Tackling Transitions Aline-Wendy Dunlop Autism Network Scotland Learning Event June 11 th 2013

Transitions are important Time of accelerated change Potential for learning Can affect individuals in the longer term Transitions occur throughout life

Two perspectives Transitions Position Statement  Opportunities  Aspirations  Expectations  Entitlement Agenda for Change document – Improving Transitions for Young People with Additional Support Need  Personalisation  Independence  Choice  Control

Transitions across the day

Dealing with change

Competence

Autism Network Scotland Transitions Survey  A survey consulting individuals with ASD, parents/carers and family members as well as practitioners on matters related to transitions for people on the spectrum.  The survey was completed by 380 respondents out of whom 10% were people on the spectrum, 46% were parents/carers, 33% were practitioners working in the field of autism, 2% were family members and 10% were respondents from neither of the above categories.  Transitions of most interest to respondents were -  31% : home to school/work transition,  30% : child to adult services transition,  27% : transitions from primary school to secondary school and secondary school to further/higher education  24% stated that the transition from education to employment was important.

Main survey topics  Points of transition  Transition planning  What’s working well  What’s not working well  Access to services and information  Areas of interest  Autism Network Scotland events - virtual, face-to-face  Disseminating information

A systems approach Leisure Relationships Employment

Personal experience  The most difficult time of transition for me was going from school to work. It wasn’t really the workplace that I found difficult, but the continuing difficulties with friendships and the expectations of me in these friendships. This was often due to my lack of assertiveness skills, self belief and lack of compromise on the part of my friends. I had a few friends between those from school and people from college, but all of them seemed to enjoy being real ‘party animals’ and I didn’t realise there were other people my age out there who weren’t like this. In my transition years I had come to believe that there was something very wrong with me.…….

Linking knowledge of autism to transitions It is likely that autism will present the individual with some challenges in these areas  Interpreting the thoughts, feelings and expectations of new people  Understanding or establishing new routines  Planning and organisation  Sensory processing This may lead to high levels of anxiety and lead to unexpected responses  Fear  Inappropriate reactions due to lack of social understanding and of what behaviour is expected  Attempts to keep the environment the same or negative responses to the transition interfering with existing structures  Non compliance  Behaviour that others find challenging

Linking knowledge of autism to transitions Type of transition  From one setting to another  Different areas in the setting, new places  Home to school, work, day centre, leisure activities  Different or new personnel  Home issues (new house, family member, loss, holidays)  Through a life stage (Section 2.9; Scottish Autism Toolbox, 2009) Coping  Where they have to be  Who might be there  What they will/should be doing  What behaviour is expected  How much they have to do  How they will know they are finished  What they will be doing next (Division TEACCH, 2006)

What is your experience of transitions?  You cannot run my race of life, only I can  Give me hope and I will pursue  Give me tools and I will build  Give me equality and fairness and I will persevere

What do you currently aim to do?  Opportunity or threat?  Services being ready and adjusting to individuals  Building transitions capacity professionally and institutionally  Opportunities  Aspirations  Expectations  Entitlement  Readiness  Adjustment  Narrowing Gaps  Bridging gaps  Smoothing transitions  Increasing continuity and coherence of experience  Equip children, young people and adults to cope with change  Making a good start

Transitions are a way of life and lifelong