Manage successful transitions
Help years 9-13 students to be successful in the learning environment by understanding and minimising challenges.
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Communicate with parents
Communicate with parents
Communicate regularly with the student’s family.
Work together to prepare the student for changes in routines, moving to new classes, and moving out of school.
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Create a predictable environment
Create a predictable environment
Use predictable routines and systems
- Use class and personalised timetables so that students can anticipate transitions and manage themselves independently.
- Support routines and comprehension with visuals.
- Keep visuals and supports consistent over time.
- Use the same visuals, signals, language and cues across the school.
- Teach and model how to use planning and scheduling tools.
- Make visuals and resources easy to find by using clearly divided zones, for example a maths resources zone.
Signal and manage transitions and changes
- Use timers, timetables and visuals or task boards to clarify tasks and transitions.
- Talk through last minute changes that may be startling to students.
Support time management
Support time management
Introduce tools such as visual timers to reduce surprise that an activity is over or to signal that a transition is coming.
Transitions between classes
Transitions between classes
Difficulties with transitions can be related to confusion about what's next, and maintaining focus and attention during the transition.
- Remind the student of what is going to happen at the end of each class.
- Give a verbal reminder 5 minutes before the class will end.
- Set a timer for a few minutes before the bell to prepare the student for a transition. This might be set on their phone, watch, or a physical timer.
- Give clear, consistent instructions about what to do when the timer rings.
- With the student, create a list of simple steps detailing how to move on to the next class. Place this on their desk and review it with the student in each class, every day, particularly at the beginning of the year.
Prepare for new and unfamiliar situations
Prepare for new and unfamiliar situations
Prepare students for change and new situations. New situations may include things such as changing schools, starting a new programme or going on school camp.
- If possible, arrange for the student to visit the new space prior to the start date.
- Show photos or videos of the new space.
- Prepare a video, presentation, or scrapbook for the student to revisit frequently.
- Discuss the student’s concerns regarding the change.
- Use social stories to 'practise' for the new situation.
- Arrange for the student to meet one or two key people or staff members who will be involved with them.
- Visit locations that may be new or different, such as the gymnasium or the bus stop.
- Arrange a buddy that the student knows well to help the student negotiate his or her way around new spaces.
- Discuss the new routines and create visuals to support them.
Transition out of school
Transition out of school
Supporting students with FASD to transition enhances opportunities for success, safety, and wellbeing.
- Start planning early – in the final three or four years of school, not the last three or four months.
- Plan collaboratively with the student, their parents or caregivers and relevant school staff, such as their form teacher, dean, or the SENCO, for ongoing and consistent support and planning.
- Identify large goals, such as what the student wants to do when they leave school.
- Identify small goals for reaching the big goal – provide a visual of the small steps, which can be referred to and where achievements can be recorded.
- Revisit the steps for achieving small goals frequently with the student.
- Celebrate achieving small goals.
The Preparing students to leave school guide provides targeted strategies, suggestions, and resources to support successful transitions.
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Helpful classroom strategies years 9-13”:
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Current page Manage successful transitions
Return to the guide “Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and learning”
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How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: FASD and learning
Understand:
- Understanding FASD
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Helpful classroom strategies years 9-13Show suggestions for Helpful classroom strategies years 9-13
