Start finish trays can help children understand when an activity is beginning and ending, and make the activity less stressful for the child. 

Make sure the environment is clear from distractions and plan your activity so that everything you need is in the trays before you start. To start with, choose one or two activities that have a clear end point.

To use start finish trays:

• place a green tray, with the start image, on the left
• place a red tray, with the finish image, on the right
• put the activities you have chosen in the green tray
• the child picks an activity from the green tray and places it in the red tray when it is complete
• you could also start the activity to help the child understand
• use hand over hand to help the child if needed
• give plenty of praise

Once the child is used to using the trays, you can add more activities that are more complex and open-ended.