Managing Transitions: From Playground to Nap Time
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada Topic: Transition Supports & Temporal Predictability Note: To respect the privacy of the children and families I have worked with, names and specific identifying details have been changed. "Milo" is a pseudonym used for the purpose of this educational case study. Introduction: The Danger of the "In-Between" Think of your brain like a massive ocean liner. It takes a long time to get up to full speed, and it takes an equally long time to slow down and dock. For Milo , his "social and sensory engine" didn't have an emergency brake. When he was outside on the playground, feeling the wind and the broad physical freedom of the Maritime air, his system was at a "Level 10" of activation. Expecting him to walk inside and immediately lie down for a nap at a "Level 1" was asking for a neurological crash. In Nova Scotia , our weather often forces quick transitions—sudden rain means everyone has to run ins...