How do I help my child develop more independence at school?

As students progress from elementary school to middle school and high school, they are expected to increase their level of independence and travel around the school in their own direction. They are also expected to look after their own belongings, know their schedule, and travel to school and around school independently. While your child might not be ready for the same independence as other kids at the school, you can still foster independence to help them build skills. Here are a few ways to help support them as they explore their independence in a new school:

• Your child may need aide support to find their way around. The layout of campus can be much larger and more complex than what they're used to, so it’s important to give them time to adjust. Working with a trusted aide or older student to map out the building, practice different routes, and identify key locations like their locker, classrooms, and bathrooms can help them feel more secure. Your child may need aide support, so consider requesting that in the IEP.
• Since passing periods make up much of the “social time” in middle school, it might work better to ask your school about using peer coaches to help your child navigate between classes, fostering leadership for other students.
• Executive functioning skills are being implicitly taught to all students in middle and high school, but some will need explicit instruction. It is a great idea to include an executive functioning goal in your child’s IEP to ensure that this is focused on.
• Many schools offer a learning skills class that offers academic support for other core classes. While this can be helpful, it’s important for parents to understand the potential trade-offs. If this is the only support available — without push-in services in general education classes — students may struggle to access the full curriculum alongside their peers.
• Many middle and high schools foster a sense of independence in their students by relying on communication between teacher and students. There is far less expectation that the school will communicate with parents about community events. Ask the school for advance notice of community events so that you can plan how your child will be included.

For more information, see our full article Inclusion in Middle School.