Autism and schools: 9 questions parents should ask

Autism and schools: 9 questions to ask the teachers and school administrators

Come ready with a list of questions and when you ask your questions be as clear as possible. Request specific examples. They can’t share students' names, but they should be able to share specific examples from the past. 

Here are the most important questions to ask when looking into school programs for special needs children, inspired by the great educators at School Choice Week.  

1. What does inclusion look like at the school? Does the school offer special education classes? Find out how much time the students with special needs get to interact with the other students at the school. How do they evaluate whether the level of inclusion is appropriate and working for the child?
2. What is the school's educational philosophy? Asking about a school’s educational philosophy can give you a better idea of the school’s goals, mission, and overall teaching approach. You want to make sure the school you choose uses teaching methods that work for your child’s learning style and your family’s values. 
3. What about school specialists? Some schools may have therapists, psychologists, and counselors on site with specific specialties. Does the school have speech, physical, and/or occupational therapists on site, and if so, how often? Many schools may outsource these types of services through a third party, meaning they may not be on campus regularly and may not get to work with your child consistently. Ask about adaptive physical education and find out if there are tutors available. If your child needs medication while at school, you’ll want to find out if there is a full-time nurse on hand, and if not, how your child's medications will be handled. 
4. What kind of special education training do teachers and paraprofessionals receive? It’s important that the teachers and paraprofessionals working with your child are properly trained and certified when hired. It is also important that the teachers and paraprofessionals receive regular training to stay up to date on the latest techniques, studies, and best practices. 
5. What is the school's communication process? Find out how the school will communicate your child’s progress to you and how often. Will you get daily, weekly, or monthly updates? You should also find out who your main point of contact will be whenever you have questions. 
6. How will the school prepare your child for their future? Does the school offer any real-world experiences or teach any life skills? How does the school encourage relationship building and conflict resolution? The way a school may prepare your child for the future can vary greatly, so it’s important to find out what each school’s approach will be. 
7. What are the school’s behavior management policies? Depending on your child’s specific needs, you’ll want to find out how the school handles different types of behavior. Are students with special needs able to be expelled or suspended, and if so what can cause a suspension or expulsion? How does the school handle bullying? Is the school’s staff properly trained on how to work with children with special needs? Make sure you ask about the school’s seclusion and restraint policy. Will they restrain a child for being aggressive and if so how and for how long? You’ll also want to find out how soon you would be contacted should a behavior or safety issue arise and if parents are typically asked to come to the school to remove the child for the day. 
8. How will the school handle your child’s sensory challenges? Do they offer any special accommodations for children with sensory issues? What happens if your child becomes overwhelmed and has a meltdown? 
9. How will the school keep your child safe? You’ll want to ask questions about certain safety protocols. What is the check-in and check-out process, if you or anyone else needs to visit the school? Is the school easily accessible or do all visitors need to come through the main office? Is the school and/or playground fenced in to prevent children from running away (very important if you have a neurodivergent child that elopes)? What sort of plan does the school have in place for different emergency situations and how will your child be supported in these sorts of situations? 

School terms you need to know

When you begin talking to these schools, these terms might pop up:

Self-contained classroom: A classroom where the same person teaches the same students multiple subjects in the same room. Self-contained classrooms are most often used to describe a classroom comprised of only students with special needs. These classes will often have fewer students than a standard classroom. 

Full inclusion or all-inclusive: All children learn together in the same general or regular education classroom. This classroom is led by a regular education teacher and includes students with and without disabilities. All accommodations for students with special needs are available in the classroom. The special needs students might have an individual aide in the regular education classroom. 

Partial Inclusion: A combination of a self-contained learning environment and an all-inclusive learning environment. A child with special needs will spend part of their day in a standard classroom and the other part of their day in a special education classroom. 

Individualized Education Plan (IEP): A written statement of a child’s current level of development (abilities and impairments) and a personalized plan that supports the child’s growth and development in school. An IEP includes: 

• goals like developing academic skills or decreasing aggressive behaviors
• specific services to be received
• people who will carry out the services
• standards and timelines for evaluating progress
• the amount and degree to which a child will participate with other peers at school

Your child will need to be evaluated in order to obtain an IEP. You can check out this article by Understood to find out what to expect during your child’s evaluation. Every child with an IEP will need to be reevaluated at least once every three years.¹

504 Plan: A formal plan developed by schools to provide kids with disabilities the support they need and remove any barriers to learning. These plans are designed for children who do not require special education. Although similar, IEPs and 504 plans are not the same. Click here to learn more about how IEPs and 504s are different.

Paraprofessional: A specially trained educational worker who supports students in school under the supervision of a teacher. If your child has an IEP, they may be working with a paraprofessional regularly. Paraprofessionals are normally not credentialed teachers and may also be referred to as: 

• ed techs
• classroom assistants
• instructional aides
• teacher assistants
• paraeducators
• paras
• parapros

If you are a parent of a newly diagnosed neurodivergent child and want to learn some more commonly used vocabulary, be sure to check out our list of “Important Autism-Related Acronyms For Parents of a Newly Diagnosed Child.”

Conclusion

While touring the school you want to collect as much information as possible and get the best feel for the school you can. When you ask your questions, take notes, and don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if you don’t understand something. If an answer sparks any follow-up questions, ask those too. 

The Contributors

We’d like to recognize and give gratitude to the educators, advocates, autism parents, and community members who contributed hours reviewing this article. Special thanks to Daniella Mini, special education teacher & autism mom; Jeryn Cambrah, autism mom & writer; Andrew Troy Faulkner, special education teacher & resource specialist of 10+ years; Andrea Friedenson, autism mom; Leigh Monichon & Sarah Wickens, autism education advocates & autism moms.