Social Story for Transitions: 'When It's Time to Change,' Six Transition Tools, and Warning Scripts

Dr. Andrea Burgio-Murphy, Ph.D.Licensed clinical psychologist & autism specialist October 21, 2026

A social story for transitions prepares a young autistic child, during a calm moment, for the experience of stopping one activity and starting another: what the warning will sound like, what he can do with the feeling of not wanting to stop, and what happens to the toy he's leaving. The full "When It's Time to Change" story is below, followed by the six transition tools from the book, word-for-word warning scripts for three of the hardest transitions, and a second mini-story for days when the routine itself changes.

Why transitions are hard for autistic kids

Every young child resists leaving the playground sometimes. For many autistic children the resistance is larger and more frequent, and the book's chapter on behavior explains why in terms I find useful with parents.

The first factor is cognitive flexibility, the brain's ability to shift from one task, expectation, or environment to another. This tends to develop more slowly in autism, so a shift that feels mild to a typically developing child (stopping play to eat lunch) can feel abrupt and disorienting, and for a child who finds real comfort in sameness, an unexpected change can feel threatening.

The second is not knowing what's next. A child may not grasp what's coming, why he has to stop, or how long the new activity will last, and verbal explanations often don't fill that gap because they disappear as soon as they're spoken. The book's example is the child who refuses to leave the playground: he may simply not understand what follows.

The third is sensory state. If a child is already overloaded, or if the activity he's leaving was regulating him (the iPad is often doing real sensory work), even a small transition can tip him into fight-or-flight. The screaming when the tablet goes away is frequently about losing the thing that was holding him steady.

A child who melts at transitions therefore needs more advance information, more visibility into what's next, and a gentler slope between activities, which is what the tools below provide.

Sample social story: "When It's Time to Change" (full text)

Fill in your child's name and the transition object he uses. Each line gets a photo in the printable, ideally of your child with his actual schedule and timer.

When It's Time to Change

My name is ______. Every day I do many different things.

I play, I eat, I go outside, and I take a bath.

When one thing is finished, it is time to change to the next thing.

Changing can feel hard. Sometimes I want to keep doing what I am doing.

My grown-up will tell me before it is time to change. They might say "five more minutes" or show me a timer.

When I hear the warning, I can look at my schedule to see what comes next.

When the timer rings, I can try to put my toy down and say "all done."

I can bring my ______ with me to the next thing.

The toy I was playing with will be there later.

My grown-up feels happy when we change together.

The next thing can be fun too.

I am learning to change activities.

Twelve lines, three of which gently direct ("I can look," "I can try to put my toy down," "I can bring") and nine of which describe, following Carol Gray's criteria. The Resource Kit's social story template (p. 55) calls for one picture and a line of simple text per page and four to six pages for the whole story, so if you bind the printable as a booklet, put two or three lines on each page. The story answers the questions a child actually has about a transition: when will I be warned, what comes next, what happens to my toy.

Six transition tools from the book

The story describes a transition that goes well. These are the tools that make that description true.

Visual schedule. A row of pictures showing the day's activities in order, with each card removed as it happens. Velcro or magnets give the child the physical act of taking a card down, which builds a sense of control and completion. Real photos of your child's actual bed, car, and school tend to feel more concrete than icons. The free printable visual schedule for autism has templates.

Countdown warnings. Clear, consistent warnings ahead of the change, paired with something visible: "Five more minutes, then clean up" while holding up five fingers, starting a visual timer, or showing the kit's 5-4-3-2-1 countdown cards. The kit's scripts start the countdown five minutes out (enough time for a child to process), repeat it partway (two or three minutes), and give a final one-minute warning, with extra warning at two and one. For a child who doesn't yet understand minutes, count activities instead: "Two more slides, then shoes."

Transition objects. A small comfort item that travels with the child from one activity or setting to the next: a fidget, a chewy necklace, or a photo of the next activity. It gives the child something continuous to hold while everything else changes.

Predictable songs. A short clean-up song or "time to go" song, used the same way every time, becomes an auditory signal that one thing is ending and another is coming. Pair it with a gesture or a clap, and over time the song does the prompting so you don't have to.

Structured choices. A limited choice inside a non-negotiable transition: "Do you want to put away the cars or the animals first?" or "Should we hop like a frog or march to the door?" The child gets some control, and the transition still happens. Offer only choices you're willing to honor.

