Answer:
Resistance to change and difficulty with transitions for individuals with autism has been well documented. We know that structure is very helpful in easing the stress some students may feel during transitions. The TEACCH program (www.teacch.com) states, “To effectively teach autistic students a teacher must provide structure, i.e., set up the classroom so that students understand where to be, what to do, and how to do it, all as independently as possible.”
We also know that the probability of having the exact same class schedule each and everyday is highly unlikely!!! Assemblies, shortened school day, rainy day schedules, and field trips are just a few examples of how a school day changes from one day to the next.
Linda Hodgdon of www.usevisualstrategies.com says there are four common causes for transition troubles:
1.Leaving a favored activity
Students can enjoy favorite toys or activities or people so much that they absolutely don’t want to stop.
2. Moving to anything that is disliked
If you hate the dentist, you aren’t going to go there with enthusiasm. Keep in mind that students may dislike activities or locations that you think are wonderful. Perhaps you think of gym as a fun place to go. In contrast, your student may be terrified by the lights or sounds or wide open space.
3. Going to an unknown destination or activity
Do you ever take kids with you without telling them where you are going? Or perhaps you told them but they didn’t hear. Or maybe they don’t remember. So their brains are thinking, “Where are you taking me? What is happening? It’s new. I don’t understand. I don’t like it here.”
4. Anything that feels like an unexpected surprise
A lot of people don’t like surprises. They need to “get ready” for something to happen. Otherwise, there is too much information to take in all at the same time. Shutting down may be the only way to cope. Consider that you may not think something is unexpected, but that is how it feels to the student. S/he may not pick up on the same environmental cues and conversation that everyone else does.
Obviously all transitions are not the same so you’re going to have to take some time to figure out what’s going on at each transition time in order to select the best intervention strategy.
Here are some strategies I often recommend to help students with an ASD cope with transitions:
- Develop a daily visual schedule for the entire classroom (in certain grade levels.) Display the schedule in the front of the classroom and make sure that the teacher refers to it throughout the day and especially between activities when transitions occur.
- Develop and provide the student with an individual schedule that depicts each activity of their day. Individually design the schedule based on the student’s ability so that the schedule is meaningful and understandable. For example, some students may require an object schedule while other students would be better able to understand a pictorial schedule (e.g., photo or picture symbol.) And those students who are able to read would have a written schedule. For sure, make certain that the individual schedule is available to the student at all times, portable and referred to at each transition using simple language.
- Make sure the student is aware and understands that an activity has a clear beginning and an end. Sometimes you can add the beginning and ending time on the schedule to help the student see a beginning and end to the task. We often recommend that a student puts the object schedule item in a finished area, the picture symbol in a designated ‘finished pocket’ or the student crosses off each written activity as it is completed. This helps the student understand that the activity is finished and it’s time to transition.
- Always review the schedule with the student and always indicate when there is change in the schedule. We have found that when a student with an ASD is informed of a change in the schedule ahead of time s/he is often better able to cope. Some teachers use a highlighter to indicate a change in the schedule or affix a ‘change arrow’ next to the activity that is different. And, again, it is critical to review the change in the schedule with the student way in advance so the student has time to adjust.
- Provide choice making opportunities whenever possible. We know that being involved in decision-making can help ease transitions for some students. So rather than just giving a verbal directive, refer the student to their schedule and say, “It’s time for recess. Do you want to play soccer or basketball today?”
- Use a clock, watch or timer to help the student with an ASD understand time periods and when changes will occur. Time is invisible so we like to use a TimeTimer, because it is a visual display of time passing (www.timetimer.com). The TimeTimer comes in various sizes including a wristwatch model with and without sound.
- Create a social story to help the student cope with change/transitions. Social stories are a way of teaching social and life skills to students with an ASD. Examples of a social story topic might be, “Tomorrow is Picture Day” or “We’re going on a Field Trip.” To learn more about social stories visit www.thegraycenter.org The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding, the “Official Home of Carol Gray and Social Stories.”
- Providing a transition object associated with certain transitions can also be very helpful to prepare the student for the next activity. Examples of ‘transition objects’ include: ball to take out for recess, paintbrush to take to art class, book to take to the library, backpack to go to the bus, etc.
Here are some additional resources that may be helpful:
“Visual Supports”, CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disabilities), University of Florida, Gainesville: http://card.ufl.edu/visual.htm
“Visual Supports for Children with Autism”, Michigan Department of Education:
http://www.nhcs.net/sped/Autism/HFA%20Website/VisualSupports%20outside%20resource.ppt.
“Structured Teaching”, Division TEACCH”, University North Carolina:http://www.teacch.com/structureteach.html
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