Contents
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Online Resource Transition Package ............ 3
An introduction to ASD ........................................................................................... 4
Transition................................................................................................................. 5
Journey to Prep ....................................................................................................... 6
Transition planning ................................................................................................. 8
Transition timeline ..................................................................................................................... 8
The transition team .................................................................................................................... 9
Developing transition goals ..................................................................................................10
Transition activities .................................................................................................................11
Reviewing the transition journey .......................................................................................13
Transition information for educators ................................................................... 14
Getting to know the individual ............................................................................................15
Developing an individual profile ......................................................................................15
Example of an individual profile ......................................................................................16
Information gathering tools ..............................................................................................16
Developing effective partnerships with parents...........................................................17
My new school....................................................................................................... 18
Rationale .......................................................................................................................................18
Using the child's preferred learning style .......................................................................18
Tips for developing a new school story ............................................................................18
The sample template................................................................................................................19
Sharing my new school story................................................................................................19
Further information .................................................................................................................19
Further learning and support ............................................................................... 20
Autism Spectrum
Transition Package
Disorder
(ASD)
Online
Resource
The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Online Resource Transition Package is a joint project
between the:

Department of Education, Training and Employment (DETE)
http://education.qld.gov.au/

AEIOU Foundation
http://aeiou.org.au/

Autism Queensland (AQ)
http://www.autismqld.com.au/
Consultation and collaboration has also occurred with the Department of Communities,
Child Safety
and Disability
Services.
http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/disability?icn=homepage-links&ici=features-disability.
The online resource package has been developed to assist early intervention service
providers (e.g. AQ and AEIOU) and parents and teachers (Kindergarten and Prep) by
providing information and resources to support children with ASD transition into Queensland
schools.
The resource aims to provide a broad understanding of the support available for children and
young people with ASD.
The information is divided into sections relevant to families and educators, as well as
information regarding further learning and support.
The package is available at http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/.
If you require specific information regarding your individual circumstances, the following
contacts/information may be a good starting point:

Further learning and support section of the website
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/support/index.html

Education for children with a disability - a guide for parents
http://education.qld.gov.au/studentservices/learning/disability/parentguide/index.html

Education Queensland Regional Office for any questions regarding state schools
http://education.qld.gov.au/schools/about/district.html

Autism Advisors for information regarding support and services for families and
carers
http://www.autismqld.com.au/page/98/Autism-Advisor-Program

Autism Queensland Information and Helpline
http://www.autismqld.com.au/page/47/Information-and-Helpline
An introduction to ASD
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disability. People with ASD
have:

difficulties with reciprocal social interactions (they may have difficulties interacting with
other people following the usual social customs)

difficulties developing communication skills

stereotyped and repetitive behaviour or interests (an intense interest in limited topics or
patterns of behaviour such as lining up objects).
Many people with ASD have different sensory processing patterns (such as finding some
noises painful) and this can affect how they access and participate in school and the
community.
Each person with ASD is a unique individual with their own interests, strengths and
personality even though they share the characteristics listed above.
Educators need to be aware of the strengths and barriers for each student with ASD, as they
need to with all students, so that they can provide the best educational outcomes.
More information regarding the characteristics of ASD, diagnosis, prevalence and support
may be found at:

Education Queensland
http://education.qld.gov.au/studentservices/learning/disability/generalinfo/asd/index.html

AEIOU
http://aeiou.org.au/

Autism Queensland
http://www.autismqld.com.au/

Positive Partnerships - Supporting school aged students on the autism spectrum
http://www.autismtraining.com.au/public/index.cfm?action=showPublicContent&assetCat
egoryId=686

Raising Children Network
http://raisingchildren.net.au/children_with_autism/children_with_autism_landing.html

Further learning and support
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/support/index.html

