Gather Information

• When your child brings home a permission slip for a class field trip, review it carefully and call the teacher to find out as much as possible about the trip before you agree to let your child participate. For example, find out how much of the field trip time will be taken up by transportation. If the bus ride is a long one, talk with your child's teacher and field trip staff about how they might provide extra attention to your child during the ride to make it go smoothly. Ask if your child can bring her weighted vest (if she wears one) or an iPod or another calming device that she can use to help pass the time without becoming unruly. Ask for a breakdown of field trip activities such as when children will be walking, sitting and eating so that you can determine whether your child can control herself effectively on the trip.
  
  

Medication

• If your child takes medication for his behavior problems, find out if a nurse or other staffer will be managing medications on the field trip for children, like yours, who may need them to control behavior issues such as ADD or ADHD. If the nurse or staffer is someone you are unfamiliar with, you may want to contact the person directly to explain your concerns about your child as well as his specific medication regimen.
  
  

Staff Expectations

• Determine how many students will be on the field trip and what proportion will be students without special needs or behavior issues. Learn if the staffers have experience with children with behavior issues and make sure they are willing to calmly accommodate your child's behavior. Find out how much supervision your child will have and whether the staff is prepared to provide individual attention to your child. If you are uncomfortable with the parameters of the trip or the staff expectations, ask if you can go on the field trip with your child, or consider not allowing her to participate.
  
  

Preparation

• Prepare your child for the field trip. Talk about the trip with him, sharing appropriate information about transportation, physical activity and learning opportunities. Consider establishing both positive and negative consequences based on your child's behavior on the trip. Let him know that you've asked the staff to let you know exactly how he behaves and that you want him to have fun, but that the best way to do that is by staying calm and displaying positive, helping, respectful behavior toward his teachers and classmates on the trip.