Why Is Change Difficult for Students with ASD?

Why is change difficult for students with ASD?

Many students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are resistant to change because they find it difficult to predict and anticipate. Changes to the environment, routines and activities can appear to take place without any warning and therefore can be extremely threatening and distressing, resulting in an attempt to control or avoid the change.

Students with ASD can find it challenging to identify and respond to natural cues, read situations, generalise responses and predict outcomes.

Stress signals

Signs of stress, due to difficulties coping with changes or transitions, may result in the student becoming very tense and anxious, which they may handle in a number of ways.

Some students may ask repetitive questions, as getting the same answer each time seems to help students feel more secure in an environment or situation that they perceive as threatening. Repeating questions may also reflect that the student still has not got all the information they need to adequately process the change.

Some students with ASD may become withdrawn when stressed or revert to topics of choice or interest to avoid the change. Others may become overly loud and increasingly agitated when dealing with changes. Some may attempt to ‘take control’ of the activity in an attempt to predict the outcome or order of events.

Helping students with ASD manage transitions between tasks and activities

It is important to consider ways to help students with ASD cope with the inevitable changes and support them to think flexibly in the diverse situations that they face in the early years of school. Keeping things the same as much as possible, and minimising changing tasks and routines if not necessary, can increase predictability and minimise the stress of transitions.

It is important to prepare the student for a change in activity by giving advanced warning. This is best presented via the student’s learning strength (often visual) as they may need to process this information when stressed. Having information visually recorded seems to provide some level of stability for the student, therefore decreasing feelings of fear and insecurity.

The following strategies can support students with ASD to manage transitions between tasks and activities.

Keep the student calm and able to process information

·  Use routine and structure to help the student predict what is required of them and what is likely to happen. Routines can be comforting and calming.

·  Use visual cues such as a timetable, schedule or list of tasks to support understanding.

·  Check the student can ‘read’ the schedule. Do the symbols, words or images mean something to the student? Is the amount on the visual cue appropriate to the student?

·  Avoid having the student complete more than one challenging task at a time (e.g. if sharing is a challenge then avoid having a sharing activity with another challenging task such as writing).

·  Initially introduce transitions that are positive to the student so that they may learn that change isn’t always bad but can in fact be a good thing, for example saying “After you pack up we can read your book”.

Provide information in a readily accessible form (particularly when the student is stressed)

·  Teach students how to process the change in activities on the schedule or timetable. Include changes to a preferred task to encourage a positive response.

·  Ensure the student can process the schedule or list of tasks. Is it too complex? Does it need a motivating image? Is it within close proximity to the student or activity?

·  Present tasks with a visually clear beginning and end, such as a puzzle, shoe box or folder task which are practical and visually clear. This helps the student know when tasks are finished and supports the development of functional and independent transition skills.

·  It may be necessary to keep reiterating the plan for the session so the student is continually reassured, for example saying “First we have maths books, then puzzles, then we will choose something from our busy boxes”.

Minimise the demands of the task

·  Manage the social demands by reducing group size or providing a list to follow (minimising interactions with others).

·  Include motivating tasks in the list so the student has a reason to change tasks.

·  Adjust demands to ensure success. If transitions are difficult, start with one change of activity then a reward, break or choice.

·  Progressively increase the demands. Add another job to the list (motivating job/activity last) and increase the complexity of the tasks or the length of time between preferred tasks.

Give advance warning of transitions

·  Try to give the student a concrete time that the changes or transition will occur, for example saying “[student’s name], after we pack our bags/when we go to music/when I ring the bell/when I sing my change song”.

·  If the student is unlikely to process a verbal prompt to change activities, remember to provide notice of the change in a format they are able to process, for example show the photo of the reading area or hold up the reading folders to indicate it is time to move into the reading group area.

·  Involve the student in the change of activity as this gives them something concrete to focus on, for example have them assist making the schedule or list or carry the box of equipment for the next activity.

·  Remember that when faced with a significant change to the routine, such as a special activity or change in staff, the student may be particularly resistant to changing tasks during that day. Adjust demands accordingly to maximise positive participation and provide a visual procedural chart or list so that the student may focus on what will stay the same, for example saying “We have a special assembly instead of maths work, but we will still come back for show and tell, then morning tea, then…”.

Teach the student any phrases or skills necessary for changing activities in the classroom

·  Teach phrases they may use to understand the change such as “___ is finished; it is time for ___ now” or “It is different, but it is okay”.

·  Remember to explicitly teach the routines necessary for transitioning between tasks, such as packing away equipment, working left to right or from ‘1’ to ‘3’, using a finished box or removing completed items from their schedule or list before increasing the complexity of demands.

Many students with ASD have a visual learning preference and benefit from visual cues being incorporated where possible to support them to transition calmly and independently between tasks and activities.