Coping with Change/ Transitions

For many students with autism, ‘transitioning’ or being faced with ‘unexpected change’ causes immense distress, which has negative repercussions for a student’s ability to connect with others, carryout responsibilities and regulate emotional responses, thus negatively impacting on a student’s overall wellbeing. 

The term ‘transition’ refers to two types of change:

  1. Changes that occur on a daily basis e.g. from one environment to another; between lessons; between home and school etc. These are known as ‘horizontal transitions. Balancing the development of predictable and consistent transitions, whilst encouraging the pupil not to become too rigid in routines, is important. Depending on the activity, environment and the specific needs and strengths of the individual, planning for transitions may be as important as curriculum planning.
  2. Changes that occur between one stage of life to another e.g. primary school to post primary; school to work; holidays; moving home, dealing with death, introduction of a new family member etc. These are known as ‘vertical transitions. People with autism can find ‘vertical transitions’ particularly difficult to handle (Taylor, 2015). Planning for vertical transitions is imperative since ineffective or unsuccessful transition planning can result in negative effects on both the social and academic progress of children and young people (Stoner, 2007). 

Difficulty With Transitions

Transitions are tough for everybody.  We are all creatures of habit and changing activity, location, objects of attention and environments is both time and energy consuming. So perhaps it’s not surprising that many individuals with autism (who instinctively prefer routine) often find it difficult to make transitions.

Many people with autism develop rigid ways of thinking and lack flexibility in their thoughts and perceptions. ​ This affects their ability to problem solve and cope with change, unpredictability and transitions. According to Lipsky (2011), poorly executed transitions and in particular unplanned for changes are the main cause of ‘meltdowns’ for many individuals with autism.

Difficulty with transitions can manifest in a number of ways depending on the student and the setting. For example, it can take the form of:

  • Resistance
  • Avoidance
  • Distraction
  • Negotiation or
  • A full-blown meltdown

Some of these reactions are the result of being overwhelmed by emotion and others are a learnt behavioural response to avoid or delay the transition.

Building Routine Around Transitions

There are four key elements to building routine around transitions which in turn defuse anxieties with transitioning. These include:

  1. Preparation
  2. Consistency
  3. Structure
  4. Organisation

Point to remember

Research suggests that removing unpredictability and utilising activity schedules aligned to the preferences of the individual best prepare young people with autism for change and successful transition (Lequia, J., Wilkerson, K.L., Kim, S. and Lyons, G.L., (2015).

Transition TypeStrategies
Horizontal Transitions (day to day transitions e.g. home to school; changing lesson or activity) Image of Little girl photographed against white background wearing school uniform dress isolated holding a coral backpack on both shoulders
Communication between home and school is essential in discovering what methods and strategies work best for each student.

Teach the student with autism each day’s routine/timetable. This can be done using a colour coded timetable or a timetable on a smart phone or IPAD/Tablet device. The timetable should detail when and where lessons / classes are to take place and who will be there to help.

Use visual supports to help students process the information more easily (use visuals, first and then, timetables, diaries, pictures, computer reminders, texts, objects, music etc, based on the student’s preferences).

Try using a social story or technology to get the information across in a more manageable form.

Prepare the student for each transition. When using verbal communication be patient, allow the student with autism sufficient time to:
– Process the information
– Formulate a response
– Verbally respond

– The staff member or peer mentor who is responsible for helping the student with transition support could meet with the student at the beginning and end of the day to have a chat. Discuss how things went during the day and what is going to happen the following day. This may assist the student to manage school issues.

Mood Induction
Difficulty knowing when to stop or start a task Image of Boy doing his school work or homework
Some students need help stopping and starting tasks. (See TEACCH strategies link out to Best Practice Resource). Having a clear start and finish to a task, detailing how long each element of the task should take and employing a completion box, were work is posted once complete, or having a signal to show that work has finished can all help.

Consider differentiating the task based on task length; difficulty and interest to the student.

Some students like a countdown timer until the transfer is occurring (see link). While others prefer a countdown strip (see link) where there is no specific or measurable time allocation (a supporting adult can help the student move through the countdown strip until it’s time for the transfer to occur.