Early childhood support services for children with ASD
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/families/early-childhood-support.html
Transition
Transitioning to Prep is an important journey. For many children, the commencement of
kindergarten is part of their journey to Prep. Early childhood experts agree that a quality
kindergarten program develops children's learning and physical abilities and helps them
prepare for school.
The transition section of this online resource package contains practical information to assist
in guiding families and educators through the process of successfully transitioning a child
with ASD to Prep. Transition is about key stakeholders working together to ensure that the
child's journey to formal school occurs in a supportive and positive environment and is as
smooth as possible.
This package contains a number of resources designed to assist you in the process of
transition from the initial planning phase through to the reflection of the transition journey. In
many cases, the information contained in this section can be used to enhance and develop
transition practices that are already in place.
Active engagement in the process is supported through a range of documentation which
helps to formalise discussions. Formalising a plan and recording key roles, responsibilities
and actions ensures that all stakeholders are moving in the same direction with the focus
being on the child.
Within the transition process, there are several key factors that should be kept in mind.
These include:

allowing time to plan

ensuring regular and open communication with all relevant stakeholders

working within a team throughout the transition period to share responsibilities

ensuring that the transition plan and process is individualised to the needs of the child,
family and school setting.
Transition information and resources are grouped as follows:

Transition booklet: My journey to Prep

Transition planning

Transition information for educators

My new school story.
Information on selecting a school is available at School options for your child in the families
section of this web resource at http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resourcekit/families/school_options.html.
Further information regarding continuing successfully after the transitions process is
available at Continuing successfully after transition in this web resource at
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/schools/continuingsuccessfully/index.html.
Journey to Prep
Transition to Prep is an exciting but complex process. It contains a number of steps and
processes and involves decisions and outcomes that can greatly influence the child starting
school successfully.
While this process can be complicated for any child, the child with ASD may face unique
challenges that require specialised considerations. The Transition booklet: My journey to
Prep
is
available
at
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resourcekit/transition/docs/transition-booklet.doc and is intended to be a collaborative planning tool
used by all stakeholders to support the successful transition process for a child with ASD. It
allows all members of a child's transition team opportunities to view, contribute and
collaboratively plan the student's transition journey to Prep.
This booklet is for:

parents

early childhood education and care (ECEC) educators

early intervention professionals

Prep staff

any allied health professionals supporting the child or the family.
Parents
Parent can begin to compile information for the transition booklet in the year prior to their
child commencing Prep. The parent section of the transition booklet contains child profile
options and a parent statement of aspirations to complete. If you wish, you may choose to
print and complete only the parts of the parent and child section that are important to you
and your child.
Parents may also choose to add current programs or reports from private therapists, allied
health or medical staff in the educators section as well as adding to the planning and team
sections.
The transition booklet allows important information about the child and the transition process
to be shared. While a range of people will contribute to the booklet, it is ultimately the child's
book. It is recommended that parents act as coordinators of the transition booklet and work
with stakeholders to develop the content.
If parents are not sure how to begin, contact your child's ECEC educator and/or proposed
school who can assist them to begin the process and choose sections to print and complete.
Before their child's early childhood education and care setting can begin to add information,
it is important that they have parental consent to share information about their child. A
parental
consent
form
is
available
in
the
transition
booklet
at
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/docs/transition-booklet.doc.
Educators
ECEC educators can begin to compile information as soon as parents have given their
consent for information to be shared. Initially they are primarily responsible for completing
the educators section of the booklet as well as contributing to the planning section as a
member of the child's transition team.
Prep staff may begin to contribute to the transition booklet during the first transition meeting
of all stakeholders. This is when the child's individual transition plan is first developed. Prep
staff may continue to add information throughout the year with specific responsibility to
ensure up to date and relevant information is provided during the last term before transition
to Prep.
The transition booklet remains the property of the family and it is important that parents are
given the opportunity to take ownership of the book. Parents are encouraged to share the
booklet with their child's school. All educators are encouraged to provide additional support
to those families who may require additional assistance to complete, collate and share the
booklet.
Specifically some parents may find the size of the booklet overwhelming and may need
support or assistance to only contribute to and print the sections of the booklet that they are
comfortable with such as parts or all of the parent and child section.
Allied health professionals and other support staff
Allied health professionals and other support staff may add information as required
throughout the transition journey once parental consent to share information is obtained.
Individualising the transition booklet: My journey to Prep
In some sections of the Transition booklet: My journey to Prep, a number of options or
templates have been provided so that the individual needs and experiences of all team
members may be accommodated. Please select the documents that best support each
individual child. Some elements of the booklet may not apply to some children, families or
circumstances.
Confidentiality reminder
The information contained within the following document is considered private and
confidential. Parent or carer consent must be obtained before providing or accessing
information. A parental consent form is available in the transition booklet
at
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/docs/transition-booklet.doc.
Transition planning
Young children with ASD may make the transition to Prep more smoothly if the family, the
Prep staff, the early childhood education and care educators and any other support staff are
all involved in the child's transition planning.
It is important to note that transition planning is more than a child visiting a Prep classroom
before they start school. It is the collection and collation of information, experiences and
aspirations by:

