VISUAL SUPPORTS
DESCRIPTION/TIPS: Visual supports are the most effective ways to help a person who has difficulty with communication, social skills and attention to feel a better sense of understanding and control about things around them, EVEN IF THEY ARE VERBAL. Most people with neurological differences are better able to communicate and understand visual things like those found on phones or computers than in speech. Because of this strength, visual supports are the way to help with that person. Most people don’t need these supports their whole life but these are the most useful tools to help a person manage things that may be challenging for them. The following are descriptions of some types of visual supports with some templates and ideas to get you started. You will need to both adapt the visuals to meet the level of your special person and you will also need to teach them how to use these so they are meaningful to them. This process includes changing habits so be patient and remember that change and progress takes time. A special person needs help to learn the meanings of these visuals and sometimes that may take help and support from someone who had experience. Once you develop a system of using pictures, many things such as waiting, making choices, behavior, finishing tasks and understanding what do next will be much easier. You and your special person will begin to feel more confident, less frustrated and happier!
CHOICE BOARD
DESCRIPTION/TIPS: Helps a person learn to identify items that are meaningful to them. Always place a choice board near where the objects are ( for example food choices should be in the kitchen.) Start off by using icons for one thing they want or like and a blank icon to make sure they are learning to tell the difference. Also, don’t offer a picture of something (icon or PECS) if you don’t have it, that’s just too frustrating! When you start out, you may want these icons to be larger and as time goes by they may get smaller.
EXAMPLE:
DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE: click here to download
VISUAL SCHEDULE
DESCRIPTION/TIPS: This is a way to help a person feel more in control about what’s expected of them and follow along by seeing what is happening next. It can be for a large event such as the school day or a small task broken into parts like washing your hands. Visual schedules can help when there is a change in routine and they can also help a person know when activities are finished.
EXAMPLE:
DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE: click here to download
FIRST/THEN BOARD
DESCRIPTION/TIPS: First/THEN boards can be useful for three situations. They can be used when a person is not ready to use a Picture Schedule but is learning the steps. They can be used to motivate a person to do a task they don’t want to do but they need to do that first before doing their preferred task (for example, first we will clean up, then we will go outside.) . Lastly these can be helpful for a person who may not understand what is happening next and it will help them feel more in control.
EXAMPLE:
DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE: click here to download
TRANSITION HELP
DESCRIPTION/TIPS: Visual timers and visual cue cards can help someone see how much longer something will take which is easier for them to understand instead of hearing it. It’s very hard to understand how long time is, but when they can see it, it is easier. There are many ways to countdown time, here are some examples but we encourage you to explore your own. You can also sing a favorite song or count to help a child learn to understand the concept of “waiting” or counting down to change from one activity to the next.
EXAMPLE:
DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE: click here to download
VISUAL EXPECTATIONS
DESCRIPTION/TIPS: These are ways for people to understand what the “rules” are and to follow them more easily. Expectations can be used at home or school but it can take practice to help a person understand what these rules are; people are more successful when you add praise, reinforcements and rewards for following the rules. Remember to use rewards that are meaningful to that person or they may not be motivated to follow along.
EXAMPLE:
TOKEN BOARD
DESCRIPTION/TIPS: A token board is a great tool to use once a person understands the meanings of icons. It can be used to help a person improve their attention, skills or behavior by working toward a final goal that is motivating for them. This won’t work if the reward is not that desirable or if the reward is too far away or hard to work for. One helpful tip is to try to keep special things that are motivating for your person put away and only use them for special rewards, if your person can get whatever they want all the time then nothing will be motivating. Remember that the reward should be short lived so that your person will want to be motivated again. Token boards can be used to help a person either finish or wait through a task and can help improve their behavior and attention when used correctly.
EXAMPLE:
DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE: click here to download
SOCIAL STORIES
DESCRIPTION/TIPS: Social stories are a great tool for helping people understand what’s expected of them or to manage a new or difficult situation. Stories should be short and cover one simple topic using clear words as well as pictures to show a topic. The language and pictures of your story need to match the person’s level of understanding. Story topics can be about almost anything: from getting a haircut, what to do at a party, or things you can do when you feel angry. Your person can and should help you to make the story if possible. You can and should read them together to talk about the topic before the event or activity as if you were rehearsing. Social stories should never be used alone but be paired with modeling or visual expectations or a Token Board. If your person is not changing or adapting their behavior then you may need to re-evaluate your social story and the other supports you are using. These things should be done with the help of others and not alone.
EXAMPLE:
Click here to get to our Visual Dictionary of “Picture This”
Small World Special Needs 