~Visual Timers~
Visual timers are an effective way to support some children with tasks inside and outside of the classroom. Using a timer to support a child in completing a task or to challenge them can be a great strategy to implement; they can also be helpful in managing transitions and reducing anxiety.
Seeing the time reduce can often help children to focus for a set amount of time; it supports the concept of time as well as how long they can aim to concentrate for. I have seen them used effectively in many of our schools and there is a huge range of different timers that you can use.
I once used a bubble timer in one of my sessions with a little girl that I was supporting, she responded really positively to it and we then transferred it into the classroom as a tool for her to use. She used it as a strategy to help her to calm, she would take herself to her calming area and watch the bubbles float down, it relaxed and calmed her really well.
Timers have so many different functions and you can be used in a variety of ways.
It is, however, important to note that timers do not work for everyone. For some, they can really increase anxiety as they panic as the timer runs down. As we know every child is different.
Reach Behaviour 