Transition Tricks to Support Kids

Transitions are tricky for kids. They can be destabilizing, confusing, uncertain, and they can signal to a kid’s brain - whether true or not - that they are unsafe. And, as we come to the end of the school year, we anticipate lots of transition challenges as kids move out of their classroom, into the summer, and then back into a brand new classroom environment. In such a transition, kids often can lose close contact with their trusted adults in school - and without careful planning from teachers in the building, may struggle to find new ones.

This is where the adults can help. Careful transition planning is the best way to ensure kids are cared for through tricky transition times. And, as teachers or parents, we have the opportunity to share our expertise, offer the solutions that have worked in the past, and support both students and teachers through the stickier transition time. 

We like to consider a few key areas when communicating nuanced background information about kids:

• Home & family: anything relevant to student experience; stick to fact, and not opinion
• Student strengths: start with a focus on the positive! There is good in every kid, and we do not want to lose sight of that!
• Areas of support: What activities are most challenging for the student? Are there any known triggers that set off the student? 
• Preferred activities: What is the student interested in? This can serve as a conversation starter or for some kids, we can connect preferred activities to rewards or goals.
• Supportive tools: What works in the classroom? Do they benefit from the use of fidgets, calming spaces, brain breaks, etc.?

Whether you’re a teacher or parent, you can help to support the kids in your life through difficult transitions - simply with the sharing of information. Transition planning can be done in so many different ways, but if you’d benefit from a more structured approach, download our Student Transition Form! 

And parents! It’s not just for teachers! Feel free to provide this form to your child’s teacher - one blank for them to complete, and one filled out with your perspective. The more information we provide, the better we can support our kids through their bigger year-end transitions. 

We can’t ignore the fact that minor transitions can be challenging for kids, too (for many of the same reasons: they’re confusing, destabilizing, and signal a loss of control.) Transition rituals can be very helpful for these day-to-day minor transitions, helping our kids maintain regulation as they move from one activity to another. Consider using a timer or a countdown to signal a transition, play music during that transition, or announcing the transition in the same way every time. The predictability of these rituals will feel familiar to your kids, and will support their regulation as they transition to a new activity.