I LOVE VISUAL SCHEDULES!
Visual schedules are frequently used by both our Occupational Therapists and Speech Pathologists to assist our clients. They can be an amazing tool for therapists and families to help children regulate, communicate and understand what is going on around them.
What is a Visual Schedule?
Visual schedules use pictures to show upcoming activities or steps in a particular activity. They can be structured to show activities for the current day or whole week ahead.
Visual schedules are used to assist children who may find it difficult to transition from one activity to the next or who have difficulty processing information in the environment around them.
The purpose of visual schedules is to provide the child with an idea of what is expected of them, what is happening next or to reduce feelings of anxiety associated with the unknown. Children can look at their visual schedules as many times as they need to, it is there to support them in their processing. This can often have a positive impact in reducing emotional outbursts or meltdowns because children know what to expect and the transition is much smoother for them to process.
A child who is regularly having meltdowns when required to move on to another task, does not listen when asked to change activities or has difficulty knowing what the next step is can benefit from use of a visual schedule.
How to Make a Visual Schedule:
- Identify what the child is having difficulty with. Is it transitioning between activities? Is it one particular activity they need to be broken down into smaller steps? Do they need a clear outline of their weekly activities?
- Sit down and write down a typical day or week (or steps for a certain activity)
- Make sure to make the schedule as simple as possible – you can often pick out key activities from the day and do not need to include every single thing i.e. Wake up, Breakfast, School, Home, Snack, Shower, Dinner, Bedtime
Different Types of Visual Schedules:
Visual schedules can be created on iPads using apps such as Choice Works or can be hand made on paper (laminated or unlaminated) or on a whiteboard with magnets.
The important thing is finding what works for you and your child!
What You Need to Make a Visual Schedule:
- A4/A3 paper OR whiteboard OR iPad
- Pictures that show the specific activity (such as a bed to show ‘wake up’ time)
- Pictures can be from clipart, the internet or you may choose to take photos of your child’s environment and utilise those for the schedule
- An outline of the day or week i.e. Monday-Sunday or morning/afternoon/night time
- Velcro strips for paper schedules (or Blu Tack can also be used)
- Magnets for whiteboard
Get creative and have fun with it!