Visual Supports
Visuals are a part of everyone’s communication system (think about calendars, maps, watches, to-do lists, etc.), but they are an especially important tool for individuals on the autism spectrum. Children with autism spectrum disorder typically show a strength in visual learning, and there is research that shows that the areas of the brain that are active during visual tasks are active during language related tasks. For an individual on the autism spectrum, there are a wide variety of visual supports available to help with time management, behavior, scheduling, academic tasks, and process driven tasks just to name a few. Below are links to just a few resources that may be helpful to you as you are working with someone on the autism spectrum.
Visual Schedules
The above link is to an article about using visual schedules. This article is a good basic informational article for parents, teachers, or other professionals about what a visual schedule is, how a visual schedule can be used, and some examples of different types of visual schedules that you can use. One example I really liked was the flap visual schedule (left). The flap visual schedule allows the student to cover each activity as they complete it. When all of the pictures are covered, the child is finished with a given task set. I thought this was a really neat way to help a child see how much more he/she had left to do on an activity or assignment.
Social Skill Reminder Cards
Social skill reminder cards are a great idea for a visual tool. They provide students with a brief set of directions or procedures to remember for a given skill. I see these as a wonderful prompt for students that have almost mastered a certain skill but still need a little bit of support. I see these as fairly easy to create on your own, but they can also be purchased from the link above.
Behavior Contingency Maps
I love the idea of the behavior contingency map visual. This is a visual I imagine using paired with a social story, or as a follow up to a social story working on a behavior for a student. The way this particular visual is designed, you show the students the results of both an appropriate and an inappropriate response to a situation. You can purchase a set of these visuals already made by following the above link, or you can create your own to suit the individual needs of your students.
Time Timer
Time timers are timers that show a visual representation of the passing time. These timers come in several different sizes and in my opinion they are a great tool for working with all children! Most children have difficulty understanding concepts of time like "5 minutes". With the time timer, you set the timer for the desired amount of time and it will be covered in red. As the time disappears, so does the red. There is even an optional auditory beep sound you can use for when the time is completely up. These are a great tool for in the classroom and at home. I even have the small 3 inch timer to take with me outside, to the gym, on the playground, etc.!
Time timers are timers that show a visual representation of the passing time. These timers come in several different sizes and in my opinion they are a great tool for working with all children! Most children have difficulty understanding concepts of time like "5 minutes". With the time timer, you set the timer for the desired amount of time and it will be covered in red. As the time disappears, so does the red. There is even an optional auditory beep sound you can use for when the time is completely up. These are a great tool for in the classroom and at home. I even have the small 3 inch timer to take with me outside, to the gym, on the playground, etc.!
Visual Activities
This is a wonderful collection of activities developed for use in a classroom. The collection contains over fifty activities! Some of the activities are process driven, like the example to the left, where step by step pictures tell the child how to make the Lego toy. Others involve academic skills like matching, sorting, or adding. Some are leisure activities, like a bowling game that a student can take to the hallway and set up to play, and some are related to communication or transitions. There is a photograph of each activity so you can see how this teacher created each activity and make them for yourself.
vSked: An Interactive Visual Schedule System for use in Classrooms for Children with Autism
vSked is a tool designed to help the children stay on task, be productive, focused, and reinforce success. The system involves a main display screen like the one in the photograph to the left. Each individual student has their own handheld device connected to the system, which outlines the day’s schedule, showing the current activity on the TV screen one at a time. Students then would complete the activity on independently. Sometimes tasks were virtual and completed on their device, like choosing the correct weather on screen, and sometimes completed in the physical world, like exercising. When a student finishes an activity they are rewarded by a random congratulatory animation and the main classroom screen would reflect that those students completed the task. This allows the teacher to easily see who is done, what progress a student has made, and also who possibly needs help. I came across this system in my research on visual supports and thought that this type of system would be wonderful to use in an ASD classroom!
vSked is a tool designed to help the children stay on task, be productive, focused, and reinforce success. The system involves a main display screen like the one in the photograph to the left. Each individual student has their own handheld device connected to the system, which outlines the day’s schedule, showing the current activity on the TV screen one at a time. Students then would complete the activity on independently. Sometimes tasks were virtual and completed on their device, like choosing the correct weather on screen, and sometimes completed in the physical world, like exercising. When a student finishes an activity they are rewarded by a random congratulatory animation and the main classroom screen would reflect that those students completed the task. This allows the teacher to easily see who is done, what progress a student has made, and also who possibly needs help. I came across this system in my research on visual supports and thought that this type of system would be wonderful to use in an ASD classroom!