Overcoming challenges with transitions

With change bringing feelings of uncertainty and anxiety, transitions can be challenging for autistic people. This was especially true for Alexander, who struggled with this uncertainty upon joining BeyondAutism, especially when moving between teaching rooms for group lessons.

The changes in routine and location affected his ability to fully engage in learning, limiting his participation in group activities, and hindering his progress in the classroom. With support from Park House staff, he has made significant progress in overcoming this challenge, a key milestone on his journey towards greater independence and learning success.

A tailored transition plan

To help Alexander, we created a personalised transition book that broke down the process into smaller, more manageable steps. Instead of pushing for the entire transition at once, Alexander received positive reinforcement during every step of the process, was encouraged to keep moving forward and experienced success. By achieving these incremental goals, Alexander was eventually able to make the full transition.

We closely tracked his progress, ensuring he completed a task successfully three times before advancing to the next step. This method reduced the unknown and gave him more confidence to approach transitions.

Success in the classroom

Through consistent use of the transition book and celebration of his successes, Alexander has made remarkable strides. He is now able to transition across teaching rooms and has become an active participant in group lessons for up to 15 minutes. In the English room, Alexander is now completing worksheets – an important achievement that reflects his growing ability to engage in classroom tasks.

An essential part of this journey has been involving Alexander in his own progress. At each stage he chooses what activities go into his plan giving him control of his outcomes.

Looking forwards for Alexander

Alexander’s progress with transitions has profoundly impacted both his learning and overall development. Being able to transition more regularly has created new learning opportunities for him, helping him access more classes and gain the academic, social and communication skills he needs to live his ideal week.

In the coming months, Alexander’s Teachers and Therapists will continue to nurture his progress, helping him transition between a greater range of activities, building on the confidence he has gained along the way and developing his independence whilst transitioning. Alexander’s story is one of determination and success, showing the real life impact personalised support can make.

If you’d like to support us in helping more children like Alexander, make a donation today.

Or if you’d like more information on supporting children with transitions, head over to our resource hub.

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