Guidelines to Help Children Transition Between Activities Successfully

Transitions happen when your child has to stop doing one activity and start doing something else. Examples of transitions include: getting ready to leave the house, putting toys away before bed, turning off the TV or computer, or getting out of the bath. Some transitions also involve the appearance of behavioral issues, which is why we need to use transition strategies.

Why do we use transition strategies?

Some individuals with autism spectrum disorder may face difficulties related to changes in routine or changes in environments, and they may need predictability. Here are some tips for planning transitions from one activity to another:

- Explain what is happening to your child before you start the day or leave the house. Knowing what to expect helps children—especially older children—have realistic expectations.

- Use a family calendar that shows what different family members are doing each day. You can use a calendar with pictures for young children.

- Consider whether you need to teach your child new skills or knowledge to help them with daily transitions. For example: you may need to teach your child to tie their shoelaces to make leaving the house easier, or your child might need a written or visual checklist to help them pack their school bag every morning.

Tips:

Appropriate timing for transitions:

Transitions are part of every child's day. Proper timing can make it easier for your child to move from one thing to another:

- Choose your timing. If you can, stop something and start something else during, for example: wait until your child finishes assembling a puzzle before telling them that lunch is ready.

- Give your child some cues or warnings about any change in activity, for example: "You have five minutes to play." Then it is time to go home,

- If your child struggles to transition from one activity to another, consider allowing more time between activities. This gives your child extra time to make the change and adjust.

- Give choices around transitions: You cannot always give your child a choice about stopping one activity and starting another, but sometimes you can give them a choice about other things. Here are some ideas:

- Give your child a choice about things that are part of the transition. For example: "We have to go to the car in one minute; you can take one toy with you. Which one will it be?" or "Do you want to do it yourself or shall we do it together?"

- Give your child limited choices. For example: let your child choose between two different shirts, but not every item in their wardrobe! If they do not choose, you can choose for them.

- Avoid giving your child a choice about the transition if there really is no choice. For example: instead of saying "Would you like to pack away these toys now?", you can say "Start packing away those toys now, please."

To make transitions between activities more positive

Pointing out the positive side of a transition can direct your child's attention away from the change and toward something they love or feel happy about:

- See if you can make transitions fun.

- Link something your child does not want to do to something they love, for example: "First we clean up the toys, then we have a snack."

- Point out any good things your child can look forward to after the transition, for example: "If we leave now, we will have time to play with your trains before dinner."

- Praise your child for handling transitions well.

Caution: If your child acts up or has a tantrum, be careful not to accidentally reinforce this behavior by giving them more time on the activity. You can be understanding, but also be clear and consistent. Gently insist that your child does what you ask.

Some strategies for a successful transition:

Use a visual timer

It can be helpful for individuals with autism spectrum disorder to "see" how much time is left in an activity before they are expected to transition to a new location or event. Concepts related to time are somewhat abstract (for example, "you have a few minutes"), and often cannot be interpreted literally (i.e., "just a second" or "we need to go in a minute").

Visual schedules

Visual schedules can allow individuals to see the upcoming activity, gain a better understanding of the sequence of activities that will occur, and increase overall predictability.

Using objects, pictures, symbols, or words

Research has indicated that using visual schedules during transitions can reduce problem behavior and increase following transition demands.

Source:

.https://raisingchildren.net.au/preschoolers/behaviour/behaviour-management-tips-tools/transitions

.https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/articles/transition-time-helping-individuals-on-the-autism-spectrum-move-successfully-from-one-activity-to-another.html

Originally published in Arabic. This English version was produced with AI-assisted translation; the Arabic original remains the reference.