Using Visual Supports

Visual supports for Autistic children are vital those with receptive or expressive language delays are often able to process visual information more effectively. Update May 2021 – Check out our new post on using the PicturePath app to create timelines and visual supports for Autistic learners.

As with anything in SEND education there is no one size fits all approach. There is a solid research base for this and in my experience they are well worth the effort to create, adapt, modify and use. They are there as a support tool. If your child is not responding well to them after a couple of months don’t force the issue, try something else. This book provides further reading around using visuals with autistic children.

There are many examples of these online, generally they fall into these categories. I would love to hear your success stories in the comments. Please share if you enjoyed this post.

Visual Schedules

To structure a period of time, minutes, hours or even days. Can also be used as prompts or cues to support transition. Here is a quick simple Home Schedule

Environmental labels

To enable the child to make sense of surroundings. We use for independence – accessible labels for places within the learning area (Food items, scissors, games etc). As well as a constant reminder of key information.

Task specific (a process to complete)

To outline our expectations of how a task is completed – Sometimes a child will find a better or different way, do not be inflexible here.

Scripts or Social Stories

An outline of the specific steps that will occur when trying something unfamiliar or changes to routine. There is a real skill to this! We use transition stories when changing classes each year – who will be in class etc.

Visuals To support interactions

Many systems like PECS, Proloqou2go use the same visual approach to functional expressive language use. This can be a whole communication book or a task/game/lesson specific board. There are also specific SEN focussed Apps that can help.

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Do not expect a visual to be an immediate answer, like anything children need to be taught how to use them.These tips may help.

• Decide what you are using them for – structure day or immediate task.
• Start simple. The level of complexity can be increased over time.
• Immediate wants or needs addressed first.
• Introduce when child is calm and ready to learn
• Reinforce all the time.
• Be consistent – Choose symbols or photographs but use same for everything.
• Use them yourself to model expectations.
• Design them to be interesting and motivating if you can.
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Sources.