A 9 year old boy has been out of school for almost two years as a result of severe social anxiety and medical related issues. In this time, he has recieved home school instruction from his mother. The time has now come for him to return to school and benefit from a more comprehensive academic and social learning experience. This boy has Asperger’s Disorder.
How do we make this experience more predictable for him (keep him from catastrophizing all of the unknowns)? First, we make a list of questions that need to be answered by us (the parent or practitioner). Gradual exposure to the school’s environment (on a weekend), cartooning/ visual storybaording about worst case scenarios, role play, and other interventions can all come after this initial list of questions.

Here is an example of a list of questions I have created to help this boy begin the process of returning to school: