Using visual supports
requires time and a bit of effort to get set up initially, but the payoff in
our house has been huge.
When Cooper was a
toddler, his wonderful speech therapist and I brainstormed images for his morning, afternoon, and evening routines. She printed
them for me in color using
Boardmaker software's Picture Communication Symbols (PCS).
I created durable surfaces for using Velcro to attach the images by covering some thick pieces
of cardboard first with white paper and then with clear Contact paper. I cut up the Boardmaker images, covered those with clear
Contact paper, and put Velcro on the cardboard panels and the images. Cooper
had at least two therapy sessions after preschool each day, so I took headshots
of his therapists and put them on the board as well, so he’d know who he was
going to see that afternoon. We had fun with the images—there was one for going
out to pizza, for a birthday party, and even one for Thanksgiving!
Although we shifted to
written charts once Cooper could read, I still find images useful, particularly
when labeling dresser drawers or reminding an 8-year-old to flush the toilet or use soap when washing one’s hands (yes, Cooper, I'm talking about you!).
Below are some sites where I've found images and charts that can be downloaded as PDF documents and
viewed using Adobe PDF Reader. Best of all, they're FREE!
Scroll to the bottom for text charts I created for Cooper that you can modify and use at home.
Scroll to the bottom for text charts I created for Cooper that you can modify and use at home.
The visual resources
on this site are made by professionals specializing in special education technology who work
with students in British Columbia. Click on the “Home” category, where you’ll
find charts for morning and evening routines, chores, mealtime, and more. Puberty is on the horizon, which is why my favorite is the "Smelling Fine" booklet and activity.
Register for a free
account, then click on “Parents” and “Home Routine and Timetable” for visuals
to use at home. The site is aimed at teachers, but there are tons of useful
images to use at home as well. You can upgrade to a platinum or gold package for
a monthly or annual fee to get access for additional resources (if you do, I recommend
using PayPal since it’s a U.K. site and U.S. credit cards
might not be accepted for online payment).
Visual Aids for Learning (www.visualaidsforlearning.com)
Visual Aids for Learning (www.visualaidsforlearning.com)
Tons of images of everyday
activities, which are often broken down by gender (love that, especially for
bathing and toileting routines!).
Dawn Villarreal created
this site, where she has uploaded many charts using Boardmaker images. You can
search by topic or go here for charts and activity schedules with home routines.
A heavenly site for
those of us stuck in the 1980s with our black-and-white laser printers! Picture
card images come in different sizes and the behavior management section has an
array of handy charts.
This site has sections
on picture symbols (under AAC Information and Strategies) and visual strategies
for behavior. The visual strategies page includes links to free software to
create customized communication and schedule boards.
--
Why reinvent the wheel when you can tweak charts someone else made?
With that in mind, here are links to charts for Cooper's morning routine and afternoon & evening routine.
I came up with this expected behavior chart when he was in kindergarten and used it through second grade. Right now, we're working on getting him to remember to complete his posted routines without prompting; he can earn up to $1 per week for good expected behavior and cooperation, plus he now gets $1 per week for wearing his scoliosis brace.
Finally, here's a special homework frustration chart.
Why reinvent the wheel when you can tweak charts someone else made?
With that in mind, here are links to charts for Cooper's morning routine and afternoon & evening routine.
I came up with this expected behavior chart when he was in kindergarten and used it through second grade. Right now, we're working on getting him to remember to complete his posted routines without prompting; he can earn up to $1 per week for good expected behavior and cooperation, plus he now gets $1 per week for wearing his scoliosis brace.
Finally, here's a special homework frustration chart.
Happy charting!
