Transition Planning for Autism - Autism Spectrum Message Board

addslp · 06-12-2007, 10:27 AM

Hi! My name is Ashley and I am currently a student in Speech Language Pathology. I am doing a study on autism to find out better ways to transition your children into elementary school from an early learning program. If any parents have any suggestions for better ways to transition children into an education program or would like to share the difficulties they have had with transitioning please post on this message. I'm hoping that my study will result in a new method of transitioning. Please help me out with this!

Thank You!

datgrlstef · 06-13-2007, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by addslp

Hi! My name is Ashley and I am currently a student in Speech Language Pathology. I am doing a study on autism to find out better ways to transition your children into elementary school from an early learning program. If any parents have any suggestions for better ways to transition children into an education program or would like to share the difficulties they have had with transitioning please post on this message. I'm hoping that my study will result in a new method of transitioning. Please help me out with this!

Thank You!

Interesting topic.

Good luck with your study.

My son is 3 1/2, and just completed his first year of special needs preschool at an MRDD school. He has done so well (for example, he's now reading, writing, and counting to 100), that his teachers recommended him for the "transitional" preschool room next year. I haven't met with his teachers yet, or have any idea what "transitional" means by their definition. But the teachers he just had, know how important it is to me to have both of my kids together in the same school. (My 5 yr old is neuro-typical). My only concern is the behavior- he is very oppositional to anything he doesn't want to do, and has a hard time breaking routine. I'm not sure a regular school teacher would be able to handle him and then do her normal routine with the other students. I have been given the information for a kindergarden in the school district that is for Autistic children, but at some point he has to transition, so I'm not sure if I'll skip that option or not. So this will be interesting!

relayvolunteer · 06-13-2007, 11:20 AM

My step-son is 6 and he is about to finish his kindergarten year. he transitioned very well in the begining of the year even with all of the chaos of a kindergarten class room. However after christmas break he began to regress. As the year has worn on it has gotten even worse to now when he kicks, screams, bites, punches, pinches, spits, and hits other kids and teachers whenever they want him to do something that he doesn't want to do. They use a picture schedule so that he is aware of his day when he gets to school and they have lots of different pictures and examples that they use to show him what work he will be doing. He has had trouble giving up his favorite toy of the moment, so they have a transition box where the toy goes to sit while he is doing work and when he has met the goals that they set for him he gets the toy back. They also have a "time-out" area that he can go to when is over stimulated or having a really bad day. It's just an area of the classroom that has a desk that faces away from the other students where he can go to calm down and get back on track. They also take him for walks if the time-out chair isn't working. And if all else fails they try to transistion him with a teacher who has become his favorite. They will have her come down and try to get him settled or she will take him out to her classroom and try to get him back on task out there. I hope this helps.

Brandiof4 · 06-14-2007, 11:41 AM

Hi there
The easiest way for my child to transition into a new place by far was me volunteering. For a least the first two weeks. Staying there all day then fading out of the room more and more during the two weeks. I know most parents do not have that opportunity and a lot of teachers don’t want parents in their room, but if a parent can stay for a least 15min, it really takes away anxiety from the child and makes it easier on everyone. Perhaps leaving circle time open for parent involvement. I really recommend Parents volunteer, and observe during school and speech therapy, for it give the parent knowledge about what their child is doing and they then can apply the same technique at home. It makes a huge improvement on the Childs progress.

Take pictures of the things around the school, such as: Toys, Table, Circle time, Lunchtime and etc. Laminate and Label and ask parents to look at them and let the child play with the pictures at home.

cjisabella · 06-14-2007, 07:39 PM

My son is 4 and has one more year of "special preschool" then he will go to the "regular" elementary school. I have been worried alot I thought wow same school and teachers for almost three years 12 kids max to a "regular kindergarten" with twice as may kids and a new teacher at a new school....I have talked to his "team" about my concerns and they explained that thay will never do more than one transition at a time. Christopher has a parapro that helps him with his sensory issues and is there just for him and she will go with him to kindergarten....in my area anyway they like to switch parapros for the kids no longer than every 3 years. And never will they switch a parapro at the same time as a school....So at least I know when the time comes Nancy will be there and that helps me a lot!!!!