the student

their family and support personnel

school staff

any other professionals involved

the student's early childhood education and care staff.
The Transition booklet: My journey to Prep provides templates for the collection, collation
and the sharing of information between all involved in the transition journey. The booklet is
available
at
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resourcekit/transition/transition_booklet.html.
The following information has been provided to assist you with transition planning:

Transition timeline

The transition team

Transition meetings

Developing transition goals

Transition activities

Reviewing the transition journey.
Transition timeline
The transition to school for a young child is a continuous journey that commences before the
child starts school and continues well beyond the first day of school.
It is recognised that a gradual transition over a 12 month period affords all stakeholders the
opportunity to plan, develop, resource, and reflect on transition strategies and supports.
However, individual circumstances may mean that the transition timeline may be significantly
shorter and therefore only key activities can be completed.
This does not mean that the child will not successfully transition to their next educational
setting, it simply means that all stakeholders need to carefully consider the 'who', 'what',
'where' and 'when' of transition in order to ensure that all parties are prepared and resourced.
Developing a transition timeline through collaboration between the family, teachers and other
relevant people may assist in ensuring the very best start to schooling for a child with ASD.
This ensures that everyone is on the same page and aware of what supports are in place
and who is responsible.
When developing a transition timeline, the transition team need to consider the unique
characteristics of the child, the capacity of the sending and receiving educators to enact key
tasks and activities, and the capacity of the family to support all activities.
Tips for transition activities contains examples of best practice transition strategies and
activities for a child with ASD. This tip sheet is available at http://education.qld.gov.au/asdonline-resource-kit/transition/docs/tips-for-transition-activities.doc.
My transition timeline template is available for you to download and complete for your child
or student. This template is available at http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resourcekit/transition/docs/transition-booklet.doc.
The transition team
The transition team may consist of members of the following sub teams:
The family team

child

parent/s

carer/s

parent/caregive
r advocates and
support
persons such
as interpreters,
friends,
case
workers,
regional
support
agencies and
other
community
supports

social worker
The sending team: The receiving school The allied health team
Early
Childhood team
Education and Care
(ECEC) setting/s

ECEC
educators

ECEC special
education staff

inclusion
support agency
staff

advisory
visiting
teachers

school
administrator
(principal,
deputy principal,
head
of
curriculum)

prep teacher

guidance officer

inclusion support
teacher / special
educator

teacher aides or
school officers

advisory visiting
teacher

head of special
education
services
(HOSES)

