Back to School Safety for Special Needs Students in 2023

Updated on August 13, 2023

Special needs students nationwide will be going back to school and with the changes do to COVID-19 the transition may be especially hard. Many children with special needs have gone without therapy, social interaction with peers, and have had their routine greatly disrupted. When you mix all of this with the fact that the school they go back to may not be the same as they’re used to, it could result in an unusually stressful and anxious transition period.

Safety During the Transition Back to School

Many children with autism and special needs find comfort in familiarity, consistency, and routine. All of these things may be disrupted during this back to school season. Parents have already noticed unusual behavior due to the Covid-19 changes and this transition will likely add additional stress and anxiety. It is not uncommon to see unexpected new behaviors and/or the return or increase in wandering behaviors during such times. It’s an unsettling time for parents and kids alike and it’s important to use every precaution to keep our children as safe as possible.

There are several ways that AngelSense GPS for Kids can help to ease the transition. Just the peace of mind it gives you as a parent, knowing your child is protected, helps to create a more relaxed atmosphere that your child will pick up on. In addition, children who wear AngelSense have often expressed that wearing it makes them feel better because their parents can check in with them. Knowing you’re still there throughout the day can be a huge comfort.

Here are some of the safety features that you’ll only find with AngelSense:

• Safeguard GPS – The most accurate GPS available with non-stop monitoring ALL DAY – Always know where your child is in real-time.


• Assistive Speakerphone – Talk to your child with 2-way voice and know when they need you with the devices SOS Call Request Button.


• Safe Ride School Bus Monitoring – See route on a live tracking map with ETA and speed for each and every ride, plus get alerts for getting off at the wrong stop, if the bus breaks down or is delayed, and if your child gets off the bus but doesn’t make it into the school.


• Intelligent iAlerts – If your child elopes you’ll know right away and you’ll also get alerts for unknown/unexpected places and if your child is late arriving to or late leaving a safe place.


• Location Activity Playback – See movement within the school to make sure they are going outside for recess or that they were where they were supposed to be throughout the day.


• Step Counter for Each Location – This allows you to see if there is any unusual activity such as pacing that could indicate greater levels of stress.


• School Dashboard – Gives limited access to school staff only during school days and hours.

Tips for Back To School for Special Needs Kids

It helps to discuss the changes in detail that they might experience upon returning to school, social stories are great for this. Each school district or state will be defining the new rules and procedures to address the Coronavirus situation, but some of the things that have been discussed are smaller class sizes, teachers and possibly students wearing masks, greater spacing between desks, limited activities, fewer days in the classroom, and barriers in public spaces.

You can also read this blog we put together in the past to help with back to school:

50 Back-to-School Tips from Autism Moms

Tips for Wearing Face Masks

If your child is required to wear a face mask, check out our new blog post with tips for helping special needs children with mask wearing – Helping Kids with Autism Wear Masks

AngelSense GPS for Kids

We understand that these are unique times and that more children with special needs are in need of additional support and safety precautions. In order to help as many families as possible afford AngelSense, we are offering our Guardian Kit with our GPS Safety Device for special discounted price with a reduced activation fee.

This offer is also covered by our 30 Day Risk-Free Money Back Guarantee which covers the device, activation fee, and the monthly subscription fee.

AngelSense Customer Care and School Liaisons

Our Customer Care Team is comprised of parents who use AngelSense on a daily basis to protect their children with special needs. So when you call to ask a question or get support, you’re talking to someone who truly understands and cares. If you have any questions about purchasing AngelSense, the free offer, wearing concerns, or any of the advanced features they are more than happy to help.

We also have an entire team dedicated to helping with school-related issues. Our School Liaisons are experts at assisting parents with everything from adding AngelSense to your child’s IEP to collaborating with school staff.

For more information about using AngelSense at school read our School Guide for Parents and How a GPS Tracker Helps with the Back-to-School Transition.