TIPS FOR GROWING: Edition 5 - Visual Schedules
10.12.2022
Topic: Visual Schedules
Welcome to the fifth edition of Tips For Growing! These blog posts will focus on important clinical topics that are regularly encountered when working with children. We hope these seeds of information will help with the most important job there is . . . helping children grow.
Today’s "Tips For Growing" will focus on the use of visual supports and highlight the highly effective and low prep Visual Schedule Resources we have for use in Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy.
We have done the work for you!
Visual supports and strategies play an important role in helping therapists, teachers, and parents interact and communicate with children. Visual supports are beneficial in teaching children the role of communication when they are first learning about language. Children can rely heavily on visual and verbal cues when first comprehending and expressing language.
Gestures are often the first form of a visual for children. For example, an adult may use their hand to mimic a cup coming to their mouth for “drink”. Visuals help to make learning language more engaging, interesting, and meaningful for the child. They also allow the child to be in control when trying to communicate or interact with others.
Some of the ways that visuals can be utilized to help children become successful at communicating are:
- Making requests- especially for those that are non-verbal
- Making choices
- Following schedules- such as the sequence of events during a therapy session
- Following routines- such as the steps of hand washing
- Understanding expectations- such as social language skills
- Expressing emotions- such as dealing with emotions and dysregulated behavior
- Making transitions- a visual schedule depicts what is happening next so changes can be anticipated
- Learning new vocabulary and concepts
- Understanding the sequence of activities (first/then, first/next)
- Linking meaning to motor movements and directions
The use of visual supports and strategies can be taught and practiced in therapy sessions and carried over into classroom and home settings.
Pictures can be in the form of a simple drawing, global symbols, camera shots, digital pictures, or words. This will depend on the skills and profile of each child.
One type of visual support is the Visual Schedule.
Visual schedules are used to communicate the sequence of upcoming events and activities. This is important for those students that may become anxious or require a high level of predictability during their day.
Visual schedules are a simple and powerful tool you can use in therapy sessions! Using visual supports quickly and easily provide structure to your sessions. Visual schedules can be used to improve transitions, provide organization, set expectations, and help children stay on task during a therapy session.
First Then Boards + Visual Schedules
To access our Visual Schedule tools, from the home page:
- Click --> "Communication"
- Sort by Subcategory/Jump To/Open Resource Filter --> Visual Schedules
- Sort/View by Discipline:
--> Occupational Therapy
--> Physical Therapy
--> Speech Therapy
--> Multidiscipline
FIRST THEN + VISUAL SCHEDULE BOARDS:
Once in the "Communication --> Visual Schedules" Category you can find the First Then + Visual Schedule Boards:
--> (1) Select MULTIDISCIPLINE: Select board and PERSONALIZE!
OR
--> (2) VIEW BY DISCIPLINE: Select Discipline for OT, PT and SPEECH Versions
TO PRINT/ASSEMBLE:
(1) Schedule Board:
- Download Schedule Board. Various layouts included.
- Print and Laminate board.
- Adhere soft Velcro dots into each empty square.
(2) Visual Schedule Areas:
- Download Visual Schedule Areas. There are different color-coded areas for each discipline.
- Print Visual Schedule Areas.
- Each Color-Coded Visual Schedule Area includes TWO parts:
> (i.) Book/Tabs Pages = Organize all symbols on these pages! Color-coded for each visual schedule area. Print and cut out around outside black lines. This will create a tab for each page. Place soft Velcro dots on top of each square. Place assembled visual symbol cards directly on these matching images.
> (ii.) Visual Symbol Cards = Print, cut out, and laminate each item. Add hard Velcro dots to back of each square. Organize symbols by placing on printed book/tabs page.
TO USE VISUAL SCHEDULES:
- Each child’s schedule and visual symbols will be different.
- The activities, tools and/or strategies that are selected from the “visual symbols” will reflect the student’s profile, needs, goals, and individual interests.
- Select appropriate symbols and adhere into schedule board.
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY:
Visual Schedule Symbol Areas
There are 15 different Color-Coded OT visual symbol areas.
>> Areas Include:
1. SCHOOL Activities
2. FINE MOTOR Activities
3. GROSS MOTOR Activities
4. VISUAL MOTOR/VISUAL PERCEPTUAL Activities
5. SELF HELP
6. SENSORY Tools
7. CALMING Tools
8. OT Actions
9. OT Assistive Devices
10. OT MATERIALS/Tools
11. Reinforcements
12. End of Session Tasks
13. Editable = Type/Insert own images
14. Finished CHECK MARKS
15. Finished STARS
- Each Symbol Area includes visual symbol cards.
- There are over 700 OT Visual Symbol Cards!!!
> Find Occupational Therapy Visual Schedule Resources here!
PHYSICAL THERAPY:
Visual Schedule Symbol Areas
There are 14 different Color-Coded PT visual symbol areas.
>> Areas Include:
1. SCHOOL Activities
2. STRETCHES/EXERCISES
3. GROSS MOTOR Activities
4. YOGA
5. SENSORY Tools
6. CALMING Tools
7. PT Actions
8. PT Assistive Devices
9. PT MATERIALS/Tools
10. Reinforcements
11. End of Session Tasks
12. Editable = Type/Insert own images
13. Finished CHECK MARKS
14. Finished STARS
- Each Symbol Area includes visual symbol cards.
- There are over 400 PT Visual Symbol Cards!!!
> Find Physical Therapy Visual Schedule Resources here!
SPEECH LANGUAGE:
Visual Schedule Symbol Areas
There are 14 different Color-Coded SPEECH visual symbol areas.
>> Areas Include:
1. SCHOOL Activities
2. SPEECH AREAS
3. SPEECH Activities
4. LEARNING CONCEPTS
5. SENSORY Tools
6. CALMING Tools
7. SPEECH Actions
8. SPEECH Assistive Devices
9. SPEECH MATERIALS/Tools
10. Reinforcements
11. End of Session Tasks
12. Editable = Type/Insert own images
13. Finished CHECK MARKS
14. Finished STARS
- Each Symbol Area includes visual symbol cards.
- There are over 500 SPEECH Visual Symbol Cards!!!
> Find Speech Therapy Visual Schedule Resources here!
Not a member of our website? You can also find these Visual Schedules in our SHOP!!
We hope these seeds of information will help with the most important job there is . . . helping children grow!
Related Topics: Communication, Tips for Growing , Tools to Grow at School, Visual Schedule
