ASD Students and Transition

Students with ASD experience great difficulty with transitions and change in general. This is partially due to deficits in executive functioning. Executive functions (EF) include problem solving, organizational skills, self-monitoring and application or generalization of skills.

Due to deficits in these functions, ASD students tend to be:

• Distractible and impulsive
• Rigid and inflexible
• Unorganized
• Unable to apply or generalize skills

Transition requires some proficiency in executive functions. Recognizing, accepting and planning for change is important to successful transition. In addition, it requires the application of skills from one environment to another. In transitioning from preschool to elementary school, ASD children must accept and adapt to changes in their environment, staff, classmates, and routines. Difficulty in making adjustments creates anxiety and frustration which can result in tantrums and aggressive or self-injurious behaviors (Twachtman-Cullen, 2000).

It is our responsibility as teachers and parents to provide the necessary supports and structure to help ASD students in planning, organizing, and preparing for a transition. Effective support requires a special understanding of the student’s needs, compensation strategies for executive functioning deficits, clear goals and the involvement of parents and staff. In other words … a PLAN!