Back to School Better
Helping Children Return to School With Less Stress
Free Back to School Support Guides
For children with ADHD, autism or other neurodevelopmental differences, these transitions can sometimes be particularly challenging.
However, children do not need a diagnosis to benefit from additional understanding and support.
The Children’s Assessment Team at Total Health West Berkshire has created two free Back to School Better guides with practical ideas for families and schools.
For Parents & Carers
Back to School Better: Parent & Home Support Guide
If your child becomes anxious before school, struggles with mornings or comes home overwhelmed or exhausted, this guide contains practical strategies you can try at home.
It includes ideas for:
- preparing for the return to school
- creating more predictable routines
- making school mornings easier
- reducing pressure and verbal overload
- supporting school anxiety
- sensory and emotional regulation
- understanding after-school meltdowns and exhaustion
- helping children decompress after school
- recognising behaviour as communication
Download the Free Parent & Home Support Guide
For Teachers, SENCOs & Schools
Back to School Better: Teacher & School Support Guide
School transitions can be difficult for some children, from arriving at the school gate to entering classrooms, changing lessons or coping with unexpected changes during the day.
This free guide contains practical strategies for teachers, SENCOs and pastoral teams supporting children who are experiencing anxiety, overwhelm or dysregulation.
It includes ideas for:
reducing pressure during arrival
- prioritising regulation before demands
- using low-demand communication
- creating greater predictability
- supporting children during meltdowns and overwhelm
- recognising masking and after-school fatigue
- practical classroom accommodations
- supporting sensory and emotional regulation
Support should always be individualised to the child.
Children do not need a formal diagnosis to benefit from appropriate support and reasonable adjustments.
Schools are welcome to download, use and share both guides with colleagues and families.
Download the Free Teacher & School Support Guide
Why Can Returning to School Feel So Difficult?
Moving from the relative freedom of a school holiday back into a structured school day can involve a lot of change at once.
A child may suddenly be dealing with:
- earlier mornings
- a different daily routine
- busy classrooms
- noise and other sensory demands
- social expectations
- changes of teacher or classroom
- moving between lessons and activities
- uncertainty about what the new term will bring
For others, it can look quite different.
A child struggling with school may:
- become distressed while getting ready
- complain of feeling unwell before school
- find it difficult to leave home or enter school
- become upset by changes to routines
- appear overwhelmed by noise or busy environments
- hold things together during the school day but become distressed once home
- seem exhausted after school
- experience meltdowns or shutdowns
- begin avoiding or refusing school
The important starting point is trying to understand what is making school difficult for that particular child, rather than assuming they are simply being difficult.
School Anxiety, ADHD and Autism
Children can struggle with school transitions for many reasons.
Difficulty returning to school does not mean that a child has ADHD or is autistic.
However, some of the differences associated with ADHD and autism can make the school environment and transitions particularly demanding.
These may include difficulties involving:
- attention
- impulsivity
- changes in routine
- social communication
- sensory processing
- emotional regulation
- shifting attention between activities
- coping in busy or unpredictable environments
Some children may also work extremely hard to cope throughout the school day and release that accumulated stress once they reach home.
This may present as:
- anger
- crying
- withdrawal
- shutdown
- emotional exhaustion
- after-school meltdowns
Practical Ways to Make School Transitions Easier
Make Mornings More Predictable
Keeping the order of morning activities as consistent as possible can help reduce uncertainty.
Some children may also find visual routines helpful, particularly if they can see what is happening next without needing repeated verbal instructions.
Preparing clothes, bags and other items the night before can also help reduce pressure in the morning.
Reduce Verbal Pressure
When a child is anxious or overwhelmed, processing lots of language and instructions may become more difficult.
It can help to:
- give one instruction at a time
- use a calm tone
- use visual prompts where helpful
- allow additional processing time
- offer reassurance rather than repeated pressure
Plan for Sensory Needs
Noise, lighting, clothing, hunger and busy environments can all contribute to a child’s stress.
Depending on the individual child, useful regulation supports might include:
- headphones or ear defenders
- comfort items
- sensory tools
- movement
- music
- familiar foods
- access to a quieter space
Allow Time to Decompress After School
Some children use a significant amount of emotional, sensory and social energy during the school day.
They may need recovery time before they are ready for conversation, homework or other activities.
This might involve:
- quiet time
- snacks and drinks
- reduced demands
- movement
- sensory regulation
- screen time or another preferred activity
- delaying questions about the school day
When School Difficulties Continue
Some anxiety around returning to school can be understandable, particularly after a long break.
