Five-year-old Willow Levy is known for the sweet greetings she gives everyone she meets. Becoming more social was one of the many benefits loved ones saw when she began school last year.

With older siblings who went through the public school system, there were different needs for Willow. She's non-verbal and developing at a different rate than her peers.

The Levys chose to send her to Wildwood School.

"It's hard to let go," her mother Hadley Levy said.

As Willow prepares for year two, her family is looking to make the transition as smooth as possible.

"We just try to provide that level of consistency for her," her father James Levy said. "So the same patterns and techniques that are working here are translated to there and vice versa."

As a behavior specialist for Wildwood School, Alex Keefer works to develop plans for students that set them up for success. He says when structure and support are lacking during that transition, things can spiral quickly.

"Even for the people who have the most amount of words, that can communicate really well, when you're frustrated or you're confused or you're upset, or you don't understand what's happening, it gets really hard to use your words," said Keefer. "So what we try and do is provide those structures, and we try and provide that support in the form of presenting people with the changes that are going to happen and giving some flexibility within the day."

Removing the mystery of a new school year can help ease anxieties, according to Keefer.

"Use visuals," said Keefer. "See if you can get pictures of who their teachers are going to be, see if you can talk to your student about this is your new classroom."

While some challenges can be more pronounced for children with disabilities, Keefer said every child's success requires a good partnership between home and school.

"Not every student uses words, but every student communicates," said Keefer. "I think that's something to remember for students, for your children. Doesn't matter if they use words, they are going to communicate [in] some way."

While they enjoy the last few days of summer, the Levys are focused on reestablishing Willow's routine.

"Being able to let go, but also being their advocate, it is a very, very, very rough balance," said Hadley Levy. "But it's a big deal no matter what their struggles or their abilities are."