Managing Transitions and Changes with an Autistic Child: Practical Strategies
Techniques and tools to support your child during times of change and facilitate transitions from one activity to another
Transitions – whether moving from one activity to another, changing locations, or experiencing an unexpected event – often represent challenging moments for autistic children. The need for predictability and resistance to change, characteristics of autism spectrum disorder, make these moments sources of anxiety and sometimes meltdowns. However, simple strategies and appropriate tools can transform these transitions into smoother and less stressful moments for both the child and their family.
Why Are Transitions Difficult?
To understand the transition difficulties of autistic children, one must consider their perspective. Their brains process information differently and require more time to adapt to changes. What seems like a simple transition to us (stopping a game to have dinner) represents a significant upheaval for them: interrupting a pleasurable and predictable activity to enter the unknown, even if that "unknown" is the usual meal.
The difficulty in anticipating what will happen, understanding the concept of time, and managing emotions related to change amplifies the stress of transitions. Additionally, many autistic children have difficulties with cognitive flexibility: once engaged in an activity, changing "mental programs" is energy-consuming. These difficulties are not due to unwillingness but are neurological characteristics.
of autistic children have difficulties with transitions
of meltdowns are related to poorly prepared transitions
of difficulties with appropriate strategies
Types of Transitions to Support
Everyday Micro-Transitions
Micro-transitions punctuate the day: moving from waking up to breakfast, stopping play to get dressed, leaving home for school, returning from the park. For an autistic child, each of these transitions can be a source of difficulty. Their daily repetition does not necessarily make them easier; on the contrary, the accumulation can be exhausting.
Location Transitions
Changing environments adds an additional dimension: moving from a known and safe place to another. Car rides, entering and exiting stores, visits to the doctor or relatives are all potentially anxiety-inducing location transitions. The child must adapt to a new sensory environment (sounds, lights, smells) while managing the change in activity.
Major Changes
Some transitions are major events: starting school, changing classes or schools, moving, vacations, the arrival of a new family member. These major changes require much more advanced and gradual preparation. They can destabilize the child for several weeks.
Signs of Difficulty to Spot
An child struggling during transitions may express their stress in various ways: motor agitation, vocalizations or screams, verbal or physical refusals, oppositional behaviors, withdrawal, intensified repetitive behaviors, aggression, or self-harm in the most intense cases. Spotting early signals allows for intervention before a meltdown.
Anticipation Strategies
Visual Schedule
The visual schedule is the fundamental tool to help the child anticipate transitions. By visually representing the sequence of activities for the day, it allows them to know what will happen and in what order. The child can refer to it at any time to situate themselves in time and anticipate what comes next.
The level of detail in the visual schedule adapts to the child's needs: a schedule for the entire day, half a day, or just a sequence of a few activities. The format (photos, pictograms, drawings, words) corresponds to the child's level of understanding. The manipulable nature (removing the image of the completed activity) makes the passage of time concrete.
How to Create an Effective Visual Schedule
1. Choose a format suitable for the child (photos for younger children, pictograms, then written). 2. Display the schedule at the child's eye level, in an accessible location. 3. Review the schedule with the child at the start of the day or half-day. 4. Refer to it before each transition: "Look, we've finished X, now it's Y." 5. Allow the child to manipulate (remove the completed image, check off). 6. Maintain consistency of the system in all living environments.
Progressive Warnings
Warning the child that a transition is approaching gives them time to prepare mentally. This preparation is essential to avoid the element of surprise. Warnings can be verbal ("in 5 minutes, we stop playing"), visual (visual timer, hourglass), or sensory (a music cue that always signals the same change).
Gradation of warnings helps the child gradually integrate the idea of change: first warning 10 minutes before, reminder at 5 minutes, then at 2 minutes, and finally the signal for the actual transition. This predictable sequence becomes a reassuring ritual. The number and spacing of warnings adapt to the child.
Visual Timer
The visual timer materializes the passing time, an abstract concept that is difficult for many autistic children to understand. Tools like the Time Timer, which shows the remaining time with a decreasing colored area, or a simple hourglass, make the approach of the transition visible. The child can concretely see that playtime is reducing, which facilitates acceptance of stopping.
