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Strategies to support students

Shift

Transition warnings: Students with difficulty shifting would benefit from warnings for unexpected events in the day (fire drill, assembly). Discuss it with the student as soon as possible and plan for how they might cope with the change. 

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Provide structure: Provide the student with a schedule for the day. Limit disruptions in the student’s daily routine. Have clear classroom routines and provide the student with warning that activities in the class will be changing (e.g., “in five minutes, we will be putting our reading materials away and be getting ready for Science”). Provide structure when assigning tasks (especially open-ended tasks). Make the steps explicit and provide the student with templates. If you are beginning a new task, try to link it to a similar task the student is familiar with. Go through tasks in a step-by-step fashion so the student has a plan for attempting the assigned work.

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Value errors: Normalize mistakes. Think aloud and model your reaction to errors and how they can be useful learning tools.

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Scaffold change: Over time, introduce gradual change in the student’s routine. Support the student’s adjustment with meta-cognitive questions: “Today we will be going on a nature walk. What do you need to do to prepare yourself to go on the walk? Who do you think you would like to walk with?”

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Social Stories: Social Stories are learning tools that explain social situations and can be a powerful tool to help reduce anxiety related to inflexibility. Written using positive language, social stories can be used to in a variety of situations. The Social Story can provide language that teachers can use to reassure a student... For more information

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Visual schedule or agenda: Students with inflexible thinking can feel nervous about the unknown and need a clear expectation for the day. Visual schedules and agendas can make the class more predictable so student feel less anxiety. Explicitly teach where to find the list of events or lesson parts at the beginning of the term and students will have a way to know what to expect. For students that struggle with reading, visual schedules (adding images to the text) allow everyone to know what to expect.​

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Calendar: Class calendars are more than just a way to stay organized as a teacher. By making an external record of what is coming up, you relieve the pressure on students who struggle to keep those dates in mind. Make sure the calendar is regularly updated and in the same location in the classroom.

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First>then: First>then strategy is a great way for a student to more independently achieve a goal of doing an unwanted task. Start with the less desirable task and then the student can choose or enjoy the next activity such as eating a snack. Depending on the student's ability, teachers can use: First Then boardvisuals, chart, or verbal agreement. 

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​Positive self talk: Practicing keeping a positive attitude is important for students who can get overly focused on their anxiety or negative thoughts. Teachers can model and teach practiced lines such as “it’s okay to…” to help students cope with change.

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Chunk work: Starting a big project is daunting. That is why it is important for teachers to break big projects into smaller tasks. For example, brainstorm answers as a class, use checklists or organizers to scaffold big assignments.

 

Offer choice: Being given a choice—even a small one—can help students feel more in control of their lives. Choices may help students change into the next activity a little easier. 

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Provide examples and exemplars: Some tasks or assignments can seem abstract when the student is starting out, so you can help by providing a variety of samples at different levels of success (excellent, proficient, and satisfactory). Be careful not to overwhelm students with unrealistic expectations.

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