Flexibility & Transitioning
Without flexibility, we are unable to transition. Transition meaning change in task.
While typically, flexibility and the ability to transition is recognized as a skill, in our autistic, neurodivergent world, we recognize these terms as goals. Goals for each day, every day. Constantly being practiced.
Why do we practice flexibility?
Well, our ability to do so affects our emotional stability and well-being, social connection, and behavioral response to change. It impacts quality of life.
So what affects our bandwidth to be flexible, transition with ease, and adapt to changing and new environments?
- Mood
- Weather: because who really wants to go out when it is rainy and 40°
- Day of the week: waking up on a Monday feels a lot different than waking up on a Friday
- How we slept the night before
- Manageability of anxiety: “just relax” works for NO ONE
- Level of hunger: there’s a reason hangry is in the dictionary
- Season: see “weather”
- Surrounding events to look forward to or dread: birthday coming up = birthday cake and happiness 🙂
- How others around us are behaving and feeling: *side eye* to the toddler pitching a fit in Target
- Additional stressors of life: anything and everything
In an autistic individual, add:
- The need for predictability
- Sensory overload
- Executive functioning difficulties: impaired cognitive flexibility
- Looping: getting stuck on a specific thought or topic and unable to shift focus
While we can recognize what affects our ability to transition and be flexible, that doesn’t allow us to avoid doing so, especially while out in the community.
As the caregiver, my job is to support. Support being:
- Allowing for creativity; providing choices and outlets to express interests (art, yoga, listening to music)
- Using visual schedules and timers to reduce uncertainty
- Providing advanced warnings to allow time for mental preparation
- Encouraging and scheduling physical movement; allowing breaks, fresh air, a walk to reset
- Using minimal verbiage; clear and concise directions to ease anxiety
Ally’s goal is to practice.
With my support, we execute together. We feel proud together when we transition seamlessly. We feel accomplished when our flexibility level increases. We aren’t successful each time. Sometimes we abandon the shopping cart, leave the store, and try again tomorrow. But that’s what makes it a practice. A goal. Each day and every day. In every aspect of our day.
