1. Laura Graves, Ph.D., Helen T. Dainty, Ph.D., Amy Locke-Callender, EdS.
Visual Supports
Laura Graves, Ph.D., Helen T. Dainty, Ph.D.,
Amy Locke-Callender, EdS.

2. Rationale for Visual Tools in the Classroom
What are visual tools?
They are simply things that you can see.
Purposes for using visual tools:
Offer predictability, familiarity, and clarity
Reduce the amount of verbal information
How can visual tools help?
Introduce new concepts and vocabulary
Improve language skills
Improve memory
Teach time and sequence
Increase independence and autonomy

3. Visual Supports What tools do you use to help you remember?
Why do you need the tools?

4. Example of a Visual Support

5. What is a visual schedule?
Pictures showing the order or sequence of activities
Can be for class or an individual student

6. Pictures of a Visual Schedule

8. Visual Schedules Why use visual schedules? Predictable Organized
Hands-on
Available
Helpful Hints:
Refer to the schedule throughout the day
Let children know when schedule will change
Make sure all adults know how to use schedule
Willis, c. (2006). Teaching young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Beltsville, MD: Gyphon House.

10. Why use visual schedules?
To improve receptive language skills
To help provide structure, often decreasing negative behaviors
To use as a supplement with verbal directions to reinforce following a command
To increase understanding of new vocabulary
To aid in learning how to do a particular task
To help teach the concept of sequencing and ordinal terms (first, next, last…)
To promote INDEPENDENCE

13. Who benefits? Children who have communication difficulties
Expressive and Receptive
Children with negative behaviors
Allows individual to visually see what happens next
Children who have difficulty following through on a task
Children learning sequencing skills
Children learning new vocabulary

14. Making Visual Schedules
What are visual schedules?
A sequenced arrangement of what happens during the day
Why make them visual?
Can be used to visually break down the school day, parts of the school day, a set of skills or expectations into manageable steps
Hannah, L. (2001). Teaching young children with autistic spectrum disorders to learn: A practical guide for parents and staff in general education classrooms and preschools. Shawnee Mission: KS. AAPC.

15. Breaking Down a Targeted Skill
How do I break down skill?
Task Analysis:
Identify target skill
List each specific behavior in performing the targeted task in sequence
Consider if the child has the prerequisite skills for each behavior
If not, the prerequisite skills must be taught first
Determine materials needed to teach targeted skills such as a visual schedule
Teach each specific behavior in sequence
Have child refer to visual schedule to complete task
Over time fade visual schedule from the child’s support system

16. Example of a Task Analysis for Setting the Table
Put the placemat down
Place the large plate in the center of the placemat
Put the small plate in the upper left had side of the placemat
Put the butter knife on the small plate
Place the napkin to the left of the large plate
Put the knife and spoon to the right of the large plate
Put the fork to the left of the large plate on the napkin
Put the dessert spoon and fork horizontally at the top of the large plate
Put the glass to the upper right of the large plate near the tip of the knife

17. Another Task Analysis Example of How to Blow Your Nose
Get a tissue
Blow nose
Wipe nose
Throw away tissue
Get hand sanitizer
Wash hands

18. Blowing Nose

19. Task Analyzing Activity
On a piece of paper write out the steps for hand washing
Compare the steps with a colleague
Take the pictures out of the bag
Put the pictures in the correct order by what happens first, second, third, etc.
Place the pictures on the sentence strip
The back of each picture should be placed on the Velcro side of the sentence strip

20. Move from Visual Schedule to a one page Visual Prompt

21. Helpful Hints for Individual Child
Make the visual schedule top to bottom or left to right
Reward child for following the visual schedule
Use same pictures consistently
Know the child
Digital pictures, clip art, line-drawings, or actual objects
Fade visual schedule over time as independence of skill is learned