Preparing for the start of a new school year can be stressful because of the shift from the freedom and schedule flexibility of summer to the more defined and structured schedule of a school environment. Focusing on preparing before the start of the first day of school is important for students with special needs. Many students with special needs or anxiety may benefit from practicing the consistent transitions that come with being at school.
Benefits of Using Visual Timers for Students with Special Needs
Products for time management, and especially visual timers, are a benefit to students with special needs who struggle with transitioning between activities. Transitioning can be especially difficult for students on the Autism Spectrum, and a visual timer can help to ease anxiety as the time nears to transition from one activity to the next. There’s the potential to add some independence for students with special needs who may benefit from being able to mentally prepare for a transition without additional guidance.
Visual timers are also helpful for students who have ADD or ADHD and often lose track of their goal or the amount of time they have left to complete it. Whether the student is participating in a preferred or nonpreferred activity, having a visual reminder of the amount of time left can help to give the activity a more concrete beginning and end.
Using a Timer at Home to Get Ready for Back to School
Using a timer at home may already be common practice for families of students with special needs, but a visual timer could also be a useful tool for families of any student getting ready to start a new school year. The change in schedule can cause frustration and irritability for any student, and at-home practice of transition times, earlier bedtimes, or earlier mornings can help to ease some back to school struggles.
Here are some favorite visual timer products that could help get this year off to a great start:
Using a Timer in the Classroom: Easing the Back to School Transition
As students arrive at the beginning of the year, each one is coming from a different background and transitioning from summer scheduling. It can be beneficial to use visual timers in the classroom as students are adjusting to the feeling of transitioning between activities and subjects throughout the school day.
Some students will have a natural sense for how much time it takes to accomplish a task and how to spend their time so that they have space in the schedule to clean up. Younger students, however, may need help remembering to spend time working on transition and clean up. A visual timer can help students by reminding them when their time is up, or when they need to start transition time.
If you’re interested in seeing more ideas for classroom management and tools to help students perform their best, be sure to stop by the Classroom Management category page.
Read More: Classroom Management
More Back to School Tips for Students with Special Needs
Whether you are an educator, guardian, family member, or friend of a student with special needs, the inclusion of tools like visual timers can be very beneficial. Giving students the best chance at meeting goals and gaining independence is an important part of getting ready for the start of a new school year or improving daily life at home or in the school environment.
Read More: Self-Regulation and ADHD
