Encourage Change: Creative Ways to Work With Children on Accepting Change
Change can be challenging for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). If your child struggles with change, the following are various methods that may help.
Drawing Activities Out of a Hat
When you need to make a change in your child’s schedule or routine, communicate the change, and let them draw a fun activity out of a hat (or bowl), such as jumping on the trampoline or going to the park. This reinforces to your child that if they are accepting of the change, they will be rewarded with a fun activity. Drawing the activity from the hat makes it especially exciting.
Reward Route Deviation
Reward route deviation is a method for rewarding your children for their cooperation with an unexpected change. Preplan a change from the ordinary routine and reward cooperation with something fun. For example, change the order of your child’s bedtime routine, and add a fun activity at the end (a reinforcer) only if your child adjusts without whining and complaining.
Stock Phrase for Change
Having a stock phrase is a great way to help your child handle a change in their schedule or routine. For example, you may say, “Put on your flexible hat,” letting your child know to expect something to be different in the schedule. If your child copes without protesting, reward your child with a desired item or activity. Eventually, the phrase itself may become reinforcing.
Visual Supports
Posters and pictures can help parents communicate expectations. For example, use a “?” on the schedule to indicate a change is coming. Start with fun changes before moving to challenging changes. This tool will help form a link between desired behavior and reinforcing activities.
Recommended reading: “It’s My Way or the Highway: Turning Bossy into Flexible and Assertive” by Julia Cook
Improve Transitions
Transitions are often particularly difficult for people on the autism spectrum. Be sure to provide plenty of time for transitions to occur. Be patient.
Be silly — Use the transition to do something silly. Try acting like a favorite animal by walking like an elephant, hopping like a bunny or singing a silly song.
Transition warning — Whenever possible, give a warning that an ending time is coming, and change is expected. This can be as simple as saying, “Five more minutes,” or “After three more trips on the slide, it’s time to go.”
Visual timer — Provide a timer to count down the remaining time. This can be numbers on a typical timer or a disappearing color on some new types of timers. Parents may color the clock on an analog clock to show times for parts of a routine.
Find a stopping point — Help your child learn to find a stopping point. Ask, “What do you need to do to be finished?” Help your child make a reasonable choice (one more drink, five more blocks, two more minutes). It is fine if parents offer a choice that works for the parent, “Do you want to go down the slide one more time, or swing for two minutes?”
Designated area — Make a designated area where things will not be touched or changed. Oftentimes, playing with special-interest items stays in the child’s mind, and it can be especially difficult for them to leave their special items. Create an area of safety where your child’s special items will be left just as they are for the return. This can be a child-sized tent, a designated shelf or an entire room.
Visual schedule — Make sure to include transition in schedules. This may include things like putting on shoes and getting a jacket when it's time to leave. It may be a “first-then” board to allow returning to a favorite activity after completing a less-preferred task.
Transition object — Provide an object or picture of an object that represents the next activity for the child to carry with them as they travel to the next activity (e.g., a paintbrush for art class, a small ball for PE or a spoon for mealtime).
Pre-plan a stopping point — Talk with your child at the beginning of an activity about expectations. Let your child know if there is a time limit, and help decide what can be done in that time. Discuss what a finished art project or Lego build will look like, and help your child decide what to do if there is not enough time to do all your child would like to do.
After transition reward — Reward transitions that occur with minimal fussing and cooperation by providing a transition reward. This may be handing your child a favorite toy once seated in their car seat and buckled. It may be planning a favorite snack to happen after a fun play time. It may be a sticker chart with a reward for earning a specified number of stickers.