school chaplain

school support
staff
e.g.
therapists

speech-language
pathologist

occupational
therapist

psychologist

physiotherapist

child psychiatrist

paediatrician
general
practitioner

family and early
childhood services
(FECS) staff

child development
clinic staff
or
It is important to choose a workable team from the range of options above, taking into
consideration a large team is useful in the data gathering stage.
A wide variety of team members who are able to observe or work with the student in a
variety of environments, situations or interactions may provide rich data. A smaller team is
useful in the transition planning stage.
A representative from each sub team is necessary to develop individual transition goals
ensuring that the individual needs of the student are identified, recorded and an appropriate
plan of action is developed.
Once the transition team has been agreed upon, contact details may be entered into the
Transition booklet: My journey to Prep. This is available at http://education.qld.gov.au/asdonline-resource-kit/transition/docs/transition-booklet.doc and can be updated as required.
The Transition booklet: My journey to Prep also provides templates which may be useful to
support effective and efficient communication between transition team members during the
transition process.
Transition meetings
The transition meeting is an opportunity to meet all the stakeholders who will be involved in
your child s transition to Prep. Transition meetings:

support the development of open and efficient communication between all members of
the transition team

ensure that all stakeholders are involved and engaged in transition planning and the

ensure the best outcomes for all involved are negotiated, documented and enacted.
Planned and structured transition meetings, where the goals and strategies to support
transition are discussed and documented in a transition plan, is a vital element of a
successful transition.
Tips and suggestions for both parents and case managers have been developed along with
a sample agenda for a transition meeting. These documents are designed to support all
members in planning, holding, and participating in the transition meeting.

Tips for parents regarding transition meetings
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/docs/tips-for-parents.doc

Tips for case managers regarding transition meetings
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/docs/tips-for-casemanager.doc

Sample transition meeting agenda
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/docs/sample-transition-mtgagenda.doc
Developing transition goals
The development of individual transition goals ensures that the child's needs and aspirations
of the child, the parents and the school are identified, recorded and a plan of action is
developed.
Individual transition goals should identify:

skills or routines the child will require to support successful transition into Prep, such as
following a visual schedule for a session, sitting at mat time, walking with a peer or
asking for help

supports specific to the individual to augment smooth transition, such as the use of story
boards, photo books, individual schedule, break routines, comfort toys or activities

a timeline of transition activities, such as planning meetings, school visits, early learning
centre visits, home visits, photography or video recording sessions, collation of school
brochures and newsletters, enrolment procedures or information and portfolio sharing
sessions

specifically the 'who', 'what', 'where' and 'when' of these goals which need to be recorded.
The Examples of my learning section of the Transition booklet: My journey to Prep contains
examples of strategies, supports and adjustments which may be adjusted and or
incorporated into the student's individual transition plan.
Transition goals may be recorded in:

My individual transition plan in the Transition booklet: My journey to Prep
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/docs/transition-booklet.doc

the Positive Partnerships transition plan
http://www.autismtraining.com.au/public/index.cfm?action=showPublicContent&assetCat
egoryId=1103

the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) Queensland kindergarten learning guideline
transition statements in which goals may be added to the additional information section
or alternatively the transition statement may be adapted to include individual transition
goals http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/12974.html
Transition activities
The process of transition enables families and children to become familiar with the school
routines and environment, and for the school to start to become familiar with important
information about the child such as learning strengths, interests and stress triggers.
Information for the child and their family can be sorted into two areas: the school and the
classroom. Most information families require regarding the school is accessible via school
websites, parent handbooks, the school prospectus or by requesting school policies,
procedures and information from the principal.
Specific and relevant information regarding the classroom is useful for the child and his or
her family as it helps them prepare for the start to schooling. Children with ASD are usually
more able to understand, remember and use information if:

it is presented in their learning preference (often visual such as photos, images, video;
and/or kinaesthetic such as experiencing or actively being involved in doing, creating,
showing or making)

information is linked to known or preferred information (linking to interests, known
routines, concepts or activities, known peers, use of motivating topics, images or
concepts)

consideration is given to the family's ability to access information, which they may
provide to the child at home (Do they have access to the internet? Do they require
translation or language support? Do they already have children enrolled in this school?
Do they need photos and/or video?).
Information which may be useful for the family and the transition team to consider may
include the following:

the routines the student is likely to encounter in Prep

the staff the student is likely to encounter (classroom, playground, office, specialist staff,
support staff, other)