For some children, however, the difficulties continue well beyond the first few days and begin to have a significant impact on their wellbeing, education or family life.
You may find that:
- school mornings are becoming increasingly distressing
- your child regularly struggles to attend school
- difficulties with routines or transitions happen repeatedly
- they regularly come home exhausted or overwhelmed
- sensory or social demands appear particularly difficult
- emotional reactions are affecting everyday family life
- you are beginning to wonder whether there may be an underlying reason
Your child’s school or SENCO can be an important first point of contact.
If you are also beginning to wonder whether ADHD, autism or another neurodevelopmental difference could be contributing to what you are seeing, an assessment may help you better understand your child’s individual strengths and needs.
Frequently Asked Questions About School Anxiety and Transitions
Why is my child anxious about going back to school?
Returning to school can involve several changes at once, including a different routine, early mornings, social expectations, busy environments and uncertainty about what will happen.
Some children manage these changes relatively easily, while others find them much more demanding.
Children with ADHD, autism, anxiety or sensory differences may find changes in routine, busy environments or uncertainty particularly difficult, but a child does not need a diagnosis to struggle with returning to school.
How can I help my child prepare for going back to school?
Making the return to school more predictable may help reduce uncertainty.
You could try:
- gradually returning to school-day sleep and morning routines
- talking through who will take them to school
- explaining which teacher they are likely to see first
- discussing anything that will be different
- preparing clothes and school bags the night before
- using a simple visual routine
- reducing unnecessary pressure in the morning
The aim is not necessarily to remove all anxiety, but to help the child feel more prepared for what will happen next.
What should I do if my child refuses to go to school?
School refusal or avoidance can have many possible causes.
Try to understand what is making attendance difficult rather than treating the behaviour simply as defiance.
Speak to your child’s school or SENCO and share what you are seeing at home.
It can also be useful to look for patterns involving particular days, lessons, sensory demands, social situations or transitions.
If the difficulties are persistent or are having a significant impact on your child and family, further professional support may be appropriate.
Why does my child have meltdowns after school?
Some children work very hard to manage their emotions, sensory environment and social expectations during the school day.
They may appear to cope at school but release that accumulated stress once they reach the safety of home.
After-school distress may include anger, crying, withdrawal, shutdown or emotional exhaustion.
Allowing time to decompress before asking questions, starting homework or introducing further demands may help.
Can ADHD make school transitions more difficult?
It can for some children.
Children with ADHD may experience difficulties involving attention, impulsivity, emotional regulation, routines or shifting attention from one activity to another.
These differences can make transitions between home and school, classrooms or activities more demanding.
Can autistic children find school transitions particularly difficult?
Some autistic children find unexpected change, sensory demands, social communication and unfamiliar or unpredictable environments particularly difficult.
School transitions can therefore involve a considerable amount of emotional and sensory effort.
Predictability, visual information, reduced pressure and appropriate sensory support may help.
Does my child need an ADHD or autism diagnosis to receive support at school?
No.
Children do not need a diagnosis to benefit from appropriate support and reasonable adjustments.
If a child is struggling, parents and schools can begin by identifying what is making the school environment or particular transitions difficult and considering practical ways to reduce those barriers.
When should I consider an ADHD or autism assessment?
An assessment may be worth exploring if difficulties are persistent, occur across different areas of life or are having a significant impact on your child’s wellbeing, education or family life.
You may notice ongoing concerns involving attention, impulsivity, social communication, sensory processing, emotional regulation, routines or coping with change.
An assessment is not simply about obtaining a diagnosis.
Its purpose is to build a clearer understanding of the child’s strengths, differences and support needs.
ADHD & Autism Assessments for Children
Total Health West Berkshire provides private multidisciplinary ADHD and autism assessments for children and young people.
You do not need to decide for yourself whether your child’s difficulties are caused by ADHD, autism or a combination of factors.
Our assessment team can talk through what you have been noticing and help you understand whether an assessment may be an appropriate next step.
Child ADHD Assessments
An ADHD assessment may be worth considering where there are ongoing difficulties with areas such as:
- attention
- concentration
- impulsivity
- restlessness
- emotional regulation
- routines
- school life
Child Autism Assessments
- social interaction
- communication
- sensory processing
- routines
- change
- becoming overwhelmed in busy or unpredictable environments
Not Sure Where to Start?
ADHD and autism can share some characteristics, and some children may show signs of both.
If you are unsure whether an assessment would be appropriate, you can start with a free, no-obligation suitability call with our assessment team.