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Successful Transitions: Infusing Visual Structure . Kari Adkins The Classroom Connection. Child Characteristics. Children with disabilities: specifically, language-related disorders typically exhibit:
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Successful Transitions:Infusing Visual Structure Kari Adkins The Classroom Connection
Child Characteristics • Children with disabilities: specifically, language-related disorders typically exhibit: • Strengths in rule-based tasks, visuo-spatial organization, form discrimination, pattern analysis, overall visual processing • Weaknesses in auditory processing, shifting attention between visual and auditory stimuli, abstract conceptualization, impaired attention to meaningful features of a stimulus
Successful Transitioning Begins With: • Visually-cued instruction • A structured learning environment • Consistency of expectations and consequences • Having a system in place at all times and making it a routine
Visually Cued Instruction • Using pictographic and written language as instructional supports to aid and improve organizational and self-management skills • Compliments child’s strengths • Decreases the auditory processing required to successfully comply with directions • Creates a concrete system for understanding and structuring time • Allow child to anticipate on-going events • Become more independent of adult directives
Types of Visual Aids • These aids help structure time across the day and throughout activities, consistently preparing the child for transitions • Activity Schedules • Mini-Schedules/Sequence Schedules • Timers • Visual count-down aids • First-then boards • Visual cue cards/rule cards • Choice boards • Transition Objects
Daily/Activity Schedules • Used to communicate activities over a span of time • Can include real objects, real pictures, symbolic pictures or written words • Typically includes major portions of the day or activity • Allows the child to predict what is going to happen and what expectations are expected • Should be referred back to during each major transition • Important: It is best if the schedule has a clear and salient way of communicating when an activity has ended and when there is a change in routine
First/Then Boards • Typically a pre-cursor to use of an activity schedule • Communicates expectations for short intervals at a time • Can be used effectively when a child is overwhelmed by environment to decrease frustration by creating clear expectations
Mini-Schedules • Target certain events or tasks within the daily schedule • Breaks the task down into smaller steps • Makes the task more manageable • Child sees how much work is expected • Creates a system of direction communication through the ais of visuals • Schedule should always include a “what’s next?”
Timers • Can use a variety of timers: “red all gone”, auditory alert, visual alert • Timers make the passing of time visual and more concrete • Timers create boundaries • Especially useful for transitions out of preferred activities
Visual Count-Downs • Visual count down sequences do not give the specifics of the tasks the child is required to do within a designated period of time, but how much work needs to be accomplished • Child can be an active participate in the monitoring of the count-down • Can also be done with fingers or other objects taken away to signal transitioning out af a preferred activity
Visual Cue Cards/Rule Cards • Typically used when a child exhibits behaviors that do not comply with adult directives or not not follow the rules • Redirection using a cue card (i.e., quiet hands, time to line up or all done) can refocus attention and provide adults with a concise and simple script to use
Choice Boards • Choice time can be overwhelming • Visual choice boards decrease child frustration and anxiety during this time by providing visual choices that can be made and reinforced • In addition, infusing the day with choice opportunities for children with disabilities is an important instructional consideration
Transition Objects • Real objects that symbolize the transition to a designated activity (i.e., a toothbrush to signal “time to brush teeth”, or a puzzle piece to signify choice time) • Generic transitions tools can also be used as a visual direction of where to go next within a larger activity schedule
Structuring the Learning Environment • Creating a learning environment that has clear visual boundaries will decrease overall anxiety and visually communicate expectations for specific areas • Choice area • Work area • Snack area
Other Simple Instructional Techniques • Transition songs • Lights out • Riddles • Verbal count down • Group contingencies/social motivation • Reinforcement
Resources • Cole-Currens, Elizabeth. (1993). Smooth Transitions for a Smooth Day. Texas Child Care, 17:3. • Larson, Nola, Henthorne, Mary & Chvojicek, Ruth. (2001). Transition Magician for Families: Helping Parents and Children with Everyday Routines. • Quill, Kathleen. (1997). Instructional Considerations for Young Children with Autism: The Rationale for Visually Cued Instruction. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 27:6.