It’s September and that means back to school is here! Whether you’ve had your school supply shopping list done since June or you’re scrambling to sharpen those pencils and get those notebooks, we have some great additional resources to recommend as you head into another school year. After such an abnormal year, let’s make this year our most successful yet!

1. 5 Free Back to School Resources for Kids With Disabilities | The Mighty

This first collection from our friends at The Mighty contains 5 free resources for kids with disabilities and their teachers heading into the school year. For teachers, this resource points you in the direction of some great tools for classroom management and curriculum building, as well as several printables to help with behavioral management and organization in the classroom. This article also introduces an e-book library that makes reading more manageable for individuals that may face additional obstacles when it comes to reading. This e-book library allows users to make their experience more customizable to fit their individual needs, making reading more accessible. On the flip side of reading, there is math and this article shows us a resource to assist in making that more accessible as well! The article introduces a great tool for learners that may need additional guidance when it comes to math by creating an accessible app that breaks problems down for students that struggle with this subject. The next resource listed in this article is for educators. This resource called “Adapting for Autism” helps educators to create and provide additional help in the classroom to their students by providing functional and differentiated approaches to their lesson. The final resource listed turns any text into spoken word and reads it aloud for the user. This is great for individuals seeking their textbooks, school notes, and other documents be read aloud to them as they study. Visit the article above to get a full description and all of the download links associated with each resource.

2. Disability and Safety: Information about Bullying | CDC

The CDC addresses an important topic on their website when it comes to sending your kids back to school: bullying. Parents of children with disabilities know how heartbreaking this classroom behavior can be and how important it is to recognize it and bring awareness to it to put it to a stop, once and for all. Bullying has no place anywhere but is especially unwelcome in places that are designed to make our children feel safe, such as the classroom. An important part of returning to in-person learning is the hard conversations we will have to have with our children about addressing and resolving bullying as they are amongst their peers again. The article above goes into detail on the various signs of bullying and how to talk to your child about recognizing and handling bullying. It creates the opportunity to have a healthy discussion with your child around the effects of bullying, the importance of keeping the classroom kind, and what to do if they or another peer is the victim of bullying. This is a great resource to utilize during back to school to keep our kids safe and our classrooms positive learning environments.

3. Disability Inclusion | CDC

This next resource does a great job of explaining the importance of disability inclusion. This is a fantastic resource for parents and teachers to share with their children and classrooms to emphasize the importance of disability inclusion and the positive impact it can have on everyone. As we return to in-person learning, things like disability inclusion are great reminders to have and seek out so that we can have safe learning spaces for everyone. It is important that our schools are a place where everyone is able to thrive, regardless of any obstacles they may face. Reminders like the article above are a great step in ensuring inclusion is the theme of every classroom and school system this upcoming year.

4. Beyond School Supplies: Back to School Reminders & Readiness | CDC

This landing page on the CDC’s website compiles several articles that are important to have on hand as we navigate this upcoming school year. The article topics range from handling emergencies with children with disabilities, vaccinations, important information regarding specific conditions, and other great topics to help parents and children feel more prepared for school outside of their supplies list. Our team is dedicated to sharing this list from the CDC to help everyone involved with back to school feel more ready than ever to make this a successful year for the kids.

Make the most of the resources above as you plan for school year 2021-2022. This year will feel different in many ways but the utilization of these resources can help. We can work together to make not only our classrooms a better place for our children but also the world they live in. If you have any questions regarding the resources above, do not hesitate to reach out to our team for assistance. Happy back to school from all of us to all of you!