Is Your Child With Autism Ready for Kindergarten? Essential Maryland Parent Guide
That precious kindergarten milestone is approaching, and you’re asking yourself the question that keeps so many parents awake at night: “Is my child really ready for this?”
For Maryland parents raising children with autism, this question carries extra weight. You want your child to walk through those school doors feeling confident and capable, not overwhelmed and set up to struggle. You’re weighing academic skills against social readiness, wondering about communication abilities, and maybe even questioning whether waiting another year might be the wiser choice.
Here’s what you need to know: kindergarten readiness for children with autism looks different than it does for their peers—and that’s okay. With the right preparation, support systems, and realistic expectations, your child can have a successful and joyful start to their educational journey.
What Kindergarten Readiness Really Means for Children with Autism
When most people think about kindergarten readiness, they picture a child who knows their ABCs, can count to 20, and maybe even write their name. But recent research reveals something important: these academic skills matter far less than you might think.
According to a comprehensive study published in 2024, children with autism who enter kindergarten often show adequate academic readiness but face significant challenges with social-emotional skills and daily living abilities. The research found that children on the spectrum tend to struggle most with self-regulation, peer relationships, and managing the sensory and emotional demands of a busy classroom environment.
Maryland uses the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) to evaluate incoming students across four key domains: language and literacy, mathematics, social foundations, and physical well-being and motor development. While your child doesn’t need to excel in all areas, understanding these domains helps you identify where to focus your preparation efforts.
True kindergarten readiness for children with autism encompasses:
- Functional communication skills to express basic needs
- Ability to follow simple one or two-step directions
- Self-regulation strategies for managing emotions and sensory input
- Basic self-help skills like toileting, hand-washing, and managing personal belongings
- Capacity to separate from caregivers without significant distress
- Some awareness of peers and willingness to be near other children
- Ability to sit and attend to an activity for at least 10-15 minutes
- Basic safety awareness and ability to stay with the group
Notice what’s not on this list: reading fluently, writing paragraphs, or performing complex math. Those skills will come with good instruction. What matters most is whether your child has the foundational skills to access that instruction.
Maryland’s Kindergarten Entry Requirements: What You Need to Know
Maryland law requires that children be five years old on or before September 1st of the school year to enter kindergarten. If your child turns five after that date, they’re not eligible for regular kindergarten entry—though some Maryland counties offer early entrance processes for children born in September or early October.
Important Maryland-specific considerations:
Maryland changed its approach to the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment in 2024 after research identified potential bias in the previous assessment. The state is working toward implementing a more equitable evaluation that better serves all children, including those with autism and other disabilities.
Most Maryland school districts allow parents to request a one-year delay for children who meet the age requirement but whom parents feel aren’t ready for kindergarten. This request typically goes through your local school district’s pupil services office and requires written justification.
If your child has already been identified as having autism or if you suspect developmental delays, it’s crucial to understand that starting school on time gives your child access to specialized educational services and support through an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Delaying kindergarten means delaying these critical services.
The Eight Essential Skills That Matter Most
After reviewing current research and consulting with education experts, these skills emerge as the most crucial for kindergarten success for children with autism:
1. Functional Communication
Your child doesn’t need to speak in complete sentences, but they do need some way to communicate their basic needs—whether through words, signs, pictures, or an augmentative communication device.
What this looks like:
- Requesting help when needed (“help please” or pointing to a help card)
- Indicating bathroom needs before accidents occur
- Expressing basic wants (hungry, thirsty, want a break)
- Answering simple yes/no questions
- Following simple instructions like “sit down” or “come here”
If your child is working with ABA therapy providers, functional communication is likely already a primary goal. The months before kindergarten are an ideal time to intensify work on school-relevant communication, such as asking to use the bathroom, requesting breaks, or asking for help.
2. Basic Self-Help Skills
Teachers appreciate when children can manage their personal care independently or with minimal support.
Priority self-help skills include:
- Using the toilet independently or communicating bathroom needs consistently
- Washing and drying hands
- Opening lunch containers and eating independently
- Putting on and taking off a jacket or backpack
- Following basic hygiene routines
- Knowing not to put non-food items in their mouth
Don’t worry if your child needs reminders or occasional help—teachers understand that five-year-olds are still developing these skills. The goal is that your child can participate in these routines, not that they’re completely independent.
3. Following Classroom Routines
Kindergarten involves lots of transitions, group activities, and following the flow of the day.
