#Transition table tool how to#

Have a child who struggles with transitioning in the hallway with his class? Bring along a big building block or other object to use as an obstacle. Lots of smiles and lots of successful transitions! I often hold my kids under their arms and “jump” them all the way to therapy (or the bathroom, or wherever else we need to go)! Or, we’ll play catch with a bean bag or bat a balloon back and forth as we move through the hallway. “Can we hop all the way to the sink to wash our hands?”). Singing also tends to work wonders for distraction during transitions as well as movement activities that get you from point A to point B (e.g. Can your kiddo stomp bubbles all the way to the car? Can they run through the bubbles to get all the way to the therapy room? Works like a charm. Out come the bubbles! Yep…throw a little container of bubbles in your purse, pocket, or therapy bag and you’re in business. I learned this calming technique from a true master of childcare…my grandmother! Staring into the face of a potential tantrum because your therapy session is over and it’s time to go back to class, or because you’re at the park and it’s time to go home? Sometimes this is all it takes! 4 || Practice the art of distraction. Try using a special toy, book, or other object that can be designated for use only on the bus ride to/from school if these are a difficult times of day. If they’re playing with Lego bricks and we have to run to the store – they can bring one Lego guy or vehicle along for the ride. I use this one with my kids at home on a daily basis. This also works for the bathroom – they can park their toy in the hallway outside and pick it up on their way back to class. We make a special place for them to “park” their toys during therapy and they can pick them up when they’re finished. Whenever I can, I allow the child to bring one of whatever they’re playing with along for the walk to therapy. Sometimes, bringing a favorite object along for the transition is comforting for a child.įrequently, when I pick kids up to bring them to therapy groups, they will be playing with a favorite toy (cars, trains, blocks).

This … 3 || Use a transition object or toy.

#Transition table tool how to#

Learn how to make a visual schedule here. You can find pictures of common everyday activities on sites like do2Learn, or if you have access to Boardmaker, you can find pretty much any picture under the sun. If a child is struggling a great deal with transitions, try breaking it down into even simpler terms with a “First…Then” chart, showing that first the child must complete one activity before moving on to a more preferred activity. Try to alternate between non-preferred and preferred activities so that the child sees that she has positive things to look forward to throughout the day.Īs much as you possibly can, stick to your schedule like glue until it’s an easy routine for the child. This Visual Schedule Planner app looks awesome too. get dressed, brush teeth, eat breakfast, go to school) either in pictures or, if your child can read, using words. Set up a visual schedule showing the child several steps of her day (e.g. 2 || Make sure the child knows and understands what is coming next and give her something to look forward to! Give lots of warnings for how long the child has left to participate in the activity. 10 more pushes on the swing, 3 more turns with the toy, etc.). Offer a set number of turns with the activity before moving on and then count them out clearly (e.g. Bring the child’s attention to it when you set it and keep referring to it throughout the activity (e.g.

Here are some of my favorite ideas and therapy tools for transitions…ġ0 Calming Techniques & Transition Strategies for Kids 1 || Make it clear to the child how much longer the activity will last. I won’t say that these strategies are 100% fail-proof, but I do know from experience that it feels really good to be prepared with a handful of ideas that can help ward off a potential tantrum when the going gets tough. Like when we have to leave those beloved Legos behind in the morning to go to school or when it’s time to leave Grandma’s and they just don’t want to go home! But, as time went on and I became an auntie and then, a few years later, a mom, I realized… ”Wait a minute…these little tricks work with all kids!” If you’ve worked with kids for awhile, you know all about transitions and transition strategies and calming techniques during transitions…those little magic tricks that creative teachers, therapists, caregivers, and others have invented to help prevent tantrums and promote self-regulation when kids need to move from one activity to another throughout the day.īefore I had my own kids, I used these strategies primarily with my students at school who had autism or other special needs that contributed to challenging behaviors during transition times.