Do you have a College action plan for your Special needs Teen?
Preparing for College can be a huge step in the right direction when sending off your special needs teen to school. You can visit www.bestcolleges.com to start your research at least 6 months before your child’s departure to school.
College may be many years away or it may be just around the corner. Whether your kids are 6 or 16, you must prepare them for school long before the time comes for them to attend. For many children going to school is a rite of passage. For others, it is an unknown, a world of mystery. You never know, your child may not even be sure if they want to attend school to begin with.
You’ll never know if you don’t take the time to sit down and talk with your kids about school. While you are doing this, you should also consider participating in 5 steps that will help prepare your special needs kids for school long before that first monumental day.
5 Tips to Prepare Your Special Needs Teen for College
Step 1 Communication is Key!
Communicate with your child about their goals and dreams. You have to keep the lines of communication open at all times. If you never talk to your special needs child about what they want to do later in life, you won’t have a sense of what their goals, dreams, and aspirations are. If on the other hand, you regularly engage your children in conversations about education and their future, you’ll learn early on the types of studies that might interest them and can help them make important decisions about their college career when the time comes.
Step 2 Get involved in your child’s Education
Stay involved in education. You have to be involved in your special needs child’s education from day one. It’s not enough to take an active interest on their first day of school. Ask them how they are doing in school regularly, and talk with them about the classes they like and the ones they are struggling with. They will be more likely to lean on you for support during their college years.
Step 3 Let them explore NEW things!
Encourage your children to explore new things and subjects early. Don’t wait until they are about to head off to school to encourage them to try new things. Start when they are young. Expose them to different subjects, music, sports, and other creative activities so they have a chance to experience as much of the world as possible before they make the giant leap to college.
Step 4 Don’t be Pushy or Needy!
Don’t push. You should be available for your children when they have questions about school or pursuing a career, but you shouldn’t be overly aggressive about pushing them toward attending or even going to a particular school. Why? Your efforts may backfire and you may find that your teenager decides to forgo an education altogether, not because they aren’t interested, but because they want to defy your strict orders.
Step 5 Start Saving Early!
Teach your child to start saving early. College is expensive. As time goes on your child may find themselves spinning a wheel of deeper and deeper debt. Teach them to be financially responsible early on by helping them set up a savings account. It doesn’t have to be for school or college only, but it will help teach them the value of saving a dollar. While you are at it, save some money too.
Preparing your children for school is a big step, but a worthy one. Your children will thank you one day for taking time out of your schedule to help them through their college years.
