A transition is any change from one state to another. Some transitions are obvious, such as leaving home for school, finishing work, or getting ready for bed. Others are less visible, like:
While many people think of transitions as simply “moving on”, they often involve much more than that. Every transition asks the brain to disengage from what it is currently doing and prepare for something new. For many Autistic people, this process is neither quick nor effortless.
One of the biggest misconceptions about autism is that Autistic people simply “don’t like change.” While uncertainty can certainly be challenging, this explanation misses what many Autistic individuals actually experience.
Transitions are often difficult, not because an Autistic person is unwilling to move on, but because shifting attention, changing cognitive states, processing new information and preparing for the next activity all require significant neurological effort.
What may look like “won’t” is often actually “can’t” – at least not without the right support.
Understanding why begins with knowing about two important concepts: monotropism and Autistic inertia.
Monotropism describes a tendency for Autistic attention to become deeply focused on one interest, task or stream of information at a time. Rather than spreading attention broadly across many competing demands, Autistic minds often singularly channel their cognitive resources to whatever currently has their attention. This deep focus is one of many Autistic strengths. It allows for creativity, expertise, problem-solving, learning and the experience of deep flow. But deeply engaged attention also takes time to shift.
A more polytropic (non-autistic) style of attention might have each tentacle gently touching different activities at once, making it relatively easy to switch between them.
A monotropic Autistic mind is more likely to wrap all of its tentacles tightly around one activity, conversation or idea. Before moving on, those tentacles need time to slowly let go before they can wrap themselves around something new. When someone says, “Come on, hurry up!”, they’re often asking those tentacles to let go instantly.
For many Autistic people, they simply can’t.
Many Autistic people also experience Autistic inertia. The term comes from Newton’s First Law of Motion: an object at rest tends to stay at rest, while an object already in motion tends to keep moving unless acted upon by an external force. Similarly, Autistic inertia describes the genuine difficulty many Autistic people experience changing from one state to another. Many Autistic people describe knowing exactly what they want – or need – to do, while simultaneously feeling unable to get started. Autistic inertia is not laziness, stubbornness or a lack of motivation. It is a physiological difference resulting from additional neuronal pathways known as “hyperconnectivity” in some cognitive domains, alongside “hypoconnectivity”, or fewer connections in other regions, such as those responsible for executive functioning.
A transition can sound simple, but the reality is that transitions are often not one transition. They are many transitions, layered together, each requiring many executive functioning skills all at once. Something that seems simple, like “It’s time to leave,” might actually involve:
Each step requires cognitive effort. When several occur simultaneously, transitions can become genuinely overwhelming. Unexpected transitions are often even harder because there is little opportunity for the brain to prepare!
Showering is something many people do every day without much thought. For some Autistic individuals, however, showering involves numerous taxing transitions.
First, there’s stopping the current activity. Then moving to the bathroom. Getting undressed. Changing from dry to wet. Adjusting to changes in temperature, sound and sensation.
Then, when it’s time to finish, changing from wet back to dry, drying off, getting dressed and beginning another activity. But once comfortably engaged in the shower, stopping can be just as difficult as starting!
Many Autistic individuals describe transitions as feeling like their body has moved before their brain has had time to catch up. Others describe feeling as though their attention is still wrapped around the previous activity, even though everyone else has already moved on.
This can mean:
Just because an Autistic person’s body has arrived somewhere doesn’t necessarily mean their attention has arrived too!
For some Autistic people – particularly those with PDA (Persistent Drive for Autonomy or “Pathological Demand Avoidance”) traits – transitions can carry an additional layer of difficulty because the transition itself may be experienced as a demand. Even when the next activity is enjoyable or something the person genuinely wants to do, the expectation to change what they are doing can feel like a threat to their sense of autonomy and control. This can trigger an anxiety-based fight, flight, freeze or fawn response, making it feel genuinely impossible to transition in that moment. This helps explain why statements such as “It’s time to leave,” “Come and have dinner,” or even “Let’s go and do something fun” may be met with resistance or distress. The challenge is often not the activity itself, but the removal of choice and control which comes with being forced to stop one thing and begin another.
Supporting transitions isn’t about encouraging Autistic people to transition more quickly. It’s about making transitions feel safer, more predictable and less cognitively demanding.
Prepare for transitions: whenever possible, give advance notice. Gentle reminders give the brain time to begin shifting attention before the transition actually occurs.
Allow natural stopping points: where possible, avoid interrupting deep engagement abruptly. Instead of insisting someone stop immediately, ask whether there is a natural place to finish first. Completing a task often makes it much easier to transition to the next one.
Reduce executive functioning demands: transitions become easier when there are fewer decisions to make. Visual schedules, written checklists, familiar routines and laying out materials ahead of time can all reduce the mental effort required.
Respect processing time: after giving information, allow time. Silence doesn’t necessarily mean someone hasn’t heard. Their brain may simply still be unwrapping from the previous task.
Work collaboratively: instead of asking, “Why aren’t you ready yet?” try asking, “What’s making this transition difficult?” or “How can I help you get started?” Collaboration builds trust while reducing stress.
Consider body doubling: some Autistic people find transitions easier when another person quietly begins the next task alongside them.
This approach, sometimes called body doubling, reduces the executive functioning demands of getting started without creating additional pressure.
Remember that timers aren’t enough: timers and alarms can be helpful, but they aren’t a complete solution. An Autistic person may acknowledge the timer without yet having shifted their attention toward the next activity. Timers work best when paired with supportive strategies such as advance notice, collaboration, enough time to finish what they’re are doing and a reason for the transition.
Although usually well-intentioned, some common strategies can make transitions much harder.
These include:
The more pressure someone experiences, the more difficult the transition may become.
Transitions involve much more than changing activities. For many Autistic people, they involve changing attention, thoughts, sensory experiences, emotions and cognitive states – all while navigating competing executive functioning demands. When allies replace pressure with predictability, curiosity and collaboration, transitions can become less overwhelming and more manageable.
The Reframing Autism team would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we have the privilege to learn, work, and grow. Whilst we gather on many different parts of this Country, the RA team walk on the land of the Awabakal, Birpai, Whadjak, and Wiradjuri peoples.
We are committed to honouring the rich culture of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this Country, and the diversity and learning opportunities with which they provide us. We extend our gratitude and respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to all Elders past and present, for their wisdom, their resilience, and for helping this Country to heal.
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