Your child should be working toward:
- Following a visual or verbal schedule
- Transitioning between activities with support
- Waiting for their turn (even if it’s hard)
- Sitting during circle time or story time for short periods
- Lining up with the group
- Responding to their name being called
- Understanding basic classroom expectations (quiet voices inside, walking in hallways)
Many children with autism benefit from practicing transitions at home using the same strategies teachers will use at school—visual schedules, timers, and first/then language.
4. Social Awareness and Peer Interaction
Your child doesn’t need to be a social butterfly, but some awareness of peers and basic social interaction skills help tremendously.
Foundational social skills include:
- Awareness that other children are present
- Parallel play (playing near peers, even if not directly with them)
- Some response to peer initiations (even if just brief eye contact)
- Understanding basic concepts like “my turn” and “your turn”
- Not engaging in behaviors that might hurt other children
- Some interest in watching or imitating peers
Many children with autism naturally gravitate toward adults rather than peers. That’s developmentally appropriate, but gently encouraging peer awareness before kindergarten helps ease the social demands of school.
5. Emotional Regulation and Coping Skills
Kindergarten can be overwhelming—louder, busier, and less predictable than many early childhood settings.
Regulation skills that support school success:
- Some ability to calm down when upset (even with adult support)
- Basic strategies for managing frustration (asking for help, taking a break)
- Tolerating minor changes to routine without extreme distress
- Communicating feelings in some form (“mad,” “sad,” pointing to emotion cards)
- Accepting redirection from adults
- Recovering from disappointment within a reasonable timeframe
Your child doesn’t need perfect emotional control—no five-year-old has that. But having some strategies for regulation makes difficult moments more manageable. Working with your Board-Certified Behavior Analyst to develop a behavior support plan that includes coping strategies can be invaluable.
6. Attention and Focus
Your child will need to attend to teachers, activities, and learning tasks for increasing periods of time.
Attention skills to develop:
- Sitting for short group activities (10-15 minutes with support)
- Maintaining focus on a simple task to completion
- Shifting attention when directed by an adult
- Following along during book reading or instruction
- Looking at something an adult points to
- Responding when their name is called
If sustained attention is challenging for your child, work on gradually increasing the length of structured activities at home. Start with five minutes of an engaging activity and slowly extend the time.
7. Pre-Academic Exposure
While academics aren’t the priority, some exposure to early learning concepts helps children understand what school involves.
Helpful pre-academic experiences:
- Familiarity with books and enjoying being read to
- Exposure to letters and recognition of a few letters (especially those in their name)
- Counting objects in daily life
- Recognizing basic colors and shapes
- Holding and using crayons, markers, or pencils
- Some interest in writing or drawing
Remember: kindergarten exists to teach these skills. Your child doesn’t need to master them before they arrive.
8. Safety Awareness
Basic safety understanding helps keep your child safe in a busy school environment.
Essential safety skills:
- Staying with the group during transitions
- Understanding “stop” or similar safety commands
- Not leaving the classroom or school without permission
- Not opening doors to go outside independently
- Some stranger awareness
- Not climbing on furniture or unsafe areas
If your child has a tendency to elope (run or wander), this is critical to address before kindergarten through both behavioral interventions and an IEP that includes appropriate safety supports.
Getting an IEP in Place Before Day One
One of the most important things Maryland parents can do is ensure their child has an Individualized Education Program established before the first day of kindergarten.
Why this matters:
When your child has an IEP in place at the start of school, accommodations, modifications, and support services begin immediately. Without an IEP, your child may struggle for weeks or months before evaluations are completed and services begin.
Timeline for Maryland families:
The IEP evaluation process in Maryland takes up to 90 calendar days from the date of written referral to completion. This means if you want an IEP ready for August, you need to start the process no later than May—and earlier is better.
Steps to take:
If your child is currently in a Maryland public preschool program and already has an IEP, the transition IEP meeting should happen before the end of the preschool year to prepare for kindergarten.
If your child is not yet in the public school system, contact your local elementary school’s special education coordinator or pupil personnel office as soon as possible. Explain that your child has autism and you’d like to begin the evaluation process for kindergarten entry.
If your child receives private ABA therapy, ask your BCBA to provide documentation and recommendations that can inform the IEP team about strategies that work well for your child.
Essential accommodations and services to discuss at the IEP meeting include visual supports, sensory breaks, communication devices or supports, behavior support plans, social skills instruction, specialized instruction in areas of need, related services like speech or occupational therapy, and paraprofessional support if needed.
