Connections With Karen: Reduce School Stress

By Karen Kaplan, MS

School staff can create a less stressful environment.

Families of students on the spectrum hope school will be a safe, nurturing, and welcoming environment. With understanding, knowledge, and support, stress is reduced for the families, students, and their teachers.

The school’s responsibilities

To create a less stressful educational environment, the school can take several actions.

Start with training

First and foremost, teachers need credentialing programs that provide mentoring and accurate, effective knowledge about autism. They also need strategies, curricula, interventions, and services available to support these students and their families.

Students’ stress is reduced, and learning happens when teachers know how to do the following:

• create positive learning environments

• structure learning

• use evidence-based strategies to accommodate and modify teaching