What you need to know
Absences:
- Children with an ASD should not have an abnormal amount of absences.
Fatigue:
- A child’s sleep cycle may be affected. This could cause hyperactivity or drowsiness at school.
- Absences for doctor’s appointments should be anticipated
- Fatigue not only affects children, but their caretakers as well.
- Insomnia may be a present. Careful observation of sleep patterns and special attention to triggers of hyperactivity may provide helpful information in regulating sleep.
What you can do
- Provide a daily routine to promote regularity in awake and sleep cycles.
- Consult a nutritionist in order to maximize nutritional intake to promote energy as well as inhibit it during inappropriate times.
- Contact parents/school nurse/educators if changes are noted.
- Consult with the child's special education team at the start of the school year to set in place an agreement regarding excused absences.
- Encourage parents to carefully consider and schedule medical appointments around their child’s education whenever possible.