The Redshirting Decision: Should You Delay Kindergarten?
“Redshirting”—delaying kindergarten entry by one year—has become increasingly common. But is it the right choice for children with autism?
The research on this question is surprisingly clear, and it might not be what you expect.
What the research shows:
Recent studies specifically examining children with disabilities found that redshirting is associated with worse academic outcomes for most children with autism, learning disabilities, and cognitive disabilities. Children with these disabilities who started kindergarten on time scored significantly higher in math and reading by third grade compared to children with disabilities who delayed entry.
The reason appears to be straightforward: schools provide early identification, intervention services, specialized instruction, and evidence-based support that children can’t access while waiting at home or in preschool. For children with autism, that year of intensive, individualized educational services often makes a bigger difference than an extra year of maturation.
When delaying might make sense:
There are specific situations where waiting a year could be appropriate. Your child’s birthday falls very close to the cutoff (late August), and they’re clearly not ready across multiple domains. Your child has significant behavioral challenges that require intensive intervention before they can access group instruction safely. Medical or health concerns require additional time and treatment. You’ve consulted with professionals—including your child’s BCBA, pediatrician, and school psychologists—and they’ve recommended waiting.
Important considerations:
If you’re thinking about delaying, understand that this is a privilege not all families have. An extra year means an extra year of paying for preschool or childcare, which can cost thousands of dollars. Delaying also means delaying access to free special education services, which could actually slow your child’s progress.
Maryland law allows parents to request a waiver to delay kindergarten for one year. However, some districts have become more restrictive about granting these waivers. Contact your local school district to understand their specific policies.
A better alternative for many families:
Rather than delaying entry entirely, consider starting kindergarten with a robust IEP that includes all necessary supports. If challenges arise, the IEP can be adjusted. In rare cases, repeating kindergarten becomes an option if the team determines your child would benefit—but by then, you’ll have data to inform that decision rather than making it based on speculation.
Preparing Your Child Over the Summer
The months before kindergarten offer a wonderful opportunity to build readiness skills in natural, enjoyable ways.
Create a summer preparation plan:
Establish predictable routines that mirror school schedules. Practice getting up, getting dressed, and eating breakfast at school-appropriate times.
Visit the school building. Many Maryland schools offer summer tours or open houses. Walk the hallways, visit the classroom if possible, and let your child see where they’ll spend their days.
Practice school-type activities. Set up short “circle time” at home with songs, stories, or simple lessons. Practice sitting at a table for coloring or simple crafts.
Work on self-help skills during natural opportunities. Let your child practice opening their own lunch containers, putting on their backpack, and using the bathroom independently.
Read books about starting school. Many wonderful children’s books address kindergarten anxiety and help children know what to expect.
Connect with your child’s ABA team. If your child receives ABA services, work with your BCBA to identify priority skills for summer. Many providers can focus therapy sessions on school-readiness skills.
Create social stories about kindergarten. Use photos of your child’s actual school, teacher (if you know who it will be), and classroom to create a personalized book about what school will be like.
Practice with a visual schedule. If the school will use visual schedules, start using one at home so your child becomes familiar with this system.
Don’t try to teach everything:
Resist the urge to drill academics all summer. Your child will learn to read, write, and do math at school—that’s what teachers are trained to do. Use summer to build the foundational skills that help your child access that instruction.
Communicating with Your Child’s Kindergarten Teacher
The relationship you build with your child’s teacher can make or break their kindergarten experience.
Before school starts:
Reach out to introduce yourself and your child. Many teachers send welcome letters or emails in August. Respond warmly and express your excitement about working together.
Share key information about your child. Don’t overwhelm the teacher with a novel, but provide essential details. What helps your child feel calm? What triggers distress? What motivates them? What communication methods work best?
Ask about classroom expectations. Understanding the daily schedule, behavior expectations, and communication methods helps you prepare your child.
Offer to provide materials. Some teachers appreciate having visual supports, social stories, or other materials you’ve used successfully with your child.
During the school year:
Establish a communication system that works for both of you. Some teachers prefer brief daily emails, others like a communication notebook, and some use apps like ClassDojo or Seesaw.
Share wins and concerns promptly. When something works well at home, let the teacher know so they can try it at school. When you’re worried about something, address it early before it becomes a bigger problem.
