Your child will need support and time to prepare for any changes to his/ her routines at school or home. This includes school trips or moving to a different classroom or teacher.
Strategies for managing change
- Use visual supports to explain what will be happening to your child, this will support his/ her understanding of what you are saying. You will need to explain what’s going to happen more than once. Mark on a calendar when the change will be happening and encourage him/ her to count down the days until the change takes place. On the day of the change a visual time table can be useful to explain exactly what is happening.
- Visit a new place several times before the change to enable your child to become familiar with it. Take photographs of key parts of the new place and people and make a book about the change.
- If you feel the change may cause your child to become anxious, make sure you provide him/ her with opportunities to ask questions. You could also provide him/ her with a worry book or box where they can write or draw his/ her concerns. Explain the benefits of the change.
People with autism can find change difficult, so to help your child feel at ease, try to establish familiarity and use visual supports to aid their understanding.
If you are having any concerns over a change in your child’s life, please get in touch with our team for advice.