Some students prefer to follow an activity they dislike with a preferred activity – this can help with the transition.
Trouble getting from one class to another Image of children going from one class to another
Use maps of the school, pictures and colour codes (see Best Practice).

Consider the effect of the environment and sensory input on the transition.
– Would transitioning at an earlier time (e.g. 5 minutes before the end of class reduce sensory input and ease the experience for the student?)
– Would a buddy system help?

Practice good organisational skills by helping the student with autism become aware of what they need to bring to each class e.g. books and folders could be colour coded to match different lessons/ classes on their timetable or if using an IPAD or Tablet notes could be added to each subject to remind the student with autism what is needed for each class/ day ahead.
Transitioning to lunch or break times Image of School girl holding food tray in school cafeteria
Consider the effect of the environment and sensory input on the transition.
Would transitioning at an earlier time (e.g. 5 minutes before the end of class reduce sensory input and ease the experience for the student?)

– Provide options for recreational activities the student can engage in during unstructured times (such as break or lunch). See Best Practice.
Specific difficulties around attending certain classes, participating in certain activitiesImage of A group of small school kids with teacher sitting at the desk in class writing.
Discuss issues and possible options with the student.
Consider using a student passport which documents the students likes and dislikes, so all staff are aware of the student’s needs, preferences and helpful strategies.

Direct the student to use preferred or needed sensory items between activities to alleviate anxieties and provide sensory input as needed. (Link to sensory section)

Provide a safe, calm, quiet space the student can go to when feeling overloaded and stressed (calm area). This may be a quiet area in a resource room, computer room or library. All staff should know where the calm area is and direct the student to it or give the student the option of going there if he/she is becoming distressed. Link out to Home Base section in Anxiety section.

Some students with autism require sensory breaks between lessons, an Occupational Therapist is best to advise on this (see Sensory Resource).

School could be flexible with regard to lessons and homework. Students with autism deal with many transitional challenges during the day that may be managed well some days and not so well on other days. If the student is overanxious, it may help if they are permitted to leave the classroom and work in their calm area instead.
Dealing with unexpected change Image of Agenda text on notepad
– Unexpected or unpredictable changes can cause heightened anxiety for someone with autism. To help alleviate this try to prepare the student with autism for the new change:
– Visually show change on the schedule
– Explain why the change has occurred
– Reassure the student by arming them with information either visual or spoken about the new change – if possible (e.g. what things should they expect; what will happen after etc).
– Encourage the student to employ their individualised proactive anxiety management strategies (e.g. breathing exercises, mindfulness, visual imagery etc).

Remind the student of their reactive (calming) anxiety management strategies to employ if they become stressed (e.g. five-point scale) zones of regulation, sensory toolkit.
Vertical Transitions (Age appropriate transitions e.g. starting, changing or leaving school) Image of Mother At Home Getting Son Wearing Uniform Ready For First Day Of School
Planning is essential. It is never too early to start planning for a vertical transition such as moving school / house; starting work etc.

– The student should be actively involved in the transition process.
– Gradually introduce the new environment / activity / person
– Pictures and videos may help reduce anxieties about this
– Create a student passport which details a profile of the student with autism. It can describe strengths and areas of difficulty, likes and dislikes, and any other information that would be useful.
– Plan the route/ experience / meeting and practice or roleplay how things might evolve.

Create a visual storybook with photos of the new environment / activity / person. This can help with understanding what to expect – and what other people will expect the student to do.

– Reassure the student by arming them with information either visual or spoken about the new change – if possible (e.g. what things should they expect; what will happen after etc).

– Encourage the student to employ their individualised proactive anxiety management strategies (e.g. breathing exercises, mindfulness, visual imagery etc). For more information on this click to view Middletown Centre for Autism online learning modules: click here.

– Remind the student of their reactive (calming) anxiety management strategies to employ if they become stressed (e.g. five-point scale, zones of regulation, sensory toolkit).

– Consider a buddy or mentor to help support the students transition to a new environment.

– Future proof the student’s anxiety management strategies – think about things that might not go to plan and map out a strategy to get help/ back up plan.

For additional information on transitions: click here

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