Remember teachers are your partners, not your adversaries. Approach conversations with curiosity and collaboration rather than criticism. Most teachers genuinely want your child to succeed and appreciate parents who work with them.
Stay involved but not hovering. Show interest in your child’s day without micromanaging every detail. Trust that teachers are professionals who know how to support young learners.
When School Starts: The First Weeks Matter Most
The transition into kindergarten is an adjustment for everyone, and children with autism may need extra time to settle in.
What to expect:
The first few weeks involve lots of learning about routines, expectations, and new people. Your child may come home exhausted, overwhelmed, or behaviorally dysregulated. This is normal and expected.
Some regression in behavior or skills at home is common as your child adjusts to the demands of school. Be patient—this typically improves after a few weeks.
Your child might not be able to tell you much about their day, especially if they have limited verbal skills. Stay in close contact with the teacher to understand how things are going.
Red flags that require immediate attention:
Your child shows extreme distress that doesn’t improve after several weeks (daily crying, refusal to enter the building, significant behavioral escalation).
The teacher reports that your child is unable to participate in most activities or frequently needs to be removed from the classroom.
Your child’s safety or the safety of others is at risk.
Basic needs aren’t being met (not eating lunch, frequent toileting accidents, not getting sensory breaks outlined in the IEP).
If you see these red flags, request an IEP meeting immediately. Don’t wait for the situation to worsen. The team can adjust supports, modify the schedule, or consider other options.
Building Your Support Team for Kindergarten Success
Your child’s success in kindergarten isn’t just about their skills—it’s also about having the right team of people supporting them.
Key team members to engage:
Your child’s kindergarten teacher will be your primary partner. Build a positive working relationship based on regular communication and mutual respect.
The special education case manager coordinates your child’s IEP services and can help problem-solve when challenges arise.
Related service providers—speech therapists, occupational therapists, and behavioral specialists—can provide specialized support in their areas of expertise.
Your child’s BCBA can offer consultation to the school team, provide training on strategies that work well for your child, and help troubleshoot behavioral challenges. Many ABA providers in Maryland offer school consultation services.
Your pediatrician can provide medical documentation, monitor developmental progress, and make referrals to specialists if needed.
Other parents who’ve walked this path can offer practical wisdom, emotional support, and recommended resources. Connect through autism support groups, school parent organizations, or online communities.
Maryland Resources for Kindergarten Transition Support
Maryland offers wonderful resources specifically designed to help families navigate the kindergarten transition:
The Maryland Early Learning Standards outline developmental expectations for children from birth through pre-kindergarten, helping you understand where your child’s skills align with typical development.
Maryland’s Ready for Kindergarten program provides resources and information about kindergarten readiness across the state’s school districts.
Parents’ Place of Maryland offers workshops, resources, and individual support for families preparing children with disabilities for school.
The Autism Society of Maryland provides education advocacy support and can help you understand your rights and options as you prepare for kindergarten.
Local ABA providers across Maryland’s counties—including Baltimore City, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Carroll County—can provide intensive pre-kindergarten skill building to help your child feel confident and prepared.
Your Child’s Kindergarten Story Starts with You
Here’s what matters most as you approach this milestone: your child doesn’t need to be perfect to start kindergarten. They don’t need to excel at everything or fit a specific mold of “readiness.” What they need is a strong foundation of functional skills, caring adults who believe in their potential, and appropriate support systems in place.
As you’ve advocated for your child from their earliest days, you’ll continue to advocate throughout their educational journey. Trust your instincts about your child’s readiness. You know them better than anyone else.
Some children with autism sail into kindergarten and thrive from day one. Others face challenges that require patience, problem-solving, and IEP adjustments. Both paths are valid, and both can lead to success.
What research consistently shows is this: children with autism benefit most from starting school when first eligible, receiving intensive early intervention services, having strong home-school partnerships, and having parents who remain engaged and advocating for their needs.
You’ve got this. And more importantly, your child has you—their strongest advocate and most dedicated supporter. That’s the most important ingredient in their kindergarten success.
Is your child approaching kindergarten? The Learning Tree ABA partners with Maryland families to build essential readiness skills through compassionate, individualized ABA therapy. Our Board-Certified Behavior Analysts can help your child develop the communication, social, self-help, and behavioral skills that support kindergarten success. We also offer school consultation services to ensure strategies generalize from therapy to the classroom. Contact us today to learn how we can support your family’s kindergarten journey—no waitlist.
Preparing for kindergarten in your Maryland community:
