Managing Wait Time for Children with Special Needs

Waiting can be challenging for children with special needs. Unstructured time may lead to challenging behaviors and/or anxiety in your child.

In today’s Teacher Tips newsletter, the Watson Institute shares a few tips to reduce the stress of waiting on your child with special needs.

  1. Plan ahead when you know you may be in situations with your child in which waiting may occur.
  2. Use a wait bag or fidget bin which may be filled with your child’s favorite items and toys.
  3. Allow your child to choose from the wait bag during the waiting period and collect the item when the wait time is over.
  4. Limit access to items in the bag so your child with special needs is motivated by the wait bag for future events.

To learn more about how to reduce wait-related anxiety in your child with special needs, check out our YouTube video below. For more special education resources, visit Watson Life Resources.