What can I do if my child doesn't feel safe at school?

If your child doesn't feel safe at school or in their classroom, it can cause stress and impede their learning, potentially even leading your child to avoid school entirely. It can be helpful to talk to your child's teacher and IEP team about potential supports.

Talk to your child's teacher about how your child isn’t feeling safe and that you want a plan in place to ensure that they feel safe. Request a meeting with the school team to come up with a safety plan for the classroom or the whole school campus. This safety plan checklist has examples of questions and potential supports to discuss with your IEP team, especially if another student is bullying your child.

Another resource to explore with your IEP team is creating an emergency plan to make sure your child is kept safe if there is a school evacuation or lockdown. Some kids have anxiety about this, so creating a safety plan can help.