any peers the student may already know or has recently met

the environments the student is likely to experience, including the Prep classroom,
school amenities, the allocated playground area, specialist lessons, library

routines the child will need to know, such as access to the tuckshop, uniform shop, after
school hours care program, sporting amenities, the library and specialised support or
rooms

information relating to any particular interests or strengths that the student may have as
these may be calming and or motivating.
The Transition booklet: My journey to Prep provides templates in the Information for the Prep
environment section which team members may use to ensure that important information has
been shared. The booklet is available at http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resourcekit/transition/docs/transition-booklet.doc.
Tips for transition activities, available at http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resourcekit/transition/docs/transition-booklet.doc, provides further specific tips regarding transition
activities. A wide range of transition activities have been suggested. These activities are
grouped into four phases so that it is easy to see how transition activities may be sequenced
and responsibilities allocated throughout the whole process.
The transition team may choose to prioritise, document and share these activities in either
My transition activities template (in the transition booklet) and or the Transition timeline,
available
at
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/transitiontimeline.html, which allows for more specific details to be documented and shared with the
team.
Consideration must be given to prioritising the suggested transition activities necessary to
support the successful transition to Prep for the individual child, the family, the ECEC
educator and the school. For some children, it may be necessary to complete most of the
suggested transition activities, while other children may only require a smaller number of the
suggested transition activities. Discussing those activities that are most important for the
family and the school will help develop a transition plan that will meet the specific needs of
the student.
Planning to group transition activities such as combining a visit to the ECEC centre with a
transition planning meeting and information sharing session will help manage time and other
constraints.
Reviewing the transition journey
Evaluating the effectiveness of the transition program is an important element of the
transition process. This step is both necessary and valuable.
It is important to evaluate how the transition process is:

identifying student, family or school issues to be addressed or managed at the moment

planning for changes for future transitions for the student, such as moving from Prep to
Year 1 and beyond

supporting the student to manage a change in school, class or teacher in the future

developing routines and procedures that may be useful for families and students and
support ECEC and Prep educators in future transitions to Prep

reflecting on skill development of all team members.
A Review of the transition program template has been provided which may be used to
document and collate review information by team members. This template is available in the
transition
booklet
at
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resourcekit/transition/docs/transition-booklet.doc.
Suggestions for efficient methods of evaluating this transition program include:

individual transition team members completing the review table to be collated by one
person, such as the case manager

collaborative discussions so that information may be collated and ultimately acted upon

responsibilities for follow up or actions allocated to individuals during collaborative review
meetings

the development of transition materials useful for supporting future transitions.
Transition information for educators
Educators are able to provide information, guidance, support and practical involvement in
transition activities to families during the whole transition process.
Prep staff can be involved in the transition process from the very beginning once a school
has been selected. This includes during planning, transition activities, right through to
assisting with the review of the transition process and procedures to continue successful
once the student is attending Prep. ECEC educators are often involved in transition through
the provision of practical assistance as well as advice and support during the whole process.
The information contained in this section aims to support educators in both ECEC and Prep
settings develop an understanding of the individual student's needs, provides guidelines and
suggestions for transition planning and transition activities for students with ASD, as well as
suggestions, considerations and templates which may support the development and
refinement of effective partnerships with parents.
The information is designed to support educators to gather, contribute, collate and share
information in the student's Transition booklet: My journey to Prep at
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/docs/transition-booklet.doc and
the student's Transition Timeline available at http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-onlineresource-kit/transition/transition-timeline.html.
Information is grouped as follows:

Getting to know the student
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/individual.html

