Every August, we prepare our children for school.

We buy uniforms and supplies, reset bedtime routines, organize school bags, and begin preparing them mentally for the return to the classroom. For families of autistic children, that preparation can require even more thought. Changes in routine, new teachers, unfamiliar classrooms, and different expectations can make the beginning of a school year particularly challenging.

But as we prepare our autistic children to return to school, perhaps there is another question we should be asking:

Is school preparing them for life?

As both an educator and the mother of an autistic young adult, this question has become increasingly important to me.

Academic achievement matters. Our children deserve access to meaningful education and opportunities to learn. But education cannot end with grades, examinations, and certificates.

For many autistic young people, learning how to communicate a need, manage money, travel safely, prepare a simple meal, complete a task independently, interact appropriately in a workplace, or advocate for themselves may be just as important to their future.

Start Before Adulthood Arrives

Too often, conversations about employment, independence, and adult life begin when an autistic young person is approaching the end of school.

By then, families can find themselves asking: What happens next?

Preparation for adulthood should not suddenly begin at eighteen or when school ends. It should be woven into education much earlier.

Imagine if every autistic student had not only academic goals but also practical goals connected to adulthood. One child might work toward independently purchasing an item. Another might practise sending an email, following a work schedule, preparing food, using transportation, or asking for assistance.

Small skills practised consistently can become building blocks for greater independence.

One Goal at a Time

As this new school year begins, I would encourage families and educators to identify one practical life skill alongside the child’s academic goals.

Ask: What is one thing we can help this child do more independently by the end of this school year?

Then let home and school work together toward it.

This same spirit of partnership is behind Nicko’s Mom’s upcoming Back to School LIVE: Starting the School Year Together, a free online parent workshop on Saturday, August 29, 2026, from 6:00–7:15 p.m.

We will talk about resetting routines, communicating with teachers, supporting our children through the transition back to school, sharing practical solutions, and celebrating the small wins that matter.

Because ultimately, our goal cannot simply be to help autistic children successfully enter another classroom.

We must also be helping them, one skill, one opportunity, and one small win at a time, prepare for the life waiting beyond it.

One Village. One Purpose. Our Children.