Instructional Interventions for Difficulty with Transitions

Instructional Interventions for Difficulty with Transitions

Examples of behavior

· Difficulty moving from one place or activity to another

· Difficulty with change of routine (e.g., substitute teacher, fire drills, assemblies, shortened days due to weather or inservice times)

· Difficulty starting and/or stopping an activity

· Refusing to stop an activity, especially after being directed to do so

· Actively resisting activity change by having a tantrum, pushing, shoving, acting out, verbal aggression

Desired alternative behavior(s)

· Follow teacher directions regarding schedule, change of activities

· Shift from one activity to the next within ___ (amount of time)

· Keep his/her hands and feet to self (e.g., remain at least an arm’s or leg’s length away from others) when moving to another area or standing in line

· Demonstrate organizational skills (e.g., prioritize tasks, be able to leave tasks unfinished and return later to complete)

· Use appropriate conversation skills during unstructured times and transitions (e.g., acceptable tone and language with no swearing or shouting, acceptable volume for indoor settings)

General instructional strategies that might be useful in teaching the desired behavior(s)

· Allow time for the student to process the request and respond

· Adjust demands depending on the time (e.g., student on medications and it is almost time for another dose, just before lunch, end of the day)

· If transitioning from a favorite to a less favorite activity, prime the student for compliance by giving him/her a task that he/she will probably comply with, and then move to the next activity (e.g., “Billy, bring me a dictionary, please” because the dictionary is close to Billy and he will probably bring it to you. Then “Thank you – now please sit at to the large table.” You can also reinforce Billy for complying with your request which might ease him into the next task).

· Cooperative learning

· Peer mentoring/buddy system

· Social Stories & Comic Book Conversations

· Direct Instruction

· Modeling

· Self monitoring/checking

· Role playing

· Response cost/token economy

· Use of learning centers

· Sensory Integration Techniques (student may be over- or under-stimulated)

· Actively engage students in learning activities to increase on-task behavior

· Vary instructional presentations

· Foreshadow – e.g., “3 more minutes to finish up”

· Post a daily schedule, making sure to also post changes

Instructional materials that might prove useful in teaching the desired behavior(s)

· Answers to Questions Teachers Ask About Sensory Integration Sensory Resources. 1-800-357-5867. www.sensoryresources.com

· Social Stories and Comic Book Conversations by Carol Gray. The Gray Center, 2020 Raybrooke SE, Suite 101, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. 616/954-9747. www.thegraycenter.org

· Teaching Social Skills to Youth Boys Town Press, 14100 Crawford Street, Boys Town, NE 68010. 1-8—282-6657. www.girlsandboystown.org/products/btpress/index.asp

· Skillstreaming series for social skill instruction. Research Press, P.O. Box 9177, Champaign, IL 61826. 1-800-519-2707. www.researchpress.com

· The Tough Kid Series. Sopris West, 4093 Specialty Place, Longmont, CO 80504. 1-800-547-6747. www.sopriswest.com

· www.behavioradvisor.com

· www.disciplinehelp.com

· www.interventioncentral.org

	Adult attention	Escape/avoidance		Power/control	Peer affiliation	Justice/revenge
Teacher: Instructional strategies to promote desired alternative behavior And/or Instructional strategies to reduce the target behavior [Note: when alternate behavior is incompatible with target behavior, the same strategy may work both to promote & to reduce]	- Direct instruction - Modeling - Self monitoring - Teacher proximity and guidance - Praise for appropriate behavior - Verbal or nonverbal cues (e.g., warning bell, hold up a “warning” card, point) - Foreshadowing - Social Stories - Teacher Modeling - proximity - Response cost	- Engineered choices - Foreshadowing what is to come - Practice in small groups - Visual and verbal schedule - Student directed schedule (student chooses) - Sensory breaks - Social stories - Visual timer for student use, “warning” bell or other cue - Practice starting and stopping activities - Teach organizational skills - Passive breaks (time to relax, put head down)		- Foreshadowing what is to come - Visual and verbal schedules - Student directed schedule - Engineered choices - Social Stories - Students rearrange classroom - Visual timer	- Practice in small groups - Practice group starting and stopping - Peer modeling, peer tutoring, buddy system - Cooperative learning strategies - Social stories - Group contingencies
Student: Instructional consequences for alternative appropriate behavior And/or Instructional consequences for inappropriate target behavior	- Select preferred activity - Leadership roles (manage timer, line leader, etc.) - Praise, positive attention - Use a visual response cost (start with 10 stars and erase one) - Have the student identify appropriate ways to get adult attention	- Select preferred activity - Leadership roles - Miss preferred activity - Contracting - Make up incomplete work, activity, time - Mild or gentle prompts - Have the student identify appropriate ways to escape		- Select preferred activity - Leadership roles - Contracting - Response cost - Have the student identify appropriate ways to gain power or control	- Select preferred activity for the group - Leadership roles - Peer acceptance - Lunch or free time activity with peer of choice - Have student identify appropriate ways to get peer attention and affiliation
Avoid the use of	- Removing student - Unsupervised transition times - Public confrontation		- Removing student - Unsupervised transitions - Humiliating the student	- Power struggles - Confrontation - Physical interaction - Unsupervised transitions
Special considerations	Are there issues around medication, physical or mental health diagnoses? Should the student be evaluated for sensory needs (OT)? Are the classroom and/or other school environments set up to promote active student learning – is the “flow” predictable? Is movement between different areas easy and clear? How might it be made clearer to the student?