COCO: Transitions Integrated into Activity
The COCO PENSE and COCO BOUGE program from DYNSEO naturally integrates regular transitions. Every 15 minutes of cognitive activity (COCO PENSE), an active break (COCO BOUGE) is proposed. This structured alternation helps the child get used to predictable and positive transitions. The activity following the "transition" being playful and familiar, it facilitates acceptance of change. It's an excellent way to practice transitions in a safe environment.
Discover COCOStrategies at the Time of Transition
Transition Rituals
A transition ritual is a small routine that marks the passage from one activity to another. Always the same, this ritual becomes predictable and reassuring: a cleanup song, a ritual phrase ("we clean up, we leave"), a particular gesture. The ritual clearly signals that the transition is happening and creates a bridge between before and after.
Transition Objects
Some children are helped by a transition object that they can take from one activity or place to another. This familiar object (stuffed animal, small toy, sensory item) provides an element of continuity and comfort in change. It can also serve as motivation: "let's go get the stuffed animal, we’re taking it to the table."
Adapted Verbal Support
The way to communicate during the transition is very important. Short, concrete, and positive instructions are more effective than long explanations or prohibitions. "Put on your shoes" rather than "Stop playing and go put on your shoes or we will be late." A calm and steady tone, even if the child is agitated, helps contain anxiety.
- Give progressive warnings before the transition
- Use a visual timer to materialize the remaining time
- Refer to the visual schedule
- Apply a consistent transition ritual
- Offer a transition object if useful
- Give short and positive instructions
- Maintain a calm and steady tone
- Celebrate successful transitions
Preparing for Major Changes
Preparation Well in Advance
Major events (starting school, vacations, moving) require preparation that begins several weeks in advance. This preparation can include books on the subject (social stories), photos or videos of the new place, prior visits if possible, and regular discussions about what will change and what will stay the same.
Social Scenarios
Social scenarios are short personalized stories that describe an upcoming situation from the child's perspective. They explain what will happen, how people will react, and how the child can behave. Reading the scenario several times before the event helps the child prepare and reduces the anxiety of the unknown.
"Before, every outing was a nightmare. My son couldn't stand stopping his activities and screamed at every transition. Since we started using a visual schedule and warnings with a timer, it's night and day. He accepts changes much better, and there are even transitions that happen without any difficulty. It has changed our family life."
When the Transition Goes Wrong
Stay Calm
If, despite the preparation, the transition triggers a meltdown, the first rule is to stay calm. The adult's anxiety or anger amplifies that of the child. A steady tone, slow gestures, and a reassuring presence help the child regain their calm. Remember that the child is not being "difficult" but is experiencing difficulties.
Analyze and Adjust
Afterward, analyzing what did not work allows for adjusting strategies. Was the preparation time sufficient? Was the child already stressed or tired? Was there an unexpected element that caused everything to fall apart? This reflection, without blame, gradually improves transition management.
DYNSEO Training for Parents
The training "Supporting a Child with Autism: Keys and Solutions for Daily Life" from DYNSEO covers the management of transitions in detail and offers concrete strategies applicable in daily life. It helps parents understand their child's difficulties and implement appropriate tools. An online training accessible to follow at one’s own pace.
Discover the Training💡 To Go Further
The DYNSEO guide for supporting autistic children offers many other practical strategies for daily life, beyond managing transitions. For families of teenagers or adults, the guide for supporting autistic adults addresses the specificities of these life stages.
Conclusion: Smoother Transitions Are Possible
The transition difficulties of autistic children are not a foregone conclusion. With the right strategies – anticipation, visual supports, rituals, adapted communication – these delicate moments can become smoother and less stressful. The initial investment in implementing these tools is more than compensated by the improvement in family quality of life.
Every child is unique, and what works for one may not suit another. Observing your child, experimenting with different strategies, and making gradual adjustments will help you find the most suitable solutions. Tools like the COCO program, with its integrated transitions, can help practice these passages in a playful and secure environment.
Do not hesitate to seek help from the professionals who support your child to implement these strategies coherently at home, at school, and in other living environments. The consistency of approaches enhances their effectiveness and helps the child generalize their learning.