Developing effective partnerships with parents and carers
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/partnerships-withparents.html
More information for educators regarding day to day routines, curriculum access for students
with ASD, the learning environment and suggestions for continuing successfully after
transition may be found in the Information for educators section of this resource at
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/schools/index.html.
Getting to know the individual
Despite there being recognised core characteristics of ASD, it is the blend of a student's
individual characteristics, the individual impact of 'ASD characteristics' and how they engage
with the environment that produces the myriad of individual presentations.
As with teaching any student, motivating, engaging and challenging your student with ASD
will rely upon discovering and utilising their individual:

personality

motivation

life experiences

any co-existing health or well being concerns.
Developing an individual profile
Developing an individual profile (in the Transition booklet: My journey to Prep
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/docs/transition-booklet.doc)
your student involves collating the following information:
at
of

what your student likes (motivators, strengths, interests, calming activities)

what your student dislikes (stress triggers, challenges)

any strong interests, obsessions or fascinations (these may be calming or may trigger
stress)

strategies that have been useful in the past for calming the student

social, sensory or communicative concerns, supports and successes

any 'top tips' from people who already know the student

information about the student's home and family life which is useful for building
relationships

what type of schedule or list of tasks your student is familiar with so you may visually
plan their first day/sessions.
Information collated via an individual profile may be used to develop a timetable or schedule
of events or activities for the new student which incorporates some known and preferred
activities throughout the day to support a successful start to Prep. This also helps to plan
and manage activities which may be stressful, such as scheduling them between breaks and
preferred tasks.
As student's preferences are individualised and may change, it would be useful to update
information each term or as new information arises.
It is important to remember that all students respond to their environment; both the physical
environment and events or learning that may have happened in their past. Some students
may appear to demonstrate behaviours and or skills in one environment and not in others.
An individual profile can provide some information about the student and give some
strategies which have been useful for specific environments, however it is important to note
that an individual student's profile can change depending on the environment, and of course,
the skills they have developed or generalised.
Example of an individual profile
Likes/interests:
Motivators
Dislikes:
Stress triggers
Obsessions/habits:
Strengths:
Calming
strategies
/ Learning
routines / strategies that motivators
work
style
/
Cars, books, transport, Noise,
changing Reading books, following Use of books, routine,
animals,
talking
to activities,
finishing, a list, reading to get calm, lists, cars, reading, car
others
about
cars, waiting, dirty hands, playing with cars alone, expert, developing car
making books, being others
touching being in control of routine books, time alone to play
able to predict what will possessions such as by having some choice, with cars or read books,
happen, listening to cars or books, mat small group or individual limit changes of activities
audio
stories
with time.
work initially, quiet area at each session, same desk
headphones.
back of room for breaks, to sit at with box for
audio
stories,
visual books and cars, some
information.
choices
in
routine/schedule. Use of
visuals.
Information gathering tools
A number of planning tools which may be useful for gathering information about a student
have been provided to ensure that the individual student, family and educators needs and
experiences may be considered.

My individual profile template

Transition booklet: My journey to Prep

Educator's section

Parent and child section
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/docs/transitionbooklet.doc

Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) Queensland kindergarten learning guidelines
professional development resources provides links to transition statements and
completed examples http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/12974.html

Positive
partnerships
practical
planning
tools
http://www.autismtraining.com.au/public/index.cfm?action=showPublicContent&assetCat
egoryId=1049
Developing effective partnerships with parents
Parents are a wonderful source of knowledge, support, history, strategies and suggestions.
Parents provide a unique perspective of their child across a range of environments and
activities. It is crucial therefore that educators engage, inform and interact with parents on a
regular basis.
Tips for communicating effectively with parents and carers provides specific strategies and
points for consideration to assist you with developing effective partnerships. This tip sheet is
available
at
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/docs/tips-forcommunicating-parents.doc.
The following information has been provided to assist with developing effective partnerships
with parents:

Obtaining information from parents
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/obtaining-information.html

Templates for communicating with parents
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/docs/transition-booklet.doc

Helping parents to manage the first day
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/manage-first-day.html

Supporting parents to access further support
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/access-further-support.html

