Why Transitions Are So Hard
Transitions can be a significant challenge for children. And even adults!
Transitioning from an enjoyable activity to a less desirable one can feel jarring. For me personally, moving from watching Real Housewives to doing laundry is NOT my idea of a good time.
Our kids experience this on an amplified scale and it can be hard for them to shift gears when the next activity is not as engaging.
So how can we ease transitions and make it easier on everyone?
Today I’m sharing my top transition tips that I’ve learned over the course of my career:
- Let Them Finish Their Play Scheme: Allowing kids to finish their current play scheme can significantly reduce the stress of transitions. If you know there won’t be enough time to finish a game or activity, it's best not to start it. For instance, if a client wants to play the game of "Life" but there are only five minutes left of your session, it's better to choose a shorter activity for those last few minutes.
- Use Visuals: Visual schedules that show the sequence of activities (NOT reward charts!!!) can be super helpful to show what activities are coming next. Visual timers can also be useful but keep in mind that they might cause additional stress for some of your clients. And you can consider implementing an “all done” basket for toys and games to have a designated place to go when finished as that can help signal the end of the activity.
- Use Transition Objects: Consider allowing your clients to bring a favorite item from home that’s presented to them at the end of the session to help bring comfort.
- Replace the Countdown: Instead of counting down to the end of an activity, which can heighten anxiety, encourage children to transition at their own pace. I wrote an entire article on this for the ASHA Leader. You can find the link to that here: Replacing the Countdown
- Be Consistent: Try and keep your routines as consistent as possible. Consider adding in a goodbye song to your sessions to signal the end of the session. And make sure the parents are on the same page.
Most importantly, make sure to validate your clients feelings. We should acknowledge the difficulty of transitions. Simple statements like “It’s so hard to leave”, “You’re having so much fun”, and “I can’t wait to play with you next time”, can go a long way.
Seeking to understand why transitions are challenging for the child and implementing thoughtful strategies can make these moments smoother and less stressful.
If you want to hear me go into more detail about these strategies, make sure to check out this episode of my live show: How Do You Transition Autistic Kids? Making the Shift, Ep. 72
