Worksheet
Preparing for a new teacher classroom or school year
A transition worksheet for carrying forward useful supports and creating early communication opportunities with new people.
Braverly Health
3 minute read
What the new team should know
Briefly describe selective mutism and the student’s current communication pattern. List people, places, activities, and methods that are easier or harder. Include interests, strengths, signs that anxiety is increasing, and supports the student finds useful. Keep the description current and avoid defining the student only by speech.
People to connect before the transition
Identify the new teacher, a school point person, relevant specialists, and one familiar adult who can help bridge the transition. Decide whether a short visit, photo introduction, email exchange, or low key shared activity would help the student become familiar with the new person.
Places and routines to preview
Consider arrival, the classroom, lunch, restroom, transportation, specials, assemblies, dismissal, and the health office. For each setting, note how the student can ask for help or communicate an essential need. Practice the method before the first day when possible.
Early communication plan
Choose one or two achievable goals for the first weeks. Specify the person, place, activity, and response method. A goal might be completing a written check in with the teacher, communicating during a familiar game with a trusted adult present, or using a card to request a break.
Agree on what adults will say, how long they will wait, which alternate method is available, and who will record observations. Avoid introducing several new goals at once.
Worksheet prompts
My most reliable communication methods are ____. Communication is usually easier when ____. It is usually harder when ____. If I cannot speak, I can communicate an urgent need by ____. The adult I can go to is ____. One early goal I want to work on is ____. The team will review the plan on ____.
Invite the student to complete as much of the worksheet as they want. Review the transition after the first days and again after routines are established.
Plan the first month as well as the first day
The first day is only one transition point. Plan brief check ins after the first week, when routines begin, and after the first major schedule change or assessment. Early observations can show that a support works in one class but not another, or that communication differs with class size, noise, and peer groups.
Keep the initial goals small enough that staff can use them consistently. Once the student has an established relationship and predictable routines, the team can update the communication map and decide whether to expand a step, add a new setting, or strengthen an access method.
Prepare for changes during the year
A substitute, new seating plan, field trip, club, performance, or semester change can alter the communication context. The worksheet can include a short version for temporary staff: what selective mutism means for this student, the available response methods, the trusted contact, and the emergency plan.
Ask the student which information may be shared and how. A discreet plan protects privacy and avoids requiring the student to explain selective mutism during a difficult moment. Update the summary whenever supports or communication skills change.
Putting this into practice
Complete the worksheet with the student and current team before the transition. Share a concise version with the new staff, then arrange one low demand introduction or familiar activity when feasible. The goal is to create usable information and an early connection.
Set the first review date before the school year becomes busy. Bring observations from several settings and ask the student what feels different. Update the plan quickly when routines, people, or communication skills have changed.
Sources and further reading
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