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Caring for children comes with unique challenges—but also incredible rewards. As a nanny, you play a vital role in helping children navigate their world with confidence. This guide is part of ‘Understanding Neurodivergence,’ an 8-part series designed to give you practical, easy-to-use strategies to support children in their daily lives. From managing transitions and sensory needs, to supporting emotional regulation and communication skills, we’ll help equip you with real, actionable techniques to create a nurturing, structured, and empowering environment for the children in your care. Whether you’re new to these challenges or looking to refine your approach, this series will help you support each child’s unique strengths and needs—one step at a time.
Mastering Transitions: Helping Kids Handle Change
For many children, consistent and predictable routines help them feel secure and reduce anxiety about the unknown. Transitions – even small ones like moving from playtime to dinnertime – can be tricky if they are unexpected. For children who struggle with organisation, or find it easy to get lost in activities, structured transitions can help them move between tasks or mindsets more easily.
This guide covers simple, actionable techniques to support children with transitions, and help them feel understood and supported.
Build Routines
Regular, structured routines can be a cornerstone of support for children who might otherwise feel overwhelmed by uncertainty. A predictable and consistent routine helps them know what comes next and reduces their anxiety about the unknown. Establishing or building on a daily schedule with consistent times for activities like meals, play, homework, and bedtime can help the child feel secure over time and improve their ability to cope with the day. Discuss any existing routines with parents or teachers, and stick to them where you can.
Prepare and Give Advance Warning
Predictability helps children know what comes next and reduces anxiety. Whenever possible, give advance notice of an upcoming change – as much as you can. This could be a five-minute warning before an activity needs to end, or a gentle countdown like “Two more minutes of play, then we clean up”. Visual timers or countdown apps can also be useful as they allow the child to see time passing.
Use Visual Schedules and 'Now & Next'
Many families and educators use visual schedules or timetables. These can be picture cards or charts to show the sequence of the day’s activities – sometimes referred to as a ‘Now & Next’ board. Reviewing the plan with the child each morning so they know what to expect from the day. When each activity is finished, use the plan to communicate what’s next.
Break Bigger Tasks into Small Steps
Larger tasks can feel overwhelming for neurodivergent children, but breaking them down into smaller, simpler steps can make them feel more manageable. For example, “getting ready for bed” can become: “First, put on your pyjamas. Then, brush your teeth. Next, choose a story”. Go one step at a time and offer praise for completing each part. Using a checklist, like a picture checklist by the front door for leaving the house (“shoes on, coat on”), can also help. This makes transitions feel like a series of little tasks rather than one big, overwhelming change.
Plan and Explain Bigger Changes
If there’s a deviation from the usual routine, like a different route to school or a new activity, tell the child ahead of time and explain what will happen using simple terms. This is even more important for significant changes, like moving house or holidays. Visuals might help, such as a timetable, map, or photos and videos. Some children can benefit from a “trial run” before a big change – like trying a new school route at the weekend, when they’re less anxious. Another helpful approach is creating a “social story” where you tell them a simple narrative about the upcoming change, featuring them as the main character.
Bridge 'In-Between' Times
oneSome children can struggle during “in-between” times, where there is no structured activity, but they also aren’t free to start a new one . This might include waiting in a queue, or driving between places. Be mindful of these moments. Offering a small engaging activity (“Can you help me carry this?”), a simple game like I-spy, or a sensory toy during waits can bridge the gap and help keep them from getting dysregulated. This proactive approach can help support children with unstructured waits more effectively.
Show Empathy
As always, it’s important to acknowledge and validate a child’s feelings around changes. Saying things like, “I know stopping is hard for you” helps validate their experience, showing that you understand. By showing understanding and acknowledging their struggle, you help them feel heard and supported, which is vital when they’re navigating something challenging.
Final Thoughts:
As with the other elements of your nanny role, open communication with parents is essential. Discuss their child’s specific needs and effective strategies. By working together, you can provide a consistent and supportive environment that helps the child thrive.
Successfully navigating transitions with neurodivergent children relies on recognising their need for structure and predictability, and providing support with patience, consistency, and flexibility. By consistently employing these strategies – preparation, clear communication, visual support, managing waits, and empathy – you build that essential trust and help the child feel secure, significantly easing anxiety and making transitions much smoother.
If you’d like further support or advice, you can check out the resources below, or reach out to the team at Koru Kids to speak to one of our in-house support team.
Further resources:
