Principle #1 – Preparation

Students have successful transitions if they are prepared ahead of time. Visual supports help the student see that an end is coming and that it will be time to make a change. Verbal warnings or cues can also serve to signal a transition. Some activities have a natural ending (i.e., getting dressed) and indicate that a transition is coming. For example, putting on a coat is a natural transition that precedes going outside.

Some transitions are defined by time of day or by a certain number of minutes. Parents who say, "When Magic School Bus ends in five minutes, it is time for bed." Still other transitions can be signalled by quantity. A digital timer with a number of minutes set for the reading period can signal that reading is ending and recess is about to begin.

The teacher who says, "Do two more problems and you can use the computer" is using quantity to signal transition. When a teacher places two on the child's desk, she can see the number of puzzle activities that need to be done. This signals a transition.

Example: Sara
Sara loves to read and finds it a nice, calming activity before bedtime. However, she has difficulty understanding that at a certain point, it will be time to stop reading, turn off the light and go to sleep. Her mother has discovered that an hourglass-style egg timer helps Sara measure how much reading time she has left before the lights go out. When she starts to read, her mother flips the hourglass and says, "When all the sand is in the bottom, it will be time to stop and turn off the light." In a few minutes, Sara’s mother gives a verbal warning, "The sand is almost all in the bottom. When it is at the bottom it will be time to turn out the lights." When the sand is all gone, mother comes in to turn out the lights, noting, "The sand is all at the bottom of the glass. Time for lights out." Sara's mother uses time as a preparation for the transition from reading to sleeping.