Autism Cadre Newsletter
2013
Kenton County Autism Cadre Newsletter
Karen Arnold, Charlotte Broeg, Ibeita Byrley, Ashley Collins, Danielle Rice and Megan Wilson
Studies have indicated that up to 25% of a school day may be spent engaged in transition activities,
such as moving from classroom to classroom, coming in from the playground, going to the cafeteria, putting
personal items in designated locations like lockers or cubbies, and gathering needed materials to start
working (Sainato, Strain, Lefebvre, & Rapp, 1987). “Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may
have greater difficulty than others in shifting attention from one task to another or in changes of routine.
This may be due to a greater need for predictability (Flannery & Horner,1994), challenges in understanding
what activity will be coming next (Mesibov, Shea, & Schopler, 2005), or difficulty when a pattern of behavior
is disrupted” Our February newsletter is focused on interventions for students with autism who struggle with
transition. (www.gvsu.edu/cms3/assets/.../transitioning_between_activities.docx).
Five Tips to Successful Transitions
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2.
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5.
Create a schedule
Show activities as finished
Use a timer
Make sure there is ample time for transitions
Give the student a transition item
Difficulty with transitioning in hallway- Asperger Syndrome and Sensory Issues by Brenda S. Myles, et al.,
1.
2.
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Allow student to be first or last in line.
Have the student carry something heavy to provide proprioceptive input.
Have student hold the door.
Consider preferential placement of locker to decrease accidental physical contact of others.
Autism Cadre Newsletter
2013
Difficulty with transitioning into environments with high noise levels (i.e. cafeteria).
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Implement de-sensitization strategies .Create an environment that mirrors the aversive situation within a
motivating activity/context. For instance within the elementary school level, students’ preferred music and
physical activity are implemented prior to lunch. The preferred music is played at a very loud volume while
students/adults perform physical movement activities (i.e. dance motions). Some students wear headphones
while others do not and all students participate. This creates a positive environment that is louder in noise
volume than the noise level within the cafeteria prior to the students entering the cafeteria thus desensitizing
them to the noise level within the cafeteria. This strategy has also been adapted and used within the high
school level.
Students with Autism function best when things are in their control. Grab a digital timer and let the
student be in control. Give options:
"Okay John, you need to set the timer for that math assignment. You can have 10 or 15 minutes you pick."
Let the student set the timer. This is a skill that is proactive, rather than reactive. Do your best to be proactive and
the behaviors will decrease!
Many students with autism have a difficult time transitioning from a preferred activity to a non-preferred
activity. A visual countdown allows an individual to “see” how much time is remaining in an activity. The
countdown differs, however, because there is no specific time increment used. This tool is beneficial if the
timing of the transition needs to be flexible.
If the student continues to have difficulty transitioning, strategically sequence certain activities so
individuals are moving from non-preferred activities to preferred activities and from preferred activities to
neutral activities. Though this certainly may not be possible for all of an individual’s transitions, it may
alleviate some transition challenges.
Autism Cadre Newsletter
2013