Visual Schedules

What and Why:

One component of structuring an environment by telling a student what activities will occur and in what sequence. They assist with sequential memory, organization of time, language comprehension, decreasing anxiety levels, and helping a student transitioning independently.

Materials Needed:

Materials will vary. Some examples include:

How and When to Implement:

In developing a visual schedule, the following student questions need to be answered:
- What am I expected to do?
- How much am I expected to do?
- How will I know when I am finished?
- Where do I put my finished work?
- What will I get when I’m done or what do I do next?
This would be useful when a student needs support with completing daily routines.
Implement throughout the day to provide visual support of a student’s routine.
Teach/model using the visual support when first introduced.
When coaching or prompting, point to individual visuals using limited verbal information.
The goal is to extinguish pointing and verbal so that the student is able to use the visual support independently.

Things to Consider/Problem Solving:

Think about the number of icons displayed at one time.
Think about if the visuals will be real objects, real pictures, symbols, or words.
Think about creating mini-schedules to break down steps within a task.
When a student is responding, continue utilizing this support and keep visuals in place even when a student has memorized their schedule/routine. The team may want to consider moving towards a more student directed or age appropriate visual support (e.g. calendar on iphone).

Useful Resources to Learn More:

http://www.specialed.us/autism/structure/str11.htm

http://www.pbisworld.com/tier-2/individual-visual-schedules/

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Information compiled by Lincoln Public Schools Autism Team (September 2015)