Use Visual Supports To Aid Your Autistic Kid’s Learning

Children with autism may have several needs that differ from those of their peers and can benefit significantly from specialized tools that will help them communicate and make sense of the world. Visual supports are one of the most widely used tools that have been proven to be very effective for autistic kids.

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What Are Visuals For Autism?

Visual supports are tools that help children with autism spectrum disorders communicate their needs and understand various topics without the need for verbal communication. These visual supports are also known as visual aids or  PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) and can be used for multiple reasons.

How Can Visual Supports Help Your Child With Autism?

Children on the spectrum may have a hard time retaining and processing auditory input. They will be more likely to understand and learn by seeing this information instead of hearing it. These aids will also be more likely to engage the child and keep their attention for longer.

Since visual supports can also be understood by most people, with or without autism, it can create a mutually understood communication system that these children can use to communicate and connect with others. 

How Can Visual Supports Be Used?

Visual supports can be used in various ways to fulfill multiple purposes. Here are some ways to use visual supports:

1. Create visual aids with blocks of time to create daily/weekly/monthly schedules. This will help you create a solid routine for your child in a way that they can see and understand. Add fun stickers that represent activities or give reward stickers when a child has had a good day, etc.
2. Demonstrate units of time to help your child develop an awareness of time and the world around them. This can also help them understand their routine.
3. Create visual and engaging to-do lists with pictures or stickers that represent different tasks in a fun and engaging way.
4. Offer visual choices so your child can show you what they would prefer without the need for verbal communication. These can be choices of snacks, books, activities, tv shows, etc., depicted on autism choice boards.
5. Provide your child with visuals that mean different things so they can communicate their needs to those around them, even if they are less or non-verbal.

Can I Make My Own Visual Supports?

Since there is no limit to what can be used as visual aids, it is completely possible (if not encouraged) for parents to create visual aids. You can easily create your own visual aids in several ways:

• Take or print images of familiar scenes or objects.
• Print out free visual pictures for autism found online. 
• Cut out pictures from books or magazines.
• Design visuals, emojis, and visual schedules and print them out.
• Create virtual aids with the help of your child. Ask them to draw or create something that depicts their moods, such as sadness, anger, happiness, etc.
• Use stickers on posters or magnets on magnetic boards to portray different emotions or visual response examples.

Examples Of Visual Supports.

Here are some visual aid examples for children with autism spectrum disorder:

1. 5-point scale to indicate levels of anxiety over certain events, such as tests.
2. Behaviour visuals for autism to explain behaviour that is expected.
3. Picture symbols to ask for different things, such as asking someone to play or to use the bathroom.
4. Reminder visuals to remind children of what is expected of them. E.g. reminders in the dining room may help children remember how they are supposed to sit, hold their utensils and eat.
5. Posters with rules, steps and strategies that are expected.
6. Do not disturb symbols/visual cards that the child can use to indicate that they are having a bad day and would like to communicate with parents or teachers in private.
7. Emergency visuals to prepare children for emergencies or changes in schedule/routines.
8. First-Then tools depict several steps/objects in which a child depicts what comes first and next. This can be used for tasks like brushing teeth or getting dressed.
9. Helpful hints help children should they forget certain things and need a reminder.
10. Prompts to help children understand what you want them to do, such as a symbol of an ear to indicate to a child that you would like them to listen and pay attention.
11.  Picture cards for autistic students to help them in the classroom.

These are just a few examples of visual aids you can use to help make your autistic child’s daily activities less stressful and more positive. For more information and resources on ASD in children, contact Autism Centre for Kids today.