Helping Kids with Cognitive and Language Delays Understand Time.
For parents and educators working with students who have severe to profound cognitive delays, OCD, and anxiety, one of the greatest challenges is helping them understand the concept of time. When a student cannot grasp abstract time measurements, waiting periods become especially stressful and can trigger anxiety or challenging behaviors.
As a language facilitator, one of the first things I tried to work with was to take anything that was abstract and intangible and make it very practical or concrete. Time–particularly past/present/future–was one of the more challenging things to help students–and my own daughter–understand.
Today I want to share some ideas. You may have heard of some of these, maybe even tried some, but I am going to ask you to think a little differently about these based on what I’ll cover in this lesson.
I believe it is this shift that will make it easier for you to implement these things.
What not to do.
Are we there yet?
I was tempted to write that over and over a few times, but I was afraid you’d stop reading.
If you have children, you are familiar with this question.
If you don’t, you have asked or thought this yourself, often as you looked at your watch over and over.
Traditional methods of showing time (clocks, verbal countdowns) often fail because they rely on abstract concepts these students cannot process. When we say "just five more minutes" or "we'll leave soon," these phrases have little meaning to someone who cannot conceptualize time measurements.
Also, it is absolutely critical that you do NOT move the goal post once established. If you tell a student they have to put 5 shirts on a hanger and hang them up, do not say, “Wow, you did that so quickly, let’s try 3 more.”
You have broken trust with the student and encouraged them to resist you because the reward for compliance was taken away. Instead, make a note and the next time [hours or days later] set the task higher to begin with.
Solution: Tangible Time Markers
Instead of abstract time concepts, provide concrete, physical representations that show progress toward completion. I tend to customize based on the student or situation. If you’d like my specific ideas for a scenario you’re dealing with, contact me or leave a comment. Your question could be a future post.
The Token System for Tasks
For situations where students must do a repetitive task:
Place a set number of tokens or poker chips in the designated “to do” section
When the student completes the task once, they place one token in a “done” box.
When all tokens are in the box, they have completed the task
This system breaks a long, anxiety-producing wait into smaller, manageable segments while giving the student active participation in tracking time.
Variable Interval Rewards
Alternatively, you can:
Set a timer for short intervals (1-5 minutes, depending on the student)
When the timer vibrates, give the student something small
This creates positive associations with waiting and provides regular engagement
This one only works when you are practicing passage of time rather than task completion.
Why This Works
These approaches transform abstract time into concrete objects the student can see and touch. The physical action of moving tokens provides both sensory input and visual confirmation of progress, reducing anxiety about when an activity will end.
By implementing these strategies, you create a predictable environment where students can independently track time in a way that makes sense to them, fostering greater independence and reducing anxiety-related behaviors.
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