This article offers practical, research-informed strategies that parents can use to make time concrete, visual, and meaningful, and to help their children anticipate, plan, and gain independence in daily life.
Transitions can be some of the toughest moments at home. Even something as simple as moving from playtime to dinner can feel overwhelming for a child who experiences time in disconnected moments, rather than as a continuous flow. For many children with autism and developmental disabilities, time isn’t just hard to manage, it can be hard to perceive. Research tells us that children with autism experience time differently from their peers, which can make it tricky for them to judge how long activities will take (Szelag et al., 2004; see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15296535).
Time can feel completely abstract. It can’t be touched, held, or replayed. It keeps moving forward. Children need to coordinate past, present, and future in their minds. Many children with autism also struggle with remembering to do something at a particular time, a skill researchers call “prospective memory” (Altgassen et al., 2012; see: https://doi.org/10.1375/brim.10.1.52).
The good news is that kids can learn about time when we show it in ways they can see, touch, and use in real life. With the right supports in place, many families find that time becomes less of a daily battle and more of a shared reference point their child can rely on.
Why “Just Telling Them” Doesn’t Work
It’s natural to use verbal reminders:
- “Two more minutes.”
- “We’re leaving soon.”
- “Finish up.”
While well-intentioned, these reminders place heavy demands on language comprehension, memory, and abstract reasoning. For children with autism, these verbal cues can fade as soon as the words stop. Time becomes invisible again.
A guiding principle supported by research is simple: children must be able to see time to learn how to use it. Visual supports like schedules and timers can make abstract concepts easier to grasp. They also make daily routines more predictable and help the child feel more independent (National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder, n.d.; see: https://autism.unt.edu/images/2014-ebp-report-npdc.pdf).
Making Time Visual and Continuous
One of the most useful shifts parents can make is moving from telling children about time to showing how time moves. Visual tools such as analog clocks, visual timers, sand timers, and countdown bars allow children to see how much time has passed and how much remains.
Digital clocks just show numbers, but analog clocks or visual timers let kids watch time move, which can make it easier to understand. They can also help children understand where they are within an activity. Visual time supports have been widely studied and are recognized as evidence-based tools for increasing predictability and reducing stress in children with autism (National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder, n.d.; see: https://autism.unt.edu/images/2014-ebp-report-npdc.pdf).
In practice, this might mean placing an analog clock at your child’s eye level in the child’s room, using a visual timer during homework, or setting a countdown bar for chores. Some parents find that letting their child set the timer themselves gives a sense of control and pride. The key is pairing the timer with a meaningful message: “When the red area is gone, this activity is finished.” Timers aren’t meant to punish. They simply answer the question your child might be asking: “How long do I have for this?”
Teaching Time Through Routines Rather Than Worksheets
Worksheets alone usually don’t help kids understand time. They pick it up best through clear routines they can see and follow every day. Daily routines, like visual schedules that show what has happened, what is happening now, and what comes next are commonly recommended in the research as effective supports for children with autism (National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder, n.d.; see: https://autism.unt.edu/images/2014-ebp-report-npdc.pdf). By making the sequence visible, schedules reduce anxiety, support anticipation, and strengthen understanding of sequence and duration.
Effective home schedules match your child’s comprehension level, clearly distinguish between “finished” and “not yet,” and are referenced throughout the day. For example, instead of saying, “After this we have snack,” point to the current activity on the schedule as you say it. When the activity is finished, guide your child to move the picture or icon to a “finished” space (such as a pocket, envelope, or check-off area). Then point to the next activity (snack), so they can clearly see what is coming next. Over time, children begin to internalize that activities and time move forward.
Shifting Ownership Through Guided Time Talk
Many children with ASD rely heavily on adult prompts for transitions and task starts. While initial prompting is sometimes necessary, too much can unintentionally block development of internal time awareness.
Things really start to click when parents switch from giving reminders to asking helpful questions instead:
- “What comes next on your schedule?”
- “What do you need to finish before dinner?”
- “How long do you think this will take?”
These questions encourage your child to reference supports and plan ahead. Research on prompting and self-monitoring shows that gradually fading prompts while encouraging independent checking of supports builds executive functioning and independence (All-In Autism Hub, n.d.; see: www.allinautism.org/evidence-based-practice).
