Taking turns is a fundamental part of daily life. From waiting in line at the grocery store to playing a board game or participating in a classroom discussion, sharing moments with others requires patience and social awareness.
It is challenging enough for neurotypical children to master the concept of waiting. For those with neurodevelopmental challenges such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning how to take turns can be even tougher.
Because turn-taking relies heavily on social cues, communication and impulse control, children on the spectrum often need structured guidance to build these skills. By understanding why turn-taking is difficult and introducing intentional interventions, parents and professionals can know how to best support children with autism as they develop this ability.
In this article, we will discuss how applied behavior analysis (ABA therapy) teaches turn-taking and helps children navigate social interactions.
- Turn-taking supports lifelong social skills. Learning to wait and share helps children participate more successfully in school, friendships, and family activities.
- ABA breaks complex skills into manageable steps. Therapists gradually increase waiting time and social expectations based on each child’s progress.
- Visual supports reduce uncertainty. Timers, schedules, and “First-Then” visuals make waiting more predictable and less stressful.
- Positive reinforcement builds lasting behaviors. Immediate praise and meaningful rewards encourage children to practice successful turn-taking repeatedly.
How Does Turn-Taking Affect Children on the Autism Spectrum?
Taking turns can be a very confusing concept for children with autism, as it fundamentally requires pausing an enjoyable activity and waiting for someone else to finish theirs. For a child on the spectrum, this delay can induce anxiety, frustration or a complete loss of interest.
Because autism commonly involves challenges with communication, a child may struggle to understand conversational pauses or read the body language that indicates it is their turn to speak or act.
They may have a tougher time interacting with peers simply because they can’t predict or follow the natural back-and-forth flow of play.
Not only that, but difficulties with executive functioning such as impulse control and working memory can make the act of waiting feel physically and emotionally overwhelming. If a child has a heightened sensitivity to delayed gratification, sharing an item can feel like a permanent loss.
Just like autism itself, children have very different and unique experiences when learning social structures. That is why providing extra support during play and daily routines is so important.
| Turn-Taking Skill | Common Challenges for Children with ASD | ABA Therapy Response |
|---|---|---|
| Conversational Back-and-Forth | Difficulty recognizing verbal pauses, interrupting conversations, or missing social cues. | Direct instruction, conversational scripts, script fading, and visual cues to teach appropriate timing. |
| Board Games & Group Activities | Grabbing pieces out of turn, leaving activities while waiting, frustration with losing. | Visual turn trackers, token reinforcement systems, and gradual exposure to waiting and losing. |
| Sharing Toys | Difficulty giving up preferred toys and territorial behaviors. | Structured “My Turn, Your Turn” practice with brief wait times and immediate positive reinforcement. |
| Waiting in Physical Play | Difficulty standing in line, following peer order, and waiting safely. | Social stories, peer modeling, proximity prompts, and gradual independence while waiting. |
How Does ABA Teach the Concept of Taking Turns?
ABA therapy is a highly individualized and personalized treatment plan. Before a child goes through their first therapy session, comprehensive evaluations are done to assess their needs, strengths, challenges and preferences.
Through parental feedback, observations and hands-on experiences, your child’s therapy team will create a treatment plan that is tailored to their unique attributes and needs. This plan will guide the interventions as therapists collect data during sessions and analyze it afterward to assess your child’s progress toward their goals.
When focusing on turn-taking, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) will break this complex social concept down into small, manageable milestones.
A child who struggles to wait 30 seconds for a toy won’t be expected to play an entire board game right away. Instead, the therapy team will start by teaching the child to tolerate brief intervals of waiting before gradually scaling the expectations.
The great part about ABA therapy is that it’s flexible. Therapy teams can work directly with parents, family members, teachers and other professionals to adjust the treatment plan to your child’s needs and challenges at the current moment.
This guarantees that the intervention is reflective of their skill level today, preventing frustration and encouraging consistent growth.
What Strategies Are Used to Help Children Master Turn-Taking?
Much of the challenges children face with turn-taking relate to behaviors and emotional regulation. The sudden interruption of an activity can cause stress, and the added pressure of peer environments can add mental weight, all at a time when they are trying to engage and enjoy their play.
ABA therapists know this, and they will cater their behavioral strategies and interventions to methods that have proven to work and also cater specifically to what resonates with your child.
Positive Reinforcement
Integrating positive reinforcement promotes exhibiting desirable behaviors instead of unhelpful or harmful ones. When a child successfully hands over a toy or waits their turn without a behavioral outburst, the therapist immediately reinforces that behavior with high-quality praise, a favorite token or access to a preferred activity.
Visual Supports
Visual schedules, physical tokens and countdown timers are exceptionally helpful tools. If a child can visually see a timer ticking down or a visual strip reading “First [Peer’s Turn], Then [My Turn],” the abstract concept of time becomes concrete, drastically reducing anxiety.
Social Narratives and Modeling
Therapists often utilize short, personalized stories that describe a specific social situation, what to expect and how to behave. By reading stories about turn-taking or watching a therapist model the correct behavior with a peer, children can mentally rehearse the scenario before experiencing it in real life.
Blue Gems ABA Supports Social Skill Development
Learning to take turns is a gateway skill that opens the door to deeper friendships, smoother school transitions and enhanced independence. By adapting the plan and techniques used, ABA therapy can best support children in mastering this very sensitive yet important developmental milestone.
At Blue Gems ABA, our team of experienced therapists support children on the autism spectrum through every step of their social development. We consistently evaluate every patient’s progress toward their goals, and adjust treatment plans when necessary to meet them exactly where they are at.
To learn more about how we can support your child’s social and behavioral growth, please contact us today.
1. Why is taking turns so difficult for children with autism?
Many children with ASD struggle with social cues, impulse control, and delayed gratification, making waiting feel stressful or confusing.
2. At what age should ABA begin teaching turn-taking?
Turn-taking can be introduced as soon as a child is developmentally ready, often beginning with very short waiting periods during play.
3. Can parents practice turn-taking at home?
Yes. Simple games, sharing favorite toys, and using consistent praise can reinforce skills learned during ABA therapy.
4. What if my child becomes upset while waiting?
ABA therapists typically shorten the waiting time, provide visual supports, and gradually increase expectations as the child becomes more comfortable.
5. How long does it take to learn turn-taking?
Progress varies for every child, but consistent practice across therapy, home, and school environments often leads to steady improvement.
