How ABA Supports Substitute Teacher Transitions

Change happens all the time in life. For many people, small changes are relatively easy to adjust to, but children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often face additional difficulties doing so.

What might seem like minor adjustments to a daily routine for a neurotypical individual may seem like an overwhelming mountain to climb for a child with autism.

With change being present nearly every day, it’s important to help these children build cognitive flexibility so they can manage their emotions and handle changes effectively.

In this article, we’ll describe how applied behavior analysis (ABA therapy) helps children build that cognitive flexibility so they can manage changes such as substitute teachers.

Table Of Contents

Why is Cognitive Flexibility Important?

Cognitive flexibility is the ability for a person to adapt as plans change. It’s an essential aspect of executive functioning, as it helps people navigate through their daily lives.

Cognitive flexibility applies to many different skills, including shifting perspectives, transitioning from one task to another, coping with change and solving problems.

Children who struggle with cognitive flexibility often have problems with minor changes to what might be a rigid routine. When a substitute teacher is in for the day, for example, the child may become extremely anxious, overwhelmed and concerned.

As a result, they may act out and throw tantrums, be resistant to the change or even shut down. These reactions stand in the way of peace and productivity, so they can become very disruptive to the child and those around them.

Can Children Build Cognitive Flexibility?

The good news is that children can build cognitive flexibility skills so they can better manage change such as a substitute teacher. ABA therapy, the leading treatment for children on the autism spectrum, has many strategies that can support children in this way.

Visual supports are always helpful to children with ASD, as they are typically visual thinkers. This means that pictures and other visual elements that accompany verbal or written instructions can help them to understand better what’s expected of them.

ABA therapists can start by using visual timers, picture aids and even boards with “first this then that” statements. All of this will provide the child with clarity about what is going on, which will help remove confusion and any related stress from changes such as a substitute teacher.

Social stories are a great way to put the child at the center of the situation so they can see first-hand what a substitute teacher might look and feel like in a classroom. Therapists can even role play the scenario, which allows the child to practice interacting with a new teacher.

A major part of ABA therapy is also gradual exposure to change, which can be done with any number of situations. It involves introducing tiny changes to the child’s routine to help them manage their emotions and adjust.

Over time, these introduced changes can get bigger, with the goal of building cognitive flexibility so the child is better prepared to handle whatever change might come their way.

How Does ABA Therapy Handle Resistance to Change?

Children with ASD may still exhibit resistance to change, but ABA therapy can help support them by teaching coping skills. Actions such as deep breathing, sensory toys or other tools, and the ability to request a break are all ways in which children with autism can manage their emotions when they’re having trouble adapting to change.

ABA therapists can teach all of these skills by helping children improve their communication and social skills. Doing so will help them advocate on their behalf so they can get the break they need if they’re feeling overwhelmed, for example.

As the therapist is working with the child, they’ll also use positive reinforcement as a way to reward them for learning the new skills. Things such as extra praise or time with a preferred toy or activity also keeps the child engaged in the therapy and motivated to exhibit the desired behaviors in the future.

Once they’ve learned all these skills in a controlled therapy setting, they can continue to work to generalize those skills so that they are better prepared to adapt to change such as a substitute teacher.

Blue Gems ABA Supports Children with ASD through Change

Even small changes can be very challenging for children with ASD. Through the right supports and ABA therapy strategies, children with autism can learn to build cognitive flexibility and coping skills so they can more effectively adjust to change such as substitute teachers.

At Blue Gems ABA, we support all the children we serve through change. We build personalized treatment plans that specifically target the child’s strengths, challenges, needs and preferences, helping them to build the skills necessary to live as independently as possible.

To learn more, please contact us today.