Gradual change. Build tolerance for change in small, deliberate doses during calm times: a new color marker at coloring time, a different order of songs, a "change card" shown before something unusual. Small, planned changes now tend to make unplanned ones easier later.

A first then board often sits alongside these when one step of the transition is the sticking point. "First shoes, then car" is a transition tool in two pictures.

Word-for-word warning scripts for three flashpoints

The Resource Kit has five transition warning scripts (a general one, leaving home, ending playtime, the bedtime routine, and school or therapy arrival), all built the same way: same words every time, short, paired with a visual, delivered before the child is upset. Here is the kit's leaving-home script, plus two in the same pattern for transitions the kit doesn't cover.

Leaving the house. The kit starts this one early, because gathering things takes time. At ten minutes: "In 10 minutes, we will be leaving to go to [location]," and show a picture of where you're going. At five: "5 minutes until we leave. Time to get [shoes, bag, water bottle]." At two: "2 minutes until we leave. Please finish up and put on [shoes/coat]," and hand him his transition object. Then: "It's time to go to [location]. We will come back [when]." Hand him the shoes, help as needed, and move.

Screen time ending. Set a visual timer when the screen turns on, so the end is visible from the start, and follow the pattern of the kit's ending-playtime script. At five minutes: "Five more minutes, then iPad goes night-night. Then snack." At three: "Three more minutes, then iPad night-night." At one: "One more minute. Finish up what you're doing," and hand him the first/then board showing iPad and snack. When the timer rings: "Timer's done. iPad night-night." Help him press the button himself, then immediately: "Snack!" The snack arriving right away teaches him that the end of the screen leads somewhere good.

School or daycare pickup. Ask the teacher to give the warning before you arrive: "Five more minutes, then Mom." When you walk in, use the same short phrase every day ("Backpack, then car") with his transition object in your hand. A depleted child at the end of a long day doesn't have capacity for a conversation, so save the questions for the car.

The Resource Kit's five transition warning scripts and its 5-4-3-2-1 countdown cards, plus the "When It's Time to Change" story in an illustrated layout.

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Change-in-routine days: a second mini-story

A social story about change in routine covers the days when the schedule itself is different, such as a doctor's appointment, a snow day, a substitute teacher, or Grandma picking up instead of Dad. Read it the night before and again that morning, and pair it with a "change card" on the visual schedule where the different thing goes.

Something Is Different Today

Most days, my day goes the same way.

Sometimes one thing is different. Today, ______ is different.

My grown-up will put a change card on my schedule so I can see it.

It is okay to feel surprised or unsure when something is different.

I can look at my schedule and ask my grown-up what will happen.

My grown-up will stay with me and help me.

After the different thing, my day will go back to the way it usually goes.

I am learning that I can be okay when something is different.

Eight lines, two directives. Over time, for many children, "different" stops being alarming and becomes simply a category of day.

Frequently asked questions

How do I help an autistic toddler transition between activities?

Give a warning before every change, paired with something he can see (fingers, a timer, a countdown card), starting five minutes out and repeating partway and at one minute. Show what comes next with a picture, offer a transition object to hold, and use the same short words and the same song each time. Read a transition story during calm time so the pattern is familiar.

What should a transition social story include?

A description of the fact that activities change, honest acknowledgment that changing can feel hard, what the warning will sound or look like, one or two things the child can do (look at the schedule, bring an object, say "all done"), reassurance about what happens to the thing he's leaving, and how the grown-up feels when the change goes well. Keep describing sentences well ahead of directing ones.

Why does my child melt down when screen time ends but not at other transitions?

Screens often provide intense, predictable sensory input that regulates a child, so turning one off abruptly removes a source of stability as well as fun. A visible timer from the start, warnings at five, three, and one minute, letting him press the button himself, and an immediate preferred next activity all reduce the drop. If the reaction is a full meltdown rather than a protest, the meltdown vs tantrum guide covers the difference in response.

When should I get professional help with transitions?

If your child melts down at most transitions despite consistent warnings and visuals for several weeks, or if transitions are taking an extreme toll on the whole family, ask about a referral to a behavior analyst or occupational therapist, who can build pre-transition routines, reinforce flexible behavior, and coach caregivers at home and school. If your child is under three, state Early Intervention can provide this without a diagnosis.

The full set of transition tools is part of the Resource Kit in the book and kit bundle. The how to use a first then board guide covers the same three flashpoints from the board's side, the free autism social story printables hub collects the other stories, and the hard moments page lays out which tool to reach for first.