.

Your vision statement can help guide decision-making about your child’s future at school and beyond. Sharing this vision about how you expect your child to participate and engage in learning with their peers will support the development of a positive family–school partnership.

An example of a vision statement for a child beginning primary school:

Our child is included in all classroom activities and receives support to be successful in their learning. They are safe and happy and feel like they belong at school with their friends. Our child’s teachers understand their strengths and adjust the curriculum, teaching approach and learning environment appropriately. Our family is committed to working in partnership with educators at the school.

A vision statement can be reviewed and rewritten as needed as your child matures and their capacity to add their voice to the vision grows.

Starting school is one of the most important experiences in a child’s life. For you, as a parent or carer, this brings an opportunity to strengthen your relationship with your child and advocate for their needs in the new context of school.

You know your child’s strengths and preferences and how best to support them. Think about how your child might respond to this change, plan your actions in advance, and work with them to make the move to school a positive experience.

Schools are places for both academic and social learning. In the early years of schooling, your child will learn foundational skills and gain knowledge across a range of new subjects. They will also discover new interests and strengths. You can help your child to approach this experience with interest and curiosity.

The social learning your child will learn at school is also important. Your child will enter a social environment that has different expectations. They will learn and use new ways to interact with teachers and peers in different situations. They will develop relationships and friendships with adults and their peers.

Creating a personalised social story is a great way to talk about starting school with your child. The stories are proactive tools designed to reduce transition anxiety and help your child build essential knowledge for the new school. They can help children use this knowledge to exercise more control about what is happening when they are at school.

The stories can describe the key places, people and activities your child will encounter in their typical school day, and why they are important. A social story can also explain some of the important social expectations and the unwritten rules and patterns of behaviour expected of them while at school.

The social story guide below provides some hints for creating your own stories. You can make an individualised social story on any topic by creating a booklet, a slide presentation or by downloading and using the blank template below.

This social story is called Getting ready for school in the morning. The aim of this story is to help your child understand what their morning routine will look like on a typical school day, and prepare them for this routine. This can reduce your child’s anxiety and help make school mornings run smoothly. It is supported with discussion notes to help you get the most out of the story.

The story starts with waking up for the day and includes the steps involved in getting ready, such as having breakfast, getting dressed, getting to school and saying goodbye to family.

When your child starts school, it can be helpful for teachers and other school staff to understand as much as possible about their individual skills, strengths and interests.

You have the greatest understanding of your child, and sharing this knowledge will help:

• your child settle into a new learning environment
• your school to understand how they can build a positive relationship with you and your child
• your school to work with you to plan and implement support for your child’s learning
• provide an opportunity to discuss any potential barriers to learning that your child might experience.

Establishing an open dialogue with your child’s teachers early in your child’s schooling will help everyone deliver the best outcomes.

A student profile is a short document that summarises your child’s strengths, interests and preferences. It can be a valuable tool for the adults who will have contact with your child at school. The profile provides an opportunity for your family and your child to introduce yourselves, and explain your child’s aspirations and passions. It also provides opportunities for you to address any assumptions people might make about your child and to have a say about how they could be supported at school.

Student profiles can be presented in many different formats. Your child’s preschool or kindergarten will have probably developed a transition statement as part of their required processes. Sometimes it is formal document referred to by a different name such as student needs profile, learner profile or one page summary.

You may want to create a personalised profile to introduce your child to their new school that reflects your child’s point of view. It can include photographs or be illustrated with your child’s artwork and be as colourful and as individual as your child.

You could use this Student profile template. After you complete it, you can print it and share it with your child’s teacher or school support team. It is very helpful to provide this information as early as possible so that the school can individualise support for your child to enable them to access and participate in school life.

You know your child best. Sharing observations with your school – and communicating your child’s strengths, challenges, differences and needs – helps to build understanding, reduce stigma and increase acceptance. Information about your child can help your teacher and school provide the best possible support for your child.

It’s important to know that accommodations and adjustments to classrooms can benefit all children, not just autistic children.

All children starting school need to be able to do some tasks independently. Observing and taking note of your child’s ‘starting school’ skills will help you to identify their strengths and abilities, and identify possible areas of support when starting school. The Starting school skills list below can help you to then communicate these observations to your child’s school and teacher.

When speaking with your child’s teacher, it can be helpful to keep in mind the environmental and social differences between school and home. For example, an autistic child might come up against more challenges when eating in a school environment than they do at home. Due to sensory sensitivities, a child might find the smell of another child’s food overwhelming. They might be taking medication which affects their appetite, or struggle to open packets or containers.

Eating requires attention, and sometimes differences in executive functioning in autism can mean a child is easily distracted from the task of eating and drinking. Or they might eat and drink more slowly than peers. Some children might find eating and drinking in a large group overwhelming due to sensitivities or find that they do not have the communication tools required to ask for help.

Think about how your child might respond to these different occasions and what could help to set them up for success. You don’t need to plan for all of these at once. Just be sure to ask the school to let you know in advance when different occasions are planned so that you can work together to prepare your child.

In the following example, we take a closer look at the school assembly and how this different occasion might affect a child.

What happens at a school assembly?

A school assembly is usually a large meeting of students, teachers, other school staff, and often families and other members of the school community. It is a time for the school community to gather to share news and information, celebrate achievements, and discuss other matters relating to the school.