Why are Transitions a Struggle?
Here are a few reasons why transitions can be hard:
Neurodiverse brains can process experiences differently:
People with IDD perceive situations differently than other people. Your perception is built from the information you get from your senses and filtered by your attention, expectations, and memories. Because people with IDD commonly have sensory issues, their perception is often different from yours or mine. This is why people with IDD might have difficulty handling sensory changes, shifting their attention, or difficulty with executive functioning.
Transitions can feel unpredictable:
Many people with IDD thrive on routine. If something in their routine or schedule changes unexpectedly it can feel jarring and confusing. They don’t know what to expect in the future.
Change can feel scary:
Anxiety is a very common emotion that everyone struggles with but particularly people with IDD can have a hard time expressing it. New situations, breaking routine, or trying something new can elicit a lot of anxiety for people with IDD. People with IDD can often struggle with expressing and regulating their own emotions. This causes their emotions to manifest in different ways like negative behavior.
Behavior is Communication
Behavior is often a form of communication that people with IDD must resort to in order to get their point across. Many times, you must look for the cause of the behavior and not focus on the behavior itself.
How to Make the Change Easier
Break it down with first-then
Try dividing the transition into smaller chunks. Instead of moving from playtime directly to bedtime, try an activity that calms them down to get ready for bedtime. A helpful tool is first-then phrasing. This involves setting clear expectations by saying “first we will do x, then we will do y”. In the example of moving from playtime to bedtime this might look like, “first we have to clean up the toys, then we brush our teeth”. You can also make first-then visual with a first-then board: a simple card with two boxes, one showing a picture of what happens first and the other showing what comes next. Seeing the steps can help people with IDD who understand pictures more easily than spoken words. This structure allows people with IDD to know exactly what needs to happen so they can move forward.
Plan ahead with visual schedules
At the start of the day sit down with your loved one and plan out the day. Just like neurotypical people, people with IDD like to know what is going to happen that day so setting expectations is important. Commonly, a visual schedule is a nice way for people with IDD to see and understand what will be happening that day. Free visual schedules can be found online. Below is an example of a visual schedule.
Unplanned transitions
Sometimes things don’t quite go to plan and as many of us know, people with IDD like to have a plan. When something comes up that requires them to break their routine, we know it can be extremely hard for them to adjust. Above we talked about why it might be hard for them to adjust to a new situation but now we will talk about what you can do to help. If you know that an unplanned transition is coming, let the person with IDD know ahead of time so they can prepare. Tell them the expectations and what is coming next. You can utilize first-then structure or explain to them the new plan on their visual schedule. Another tool you can try is a visual timer to tell the person with IDD when it is time to move on to the next activity.
Be patient
Recognize that people with IDD process situations differently than neurotypical people. Because of this, they might respond with resistance or negative behaviors. When this happens, you need to be patient and reinforce the expectations of the transition. Utilize the tools that we talked about above to make transitions a bit easier for everyone. If none of the tools we described work, start trying out new tools or strategies to find what works best for your loved one.
Example (Put picture of photo released kid on playground)
In the Helping Hand school, the kids go out to play on the playground every day for recess. Teachers will commonly use visual schedules before recess to let the kids know what the plan is for the rest of the day. Even though the teachers use the schedule, students still want to keep playing outside even when it is time to go back inside for class. In this situation teachers might use a 5-minute timer to let the students know how much time they have left in recess. After the timer goes off teachers might use first-then structure by saying, “First we go down the slide, then we line up at the door to go inside”. This makes it clear to the students what their expectations are so they can transition to going back inside. This is a great example of using multiple tools together to allow for a seamless transition. By using all of the tools, students know what to expect and what they need to do to keep moving forward with their day.
Transitions to Adulthood
At Helping Hand, we produce our own podcast that talks about everything IDD. One episode with our Adult Admissions Coordinator, Ceana Gates, talks about The Cliff. The Cliff is at the age of 22, right after someone with IDD graduates from school and falls off the cliff of support. Many times, there is less support available for adults with IDD due to funding sources. But at Helping Hand we are committed to a continuity of care from childhood through adulthood. Learn more about The Cliff in the video below!
Helping Hand Podcast – Episode 2: Navigating the Cliff
If you want to learn more about Helping Hand and our services please contact the admissions team. They will answer any questions you have and even schedule a tour. Contact the admissions team »