Easing the transition between home and school

 In my last video I talked about how hard it can be for some children to move between settings, activities, and people. And for kids with school anxiety, that transition between home and school and then back home again at the end of the day can often be really hard. So this week I want to talk about one really simple but powerful tool that can make these moments easier, and that is visual supports.

These can be things like visual timetables or now and next boards, and they can be incredibly helpful for children who find change tricky or who get anxious about what's coming next.

So why do visual supports make such a difference? Firstly, they reduce anxiety by showing clearly what's coming next. So when children can see the plan, it makes the day feel more predictable and less overwhelming.

Visual supports can help build a sense of safety and routine. If your visual looks the same each day, it helps your child feel reassured that they know what's gonna happen.

They can also help with understanding time. Young children and some older children too often don't have a strong sense of time. A visual can help them to see where they are in the day and what's coming up next.

And because it's something they can look at as often as they need to, a visual timetable encourages independence.It also reduces the need for adults to keep repeating instructions, which is helpful because if you are saying the same thing multiple times to your young person, this can sometimes be interpreted as nagging, which may escalate already heightened emotions.

And if a child is really worried and in fight, flight, or freeze, they may have difficulty taking on verbal instructions because the thinking part of their brain is just not working properly. So having a visual they can refer back to, can help them remember what's gonna happen.

Visuals can look really different depending on your child's age or needs.

•   You might start with something as simple as a now and next board, or a now next, and then board.
•   Or you could use to-do and done boards for slightly older children.
• And for some children, you might want to map out all the different steps of the day.

 You don't necessarily need anything fancy. I made mine easily on Canva, printed them out, laminated them, and then used little stick on Velcro dots so you can swap out pictures as you need to.

If you'd like to try using a visual timetable. click on my free download link so you can get the same templates I've used in this video. Visual supports can't solve every difficulty, but they can really help reduce anxiety, support, independence, and make transitions a little bit calmer for everybody.

Next week I'll be talking about what you might want to add to your visual timetable to support with the morning routine, the transition into school, and those after school meltdowns. It is half term next week, and I know lots of you will be out of your normal routine.

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