Supporting parents who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) or Isolated
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/transition/cald.html
My new school
Rationale
When transitioning a child to Prep, a range of strategies are recommended to support
children to become familiar and comfortable with the new environment, routines and people.
The My new school story provides children who are transitioning to prep with specific,
individualised information about their new school. The story can introduce physical locations,
important staff and routines within the day.
Using the child's preferred learning style
Children are more able to understand, remember and use information, if it is presented in
their preferred learning style. Children with ASD often have a visual and or kinaesthetic
learning preference, meaning information they can see and are actively involved in doing,
making and experiencing is more likely to be retained, processed and/or applied.
The use of visual information, such as a story containing photos, a PowerPoint, a movie or
interactive book or video application, may all provide specific information to the child with
ASD. The choice of how to use visual information in the My new school story will depend on
the best way for the individual child.
It is important to ensure the child is involved where ever possible in creating the My new
school story by:

allowing them to assist with capturing, selecting and labelling images, photos or symbols

having them involved in the filming, editing and addition of language to a movie, book or
video.
Tips for developing a new school story

Determine the most important locations and routines that you wish to introduce in the
story (e.g. classroom, teacher, bag rack, toilet, playground).

Use language that is appropriate for the child (i.e. length and complexity of sentences)
keeping sentences as short and specific as possible.

Use visual information that is appropriate for the child (e.g. photographs, pictures,
drawings, or symbols that will make sense to the child).

Select a medium that will be engaging and motivating for the child (e.g. paper, tablet
computer, PowerPoint, movie).

Include some of the child's known or preferred routines and interests so the child has
something to attach or link their memory of their new school to (e.g. sitting on the mat,
preferred books, known peers).

Finish the story on a positive note (e.g. I will have fun at my new school!).
The sample template
A sample template is provided as an example of the format and styling that may be used
within a My new school story. This document is an example only and will need to be
adjusted to ensure it is suitable for the individual child's needs and their Prep environment.
Modifications may include adjustments to:

the length of the story

the amount (number) of visual information

the amount of text

the style of the text

details of the images

the medium used (video, interactive book, PowerPoint, booklet).
The sample template is available at http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resourcekit/transition/docs/my-new-school-sample.doc.
This story can be compiled by parents, ECEC and/or Prep staff and may be a collaborative
effort of the transition team.
Sharing my new school story
The story should be used in combination with a range of other strategies to prepare the child
for the start of school, as documented within the child's individual transition plan.
Ensuring the story is read with the child several times assists the child to become familiar
with the information presented in the story. Suggestions include:

incorporate reading or viewing My new school story into daily routines at home and the
ECEC setting

read or view My new school story before transition visits to the school

read, view or edit My new school story at school with Prep staff during transition visits

read or view My new school story before and during the morning of the first day of Prep.
Further information

Strategies to assist parents to prepare their child for transition
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/families/preparing-child.html

Strategies to assist Prep teachers with the beginning of the Prep day
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/schools/day-today_routines/index.html

Story-based interventions
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/families/docs/preparingchild/storybased-intervention.doc
Further learning and support
This section provides information on resources and organisations that can assist families
and schools further in supporting students with ASD.
The provision of ongoing support, information and resourcing for families and schools
supporting a student with ASD is beyond the scope and capabilities of this online resource.
Consideration has however been given to providing links and contact details for
organisations and services which may be useful for families and/or educators when
searching for further information regarding learning, support and resources.
All organisations, service providers and resource providers have been listed alphabetically
and are not specifically endorsed by the department, AEIOU or Autism Queensland.
Organisations and services have been grouped into five areas for ease of searching:

Queensland based ASD specific organisations and services
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/support/qld-asd-specific-org.html

Services and resources (disability and ASD specific)
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/support/asd-specific-services.html

Further learning and education
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/support/further-learning.html

Allied health/therapy professional organisations
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/support/allied-health.html

Links to other resource directories
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/support/other-resource.html

Purchasing resources
http://wcms/asd-online-resource-kit/support/purchasing-resources.html
To assist families and educators, a glossary has been developed defining terms used within
this ASD Online Transition Resource Package. The glossary is available
at
http://education.qld.gov.au/asd-online-resource-kit/support/glossary.html.