Over time, we’ve realized which tools work for us for easing transitions and making our days run as smoothly as possible. The first week of school was a good reminder. Last week there were two front runners that helped reduce morning anxiety and the need for multiple reminders to get dressed as well as making after school and evening transitions relatively smooth.
1. Visual schedules: Seriously. The real MVP last week! I modified our usual take on visual schedules so now Fletcher and Max each have their own set of morning, after school and evening checklists that include pictures, words and a check box. Fletcher in particular loves to check things off when he’s done and can do so with a dry erase marker because they’re laminated (you can also use a sheet protector). Checking things off his list gives him a sense of pride and ownership that seem to supersede his usual “stuck thinking” around transitions. This also helps both of our boys know what to expect. For the first time ever last week Fletcher not only made his bed, but also every other bed in the house. That was something to celebrate and with so much positive feedback, he’s done it every day since without being asked!
2. Labeled drawer organizer for a week’s worth of outfits: Last year we organized Fletcher’s clothes in a hanging closet organizer. That helped me, but it didn’t really help him. They weren’t labeled and some were out of his reach. This year, I bought a large 3-drawer plastic organizer and labeled each drawer with days of the week. They’re nice and big and easy for him to see. They go in order from Monday through Sunday. When he wakes up now, Fletcher goes right to the drawer for that day and puts on the entire contents…INCLUDING SOCKS! I didn’t have to ask him at all – it just became embedded in his morning routine and was another source of daily celebration. I’ll take every bit of that!
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I’ve made all of our visual schedule templates (for home and school), labels and social story templates available on our Seasons of Sensory store via the Teachers pay Teachers website which can be accessed HERE.
If you have questions on how to use any of our tools or need a modification for your purposes, please don’t hesitate to reach out via email at seasonsofsensory@gmail.com or via message through the blog Facebook page.
Here’s to smooth transitions for all. <3