Community-Based Positive Supports
The Many Different Types of Transitions in Life
The word, Transition, has many meanings. Merriam Webster defines Transition as “a change or shift from one state, subject, place, etc. to another”. In some situations, we experience multiple types of transitions all at one time. Transitions can occur within a short period of time as we move throughout our day or transitions can occur across longer periods in our lives.
In this module, we are discussing how to best support a person who has been in an emergency room, hospital, or inpatient facility and is moving back into the community. However, it is important to know that this may not be the only transition occurring in a person’s life. The higher the number of life transitions that are occurring for a person can result in more stress, even when the transitions are positive in nature.
- Younger children entering preschool or early childhood settings
- Preschool children going to kindergarten class for the first time
- Children moving into a foster care home or setting
- Young adults moving out of their family homes to live on their own
- Temporary placements in hospitals or outpatient settings due to illnesses, physical, behavioral, or mental health issues
- Older adults moving into assisted living or creating plans for in-home supports
- Recovering from natural disasters or extreme life events
- Getting married, divorced, or any major changes in relationships
- Having a child or adoption
- Moving to into a new home or across the country or out of the US
- Coping with the death of a loved one or other losses related to the ones we love
In times of stress, positive supports can help people cope with life transitions that are having an impact on them socially and emotionally. Positive supports can be helpful when we engage in behaviors that are interfering with our daily life, or cause injury to ourselves or others. It is important to view challenging behavior as something everyone engages in at some time in life. When these behaviors are chronic, intense, and occur over a period of time, we may call them challenging behaviors.