Young children with autism spectrum disorders or other developmental delays often thrive in highly structured environments. They find comfort in the predictability of consistent routines and schedules. Unfamiliar environments, unanticipated schedule changes, and unstructured times can cause anxiety leading to outbursts, meltdowns, or other inappropriate behaviors. How can caregivers add structure to their active lifestyles to support their young children with disabilities? Visual schedules may be the answer.
Many adults rely upon planners, calendars, or To-Do lists to manage their busy lives. These organizational aids provide a road map for juggling work commitments, appointments, and their children’s many activities. Similarly, visual schedules use objects, photographs, or symbols to convey what is going to happen during an activity or throughout a child’s day. Figure 1 (BELOW) shows a simple First-Next-Then visual schedule depicting an after-school routine. As the child completes a task, the child removes the photograph and places it in a container labeled “Done”.
Visual schedules may take many forms and serve numerous purposes. While photographs are used in Figure 1, a caregiver could easily draw stick figures on sticky notes to represent the same sequence of activities. A parent could also use objects to represent the tasks as well. For example, an object schedule depicting a morning routine might include doll clothes to represent getting dressed, a plastic fork to represent eating breakfast, and a toothbrush for brushing teeth. Some visual schedules might show the steps in completing a task, such as using the restroom or getting dressed. Others may cover a given time period, such as what will happen during a birthday party or a doctor’s appointment. A visual schedule might also depict the activities across a child’s entire day. Regardless, visual schedules help show children what they are going to do in the order they are going to complete the tasks or activities. Visual schedules typically help individuals keep track of their progress so they know what will happen next and when they are done. Children might cross off, remove, or use some other means to mark the activities they have completed.
Parents and caregivers can quickly create visual schedules using their mobile devices. Numerous apps exist for both iOS and Android devices. These apps often include useful features, such as video modeling and built-in timers, that further promote independence. While the apps typically include a variety of stock photos or symbols, most digital applications allow you to snap photos of the actual objects or tasks using your device’s camera. Figure 2 (BELOW) shows a screenshot of a visual schedule created using the First Then Visual Schedule HD app. This “No School Day” visual schedule adds structure to a day in which the young child does not attend school due to a school break or inclement weather.
Young children with autism and other developmental delays benefit from visual schedules in several ways. These types of visual supports help children compensate for deficits in receptive language. Sometimes children do not respond to adult requests because they simply do not understand what is expected of them. Therefore, visual schedules can result in higher rates of compliance and task completion. Visual schedules can reduce anxiety by informing young children of what is going to happen. Visual schedules can be especially helpful in preparing young children for changes in routines, which may have otherwise resulted in outbursts or meltdowns. Most importantly, visual schedules can give young children a greater sense of control leading to increased independence—the common goal of all parents and caregivers.
References and Resources
Autism Speaks. (2011). Visual supports and autism. https://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/2018-08/Visual%20Supports%20Tool%20Kit.pdf
Davies, C. (2008). Using visual schedules: A guide for parents. https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/2022/9534/38.pdf?sequen ce=1.
Good Karma Applications. (2020). First Then Visual Schedule HD (Version 2.27) [Mobile app.] App Store. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/first-then-visual-schedule-hd/id624035410.
Dr. Krislyn Carlson is a K-5 special education teacher with the Beresford Public School District. She has twenty-two years of experience teaching special education at the elementary and middle school levels. Krislyn obtained her doctorate degree with an emphasis on special education and administration from the University of South Dakota. Current interests include adapting literacy and language instruction for students with significant cognitive disabilities and complex communication needs.