In last week’s Redmond Reporter, we shared advice from directors at local Kumon Learning Centers, about starting the new school year with good study habits and consistent routines.

For part 2 of our “back to school success” series, we gathered tips from Dori Bower, founder and owner of Dartmoor School and Jeff Woolley, head of school at Dartmoor. The Redmond campus is located at 7735 178th Pl. NE and several other campuses are available.

Dartmoor provides customized, one-on-one instruction to children and teens for whom a traditional classroom setting doesn’t work well. These include kids with learning disabilities or developmental disorders, as well as gifted and talented athletes or performing artists who need flexible schedules.

The wisdom from Bower and Woolley is useful for typical students, too.

BE PROACTIVE

Whether going to a new school or moving up a grade, new teachers or unfamiliar settings can cause anxiety for any child, but especially those with diagnoses such as attention deficit disorder or an autistic spectrum disorder.

For a smooth transition, Bower recommended, “pre-planning, having everyone on board, making it as simple as humanly possible and getting the child involved in planning, too.”

Before school starts, request a tour of the building or classroom and brief introductions to teachers and other key adults.

Woolley agreed, “Disabled kids need to feel accepted and valued. All students should have a sense of schedule and locations at school, but it’s amplified for special needs students.”

Identify — and frequently review — coping strategies with your child. Make sure several trustworthy adults know their roles, too. Remember that in any given classroom, a teacher may be responsible for 20 or 30 other students.

If your child has a meltdown or runs away from school, which adults will notify parents and emergency responders? Which one can help to calm the child? Do they know the symptoms of his diagnosis and/or what medications he takes?

BE WATCHFUL

Kids don’t always tell parents or teachers when they’re being picked on or bullied, said Bower.

“When a student is starting to withdraw emotionally, he will fall back academically,” she cautioned.

Woolley said, “Watch for warning signs.”

Is your child reluctant to go to school? Not eating or sleeping well? Making excuses not to ride the bus?

Bower said she met a little girl who had secretly stopped riding the bus and would instead walk 10 blocks to school to avoid kids who were tormenting her.

“Kids need to know they are loved unconditionally and it’s okay to tell their parents the truth … some are embarrassed to tell parents they’re struggling,” she explained.

Help your child learn conflict resolution techniques, but also hold school administrators accountable for taking action to ensure your child’s safety.

If time management or classroom procedures are causing anxiety for the child, approach the teacher in a respectful way, but be specific when you explain, “This is what I see and it’s not working,” said Bower.

For example, “My child is always at the back of the lunch line and he doesn’t have enough time to eat.”

“Don’t be a helicopter parent, but also trust your gut instinct if you think something is wrong. Your gut often tells you before your brain does,” said Bower.

BE SUPPORTIVE

“Some students need assignments broken down day by day or week by week. But don’t overshare (the entire semester’s expectations) or the child will be overwhelmed,” said Woolley.

A color-coding system for notebooks or folders can help students keep materials organized. Brainstorm with the child and teacher to figure out what will streamline paper flow.

“Make it visual and tactile — and they have to be part of it,” said Bower.

Woolley suggested, “Parents should know signs students are getting behind … don’t wait until six weeks into the semester to respond to frustration, anxiety, or the student becoming belligerent.”

He and Bower called that “The Kitchen Table Fight” where pent-up problems come spilling out all at once.

While discussing the problems with teachers, it’s important to point out your child’s strengths as well as weaknesses.

“After a long litany of, ‘Well, he has ADD, ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) and he’s on the spectrum … ” Woolley began.

Bower interjected, “You see the child shrinking down in the chair, putting their head down, feeling like a failure. Help them identify their best skills and gifts and let them own that.”

BE THE GROWN-UP

While many of Dartmoor’s students have cognitive or emotional challenges, there’s also the other extreme — kids who are very bright, confident, and already successful as competitive athletes, models or ballet dancers.

“Each child is special in their own way, from the gifted athlete to the quiet little girl who sits in the back and no one knows that she sings beautifully,” said Bower.

At the same time, don’t assume that advanced students don’t have challenges of their own.

“A kid may have one of the highest test scores in the state but may be pulling Cs because he’s disorganized or doesn’t turn in homework,” said Woolley. “Along with intellectual capacity, there has to be a clerical aspect.”

And what about kids who mostly do independent study because their careers — or rigorous training for careers — require frequent travel or unusual hours?

“Rather than giving him a pile of worksheets that he’s going to have to turn in all at once, we ask, ‘How do we deal with this? Let’s establish some concepts and books we want to read and what we can turn in to demonstrate mastery and moving along the academic track,'” said Woolley.

In some ways, “it may seem like he’s holding more cards than you are, because he’s the gifted athlete,” said Bower.

But you’re still the parent and still in charge of overseeing his education. Don’t lose sight of that, Woolley and Bower concluded.

For more information about Dartmoor School, call (425) 957-9862 or visit www.dartmoor.org.