While families are buzzing with back-to-school shopping and planning, schools throughout the US are preparing for another unique school year, this time with the Delta COVID-19 variant. Many schools throughout the country are putting more mental health services in place to help with the transition back-to-school this year. The Tourette Association of America (TAA) is here to provide you with resources and tips for this important transition.
To help guide you into the new school year, members of the TAA’s Education Advisory Board have offered advice on transitioning back to school. Below are tips to help reduce anxiety and provide some predictability and routine to the school year.
- Have either hard copies or electronic copies of the TAA’s Educator Toolkits to give to everyone working with the individual. To order hard copies to give to educators at school email [email protected].
- Write a one-page email or a letter to all educators and highlight the student's strengths, symptoms, and accommodations that work best. Watch the Dear Teacher video for ideas. Or, you can use this Fast Fact Sheet to inform any teachers, administrators or other school personnel.
- The TAA can help with educating school professionals on Tourette Syndrome. You can reach out or have the school reach out to [email protected]. If you would like a Youth Ambassador to help with educating students, please reach out to the TAA at [email protected].
- Get into a sleep and morning routine two weeks before school starts to help keep healthy and reduce stress. Once school begins, maintain these routines on weekends as much as possible.
- We cannot predict whether students will need to transition to work-at-home at any point. Set up a space dedicated to schoolwork to support focus and be most productive. This will also come in handy for homework.
- If a student was in a hybrid model of learning or a full-remote model of learning last year he/she/they may have developed new symptoms that the parent or caregiver needs to share with the school. You may need to make arrangements to revise their 504 or IEP plan as well as share these new symptoms with a school counselor, team, and teacher(s).
- Realize that anxiety may be high, even for children and teens who haven’t experienced anxiety around going to school. Emotions may be high and behaviors may be out of character. Try your best to be understanding and compassionate about what may be a difficult transition.
- Work on building a toolbox of anxiety management techniques. Mindfulness, such as focusing on breathing in and out or the listening to the sounds in a room can bring a child to the present moment and calm stressful thoughts. Help teach self-calming techniques. Apps such as Insight Timer (free), Calm and Headspace can be helpful. Modeling mindfulness and self-calming coping strategies when you are stressed will help your child understand how to use them.
- Add sensory tools to the toolbox, such as something to do with the hands like squeezing putty or a stress ball. Other calming strategies like drawing while listening, having a cold drink of water, or standing for short periods of time can help with calming and focus.
- If a child is transitioning back to wearing a mask all day and has found this difficult in the past, find a mask that is most comfortable. Build in time each day for mask wearing. Try to extend the amount of time the mask is worn each day.
- It is important to be honest about health and safety while remaining positive and calm. If you need to discuss your fears or concerns about the upcoming school year with another adult be sure you do so when your child is not able to hear you.
- Acknowledge the child’s feelings. It will make sense if they are excited to see their friends again. Are they worried about being sick? If so, responding with, “I can see that you are worried. Here are the things we are doing to keep you safe.” It is important that caregivers listen and acknowledge instead of trying to change their child’s feelings or make them better. It’s also okay to not have all the answers.
- Communicate with your school about any anxiety or any mental health concerns about going back to school. A school counselor, social worker or school psychologist may have tips for supporting the student and may be able to communicate with classroom teachers about the student.
- If a child tends to experience headaches or stomachaches associated with anxiety it will be important to let the school counselor as well as the school nurse know in advanced.
- For high school students who are working to manage anxiety or other mental health concerns it may be wise to meet with the school counselor and lighten the academic load.
- Trust that you are doing your best through this transition.
Resources for Families
- Advocating for Your Child
- Accommodations & Education Rights
- Anxiety Management in the Classroom
- Behavior Management in School
- Bullying Prevention
- Children's Tool Kit
- Explaining a TS Diagnosis to a Child
- Family Tool Kit
- Federal Education Terminology
- Getting Help at School
- Handling Classroom Behaviors
- Identifying Common Red Flags
- Intro to Social Communication Disorder
- Managing Tics in the Classroom
- Prepare an IEP Binder
- Understanding Complex Behavior Issues
- Understanding Disinhibition
- What is Tourette Syndrome
- Young Adult Tool Kit
Resources for Educators
- 10 Things Teachers Can Do
- Anxiety Management in the Classroom
- Classroom Strategies & Techniques
- Developing Plans for Students with TS
- Disinhibition and Tourette
- Educator's Tool Kit
- Federal Education Terminology
- Handling Classroom Behaviors
- Identifying Common Red Flags
- Managing Tics in the Classroom
- Related Disorders Affecting Students
- Request a Presentation
- Symptoms occurring in classroom
- TAA Webinars
- Teacher to Teacher Advice (VIDEO)
- Tics in the Classroom
- Understanding a Child with TS
- Understanding Behavioral Symptoms in Tourette Syndrome
Pandemic-related tips
Kate Mielitz, Ph.D., AFC®, TAA Education Advisory Board member, and her children Slaeda and Kaden, offer some back to school tips.
In preparation for the new school year, the daughter of Amanda Coffman, Co-Chair of the Tourette Association of America Education Advisory Board, shares how she is setting up her home for virtual classes!
Kathy Giordano, TAA Education Specialist, shares what parents can do to inform teachers about their child’s Tourette Syndrome once the new school year begins.
Whether your child is learning at home or is going to school using a hybrid model, Heather Simpson, OTD, OTR/L, shares sensory strategies for your family to best adapt to remote learning.
Tips from Youth Ambassadors and Rising Leaders
Noah, TAA Youth Ambassador, explains motor and vocal tics to help teachers better understand Tourette Syndrome and Tic Disorders.
Adam, TAA Youth Ambassador, shares back to school tips for students who will continue virtual learning for the upcoming fall semester.
Rising Leader Emma shares her experiences and advice on educating teachers and classmates about Tourette Syndrome.
Youth Ambassador Saira shares tips on ways to educate teachers and classmates about Tourette Syndrome, how to disclose COVID-related tics, as well as how to manage and organize school days.
Tourette Association of America Youth Ambassador Will shares his top three tips for virtual learning as he returns to his senior year of high school digitally.