Support children through the emotions and experiences involved in moving to a new class or school with this set of 10 Neuroaffirming ELSA Transition Support Stories for Autism and ADHD. Each story is paired with a simple, low-demand supporting activity sheet designed to help children explore feelings, worries, and changes in a safe, structured and accessible way.

Transition can bring many different emotions, including excitement, worry, sadness, uncertainty, and curiosity. These stories help children understand that mixed feelings are normal and provide gentle, supportive strategies to help them prepare for change at their own pace.

Alongside each story is a carefully designed visual activity, such as colouring, drawing, cut-and-stick tasks, or simple reflection prompts. These activities are designed to reduce cognitive load while supporting communication, emotional awareness, and self-expression.

What’s included

• 10 ELSA Transition Support Stories
• 10 matching simple activity sheets (one per story)
• Consistent 4-part story structure:
  About my day
  What might happen
  What can I do
  Remember

Low-demand, accessible activity formats
Neuroaffirming, supportive language throughout
Topics covered
When I Feel Excited and Worried at the Same Time
When I Think About My New School or Class Too Much
When I Worry I Won’t Like My New School or Class
When I Worry About My First Day
When I Worry About Making Friends in My New School or Class
When I Feel Sad About Leaving My Current Class or School
When I Wonder If I Will Fit In
When I Don’t Know What to Expect
When I Am Getting Ready for a New Class or School
When I Have to Say Goodbye to My Teacher
How this resource supports learners
These support stories and activities help children to:

• understand and express feelings about transition and change
• recognise that mixed emotions are a normal part of moving on
• explore worries and hopes in a safe and structured way
• develop gentle coping strategies and emotional awareness
• build confidence and feel more prepared for a new class or school
  They are especially helpful for autistic and ADHD learners who benefit from clear structure, predictable language, visual supports, and low-writing activities.

They are also suitable for all children, supporting emotional literacy, communication, and resilience during times of change and transition.

Ideal for

• ELSA sessions
• SEN support
• 1:1 interventions
• small group work
• pastoral teams
• transition support programmes
• classroom emotional regulation support
• neurodiversity-friendly environments
  Please note
  This resource uses simple, structured stories alongside low-demand visual activities to support emotional understanding, communication, and reflection in a calm, accessible and neuroaffirming way. The stories acknowledge that every child experiences transition differently and encourage children to prepare for change in a way that feels right for them.