Coping with change and transition

Why does this happen?

• Children with autism are rigid in their way of thinking so they thrive on routine. They like to know what is going to happen next.
• When their routine is disrupted or something unexpected occurs, a child with autism may experience great anxiety, even outbursts of challenging behaviour. It doesn’t have to be a major change. Any of the following could cause great anxiety: timetable changes, substitute teacher, new class rules, losing a favorite pencil or a friend / aide being absent.
• Transition times - when children are moving from one classroom to another - can also be problematic for children with autism. They may be distressed by noise and jostling from the close proximity of many other children.

What you can do

• Change should not be avoided, it is a part of life. Try to make it part of the day so that the child begins to learn to cope with change and then he will be able to handle other changes more readily. Allowing for some spontaneity will prevent him becoming too dependent on routine. A ‘surprise’ card with an exclamation mark can be used to alert the child to unexpected events. Reassure the child that this surprise will be very special and lots of fun!
• Write the classroom routine on the blackboard. Give a copy to the child’s parents so they can discuss daily activities with their child and help him learn the timetable. Make alterations to the timetable in the child's presence.
• Make a visual timetable. Use laminated activity cards. These cards can be stuck onto a strip of card, or posted in a box at the end of each activity.
• Give him coping self-talk such as "It's different today." and "It's a new way today". Use these in a social story.
• Give warnings. Where possible, give as much warning as possible of any change in routine. This advance warning can help the child cope with the change.
• If an unexpected event occurs, tell the child what will happen in clear, simple language. Children are often reassured by hearing what will happen after the unexpected event.
• Have a place for the child to go to if he is lost. Make sure it is a place that is quick and easy to get to and where an adult can readily provide assistance before he becomes too upset. It would be useful to have a copy of the child’s timetable here, along with information and strategies that help calm the child.
• Transition between classes. Ask the child’s integration aide to take him to his next classroom a few minutes before the other students. Older students or those who do not have an aide could go to their next class a few minutes early, accompanied by another student.

Difficulty with rules

Points to note

• Children with autism have a strong need to control their environment. They rely on rules to give their life structure and make it predictable. This can be an advantage, as rules can be used in a positive way to promote good behaviour.
• Children with autism can be extremely rigid in the way they learn and apply rules. They may not understand that some rules can be bent or broken in exceptional circumstances, such as an emergency.
• Sometimes children with autism develop their own set of rules or firmly-held beliefs that help them cope with a confusing world. They can become very upset if other children do not play or act according to their rules.
• Some children insist on enforcing rules; they will scold other children as if they were an adult. This happens because children with autism lack social awareness. It can have a serious impact on social acceptance by their peers.

What you can do

• Teaching of rules needs to include teaching which rules must be adhered to at all times and which can be broken in exceptional circumstances. For example, rules such as respecting peers and school property should be observed without exception. ‘No interrupting when the teacher is talking’ can be a flexible rule, ie. the child can put his hand up if he needs to go to the toilet, or is feeling unwell.
• Children with autism respond well to visual information. Make up a poster with classroom rules printed on it. List these in positive terms, eg. “Keep you desk tidy.”
• If the child is constantly ‘telling on’ other children, he needs to be taught when it is appropriate to seek adult help. For example, he can tell a teacher if another child is hurt or in physical danger, but not for name-calling.
• Carefully explain to the child that other children do not appreciate him taking on an adult role and constantly ‘telling on’ other children.
• Limit the number of times the child can tell his teacher about others breaking rules. Draw ticks on a wall chart so that the child can see when he has reached his limit for the day.
• A social story can help children with autism understand why it is sometimes OK to bend or break rules. Social stories are also helpful in teaching subtle rules of social interaction. See Social stories for more information.

Obsessive topics

Points to note

• Children with autism tend to have a narrow range of interests. Sometimes this will be one obsessive interest that excludes all other topics.
• It is common for children with autism to talk about their preferred interest with out any regard to the listener’s interest in the conversation.
• Some children with autism are keen to engage in conversation, but the only way they know how is by talking about their obsession. They lack the verbal skills to just have ‘a chat’.
• Talking about a favourite topic can be a way of reducing anxiety as this helps to control the child’s environment and increases predictability.
• Obsessive interests can intrude on the child’s thoughts, leading to distractibility and poor concentration.
• Children with autism may have little motivation to work on topics that fall outside their preferred area of interest.

What you can do

• Try to understand the child’s reasons for continually going on about his obsessive topic - then try to limit the extent to which it intrudes on his thoughts and conversations.
• Identify certain times that the child may talk about his obsessive topic, gradually reducing the length and frequency of these times.
• If the obsessive talk is a way for the child to reduce his anxiety, look at ways of reducing stress and help him to find other ways of coping with stress.
• Show interest and give lots of praise when the child talks about something other than his obsessive interest.
• If the child’s interest is limited to one particular topic, such as Thomas the Tank Engine, try to expand his interest into other areas such as different types of trains or other types of transport.
• Use the obsessive interest to motivate the child. Tell him he can read or talk about his obsession after he has completed a task.
• Utilise the child’s expertise in his preferred topic (provided the interest is socially appropriate) by asking him to share his knowledge with the rest of the class. Common obsessions include trains, dinosaurs, maps, capital cities and statistics. These topics can be incorporated into many areas of the curriculum.
• Help the child recognise the signs that a listener is growing tired of the conversation, ie. yawning, looking away, lack of positive verbal response. Suggest a change of topic when these signs are observed.

Rigid routines

Points to note

• Children with autism can build up rigid routines for themselves because they become stressed when they don’t know what might happen next. These routines help to relieve their anxiety.
• Attempts to stop or modify these routines are likely to be met with great resistance.

What you can do

• While these rituals may seem odd or bizarre, the behaviour does serve a purpose. Only try to change routines that interfere with the child’s learning or the learning of others, or behaviour that is offensive.
• It will be necessary to conduct a review of the child’s stress level and look at ways of reducing his stress before trying to change any behaviour.
• One way to reduce stress is to use schedules. See Visual Schedules for more information.
• It is a good idea to allow for some spontaneity and flexibility within the structure and routine of classroom activities. It is good for children to learn to cope with minor changes, however not all will be able to do so. If you want to try this, use a large exclamation mark on a visual schedule or on the blackboard. Tell the child that this means a surprise and emphasise that it will be lots of fun! Make sure it is an activity that you know the child will enjoy.