Right now it seems like we are all learning every day how to navigate a world that was once "familiar" and is not anymore. For many of us with children in school who are neuro-diverse learners, navigating school came with some challenges. For some of us these challenges are now compounded with the necessary shift to online learning and the transition to 6th grade. For all of us, these challenges are exacerbated by the stress we are all feeling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This newsletter is a compilation of resources from parents who support each other to support our children in school. Our interdependence makes us stronger.

Here are a few tips to consider that will be helpful with preparing your child to learn and support their executive functioning:

- Set up a comfortable and simple learning space

- Post the school schedule nearby

- Encourage at least an hour of outdoor play - gross motor movement is awesome! hanging by your arms/handstands etc. The act of putting pressure on your big joints and releasing is also great for "regulating" our bodies and letting go of stress. We are all sitting too much!

- Take shoes off and walk around in the yard - this is one way to remember your body and where you are and bring us back to the present moment to refocus our attention.

- Have snacks so that blood sugar doesn't drop. Protein is important.

- Drink water all day! When we are learning (anything) we are "wiring neurons" together. This is what learning looks like inside our brains. The "wiring" of our neurons is a process called myelination. Myelin is a lipid substance that coats are neural connections and thus strengthens our learning and understanding. As myelin is a lipid substance, it holds water and thus it needs water!! Dehydrated children = harder to focus and learn.

New brain research on adolescents (11-24 yrs old) tells us that while 0-3 yrs is the time our brains grow the fastest, it is 11 - 24 yrs old when our brains go through the most "remodeling" and change. The two key changes include "pruning" of unused neurons and "wiring" - neurons that have already built connections start to become more myelinated, thus allowing for deeper analysis and learning more complex subjects. AND no worries about our neurons pruning - we can always learn but it may be a little bit harder (think the difference between learning a language when under age 10 to learning a "new to you" language when you are 30 yrs old). This short video by Dr. Dan Siegel gives a great overview.

Brain breaks are necessary for people and especially students learning online. A brain break is a break from instruction that includes moving around, having fun, and letting your brain "rest". This breaks are especially important for students who have challenges with sustained attention. Here is an awesome and short video that provides the science behind the necessity for brain breaks and a great video from youtube with 8 interactive brain breaks led by HS students.

Mindfulness moments are similar to brain breaks in that they give our mind a "rest" and help us refocus our attention to the present moment. AISD uses the definition of mindfulness as "paying attention in the present moment without judgement." A mindful moment can be used as a brain break to up regulate (if you are feeling lethargic) or down regulate (if you are feeling antsy). Just like learning all new skills though, mindfulness takes practice. Establishing a schedule of using mindfulness can be super helpful for students and families. This could be in the morning, at lunch, at 2:30 when it is tricky to stay awake or as a transition to end school or the day.

When engaging in mindfulness with adolescents, try to weave in as much choice as possible so students don't feel like it is being "done to them" or is "another thing to get through." Choice can sound like:

Which mindfulness moment do you want to do?

You can lower your gaze or close your eyes. Its your choice.

You can sit with your back against the wall if you want or sit up straight.

Figure out what feels right for how you want to place your hands? on your lap? hanging down? holding your hands together?

There are a lot of mindfulness resources available these days. If you are open to paying (and this is not an endorsement) check out Calm or Headspace.

We are group of parents who have been meeting for several years to support our children in navigating school. Most of us now have children transitioning to middle school during a global pandemic so we meet up on zoom to talk through challenges and support each other. This smore is a record of resources we have shared with each other.