Flexibility describes the ability to choose from a range of options to achieve the outcome required and needs the ability to consider differing views at times to decide on a course of action. Adaptability is a person’s ability to cope with changes that are imposed or required by an outside force. For instance, a new teacher in a classroom or an outing or holiday.
Routines can be important to help children feel safe, this is especially true when they are less adaptable to changing situations. Find some top tips for younger children online. Using timers, countdowns, and visuals can help. It is also important to reward when a child is flexible, using some element of choice can promote this.
Transitions, whether big or small can be more challenging for some children and young people. They may need additional support to find safety in these changes. This can be helping them with any questions they may have, doing extra research on a new activity or area or allowing them extra time to accept the change. Planning and preparing for new situations can ease anxiety when trying new things.
Moving to secondary school is a busy time, there are transition resources and a teacher toolkit for school staff to access. It’s important to encourage children and young people not to bottle up any worries they have when there is a transition to a new class or school. The change may be particularly daunting for children, Kent Family has more details. BBC Teach has some resources to support you with transition planning.
As we get older the need to be more flexible and adaptable grows. Education requires teenagers to consider different views and ways of solving problems and this may lead to additional challenges. Being able to be adaptable to the changing needs of peers and education is important. For younger learners some strategies are included in this Brightwheel blog.
Social stories may support with understanding change and transition, there are examples of social stories focusing on coping with change and transition in school on the Happy Learners website. BBC Teach has some resources to support transition planning.
For some young people the behaviour they display in response to the stress caused by change is distressing for them and those around them. The Maudsley Trust has some tips to help.
Useful resources:
Read stories and watch programmes that offer different viewpoints, cultures and lives to broaden the children and young people’s awareness and understanding.
- The Invisible String (Patrice Karst and Joanne Lew-Vriethoff, 2018)
- The Koala Who Could (Rachel Bright and Jim Field, 2017)
- You Can Do Amazing Things – A Child’s Guide to Dealing with Change and New Challenges (Poppy O’Neill, 2022)
- Developing Resilience in Young People with Autism Using Social Stories (Dr Siobhan Timmins, 2017)
- Successful Social Articles into Adulthood – Growing Up with Social Stories (Dr Siobhan Timmins, 2018).
- Successful Social Stories for School and College Students with Autism (Dr Siobhan Timmins, 2017).
- Stories that Explain – Editable social stories (Lynn McCann, 2018).
Videos
- Five steps to smoother transitions
- Strategies to ease back to school transitions
- The benefits of flexible thinking