Teaching Duration Before Clock Time
Often, clock reading is introduced before children understand duration. This can feel confusing. A more effective approach is to start with experiential concepts:
- Short vs. long
- Almost finished vs. just started
- “This takes about as long as…”
These comparisons ground time in experience, rather than numbers. For example, “Cleaning up blocks takes about the same time as singing the clean-up song twice.” This gives your child a concrete reference they can reuse across activities.
Supporting Transitions Without Using Time as Control
Transitions – stopping one activity and starting another – can be hard for children with autism because they combine multiple demands: ending, shifting attention, and beginning something new. Visual routines, timers, and predictable sequences reduce uncertainty and increase confidence. Structured schedules that include transition indicators, such as “5 minutes left” visuals, have been shown to support smoother changes between tasks (Fitzpatrick & Bock, 2014; see https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1053815114534274).
When children learn to check the timer or schedule themselves, transitions become less adult-driven and more self-regulated.
Embedding Time Concepts Across Daily Life
Time does not need to be taught in isolation. It can be woven into everyday activities:
- During cooking, compare durations (e.g., “Stirring takes as long as one song”).
- During reading, emphasize sequencing words like before, during, and after.
- During outings, use time language to set expectations (“We’ll play for 10 minutes, then go home”).
The more children experiences a skill in different parts of their day, the easier it is for them to really get it and use it on their own.
Making Time More Understandable at Home
Use this quick parent checklist to reflect on what you already do – and where small adjustments may help.
Note: Parents do not need to check every box. Even one or two supports used consistently can help time feel more manageable and predictable for their child.
- My child can see how much time has passed and how much remains
(Visual timer, countdown bar, or analog clock at eye level)
- Transitions are paired with a visual cue, not just verbal reminders
(Schedule icons, timers, or clear “finished” markers)
- Talk about time using concrete comparisons
(“This takes about as long as one song,” rather than minutes alone)
- The child is encouraged to check time supports independently
(“What comes next on your schedule?” instead of repeated prompts)
- Routines are consistent enough to build predictability
(The same visual system is used across days and settings)
- Time tools are used to support, not control, behavior
(Timers answer “how long,” not “do it faster”)
- Time-related language is embedded throughout the day
(Before, after, first, next, almost finished)
Summary
If a child resists transitions or seems “unmotivated,” it may be because time is not yet meaningful or usable to the child. When parents make time visible, concrete, and shared, they provide a framework children can rely on long after a timer is gone. The goal is not perfect punctuality, it is understanding. Consistent routines, visual supports, and guided questioning can help children anticipate what comes next, plan, and gradually build independence.
Supporting a child’s understanding of time does not require doing everything at once. Small, consistent changes matter. The accompanying checklist offers a simple way to take stock of current routines and choose one or two supports to focus on first.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Juliet Hart Barnett, Ph.D., is a special education researcher and former teacher of students with emotional disorders. She earned her doctorate in Special Education and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Miami in 2003. She has published extensively on autism, teacher preparation, and evidence-based classroom practices, and is co-author of Friendship 101: Helping Students Build Social Competence. Juliet is also a parent of four children, including her youngest, who is autistic, which informs her practical, family-centered perspective on supporting children with developmental differences.
References
Altgassen, M., Williams, T. I., Bölte, S., & Kliegel, M. (2012). Time-based prospective memory in children with autism spectrum disorder. Brain Impairment, 10(1), 52–58. https://doi.org/10.1375/brim.10.1.52
All-In Autism Hub. (n.d.). Evidence-based practice: Prompting and visual supports. Retrieved from https://www.allinautism.org/evidence-based-practice
Fitzpatrick, M., & Bock, S. J. (2014). Evaluating visual activity schedules as evidencebased practice for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Early Intervention, 37(3), 213–234.
National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder. (n.d.). Visual supports: Evidencebased practice. Retrieved from https://autism.unt.edu/images/2014-ebp-report-npdc.pdf
Szelag, E., Kowalska, J., Galkowski, T., & Pöppel, E. (2004). Temporal processing deficits in highfunctioning children with autism. British Journal of Psychology, 95(3), 269–282. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15296535/
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