Flora, like many children with ASC, has difficulty in social communication and interaction but she can also have difficulty with sudden changes and in predicting what will happen during the day. Uncertainty about what will happen causes anxiety and, often, can lead to behaviours that challenge, more information can be found here. By creating a daily routine we can help Flora and children with ASC to learn and understand what will happen during the day, reducing their stress levels and therefore avoiding tension and discomfort.
A day in school can involve many changes, such as shifting from one activity to another, transitioning from one place to another. An important tool to create the daily routine and help Flora learn and understand what will happen during the day is the visual timetable. This tool can be used both at school and at home.
The advantages of the visual timetable:
Offers structure and routine
Promotes independence
Boosts confidence
Helps with understanding the expectations
Reduces stress and discomfort
How to use it:
Content: The visual timetable includes the student's photo, as well as every activity that will take place with the use of relevant symbols/images.
Location: We place the students' visual timetable on a classroom wall . It is important to have each student's picture on the timetables and place them in the same place so that the students know where and which one their timetable is.
Use: The day at school starts with the students going to their timetable and placing the symbol with the matching activity at the top. This way they will know which activity will take place first. After completing the activity, they go back to their timetable, put the symbol in the folder with the 'end' symbol and place the next one on top. More information can be found here.
Adult: The adult acts as a role model and helps the student learn to follow the process correctly. Until the student gets used to using the visual timetable correctly, the adult needs to help guide the student to the wall with the timetable and help the student do it hand by hand.
It is very helpful for children to have a visual timetable at home as well. This way, the daily routine has structure and predictability. The visual timetable at home can include their morning routine before school, going to school, their afternoon routine at home, as well as their weekend’s activities.
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Each child has different needs that need to be taken into consideration when we are creating their visual timetable, for example the size of the symbols, what it includes. If you are interested in creating a visual timetable for your students or for your child at home, you can contact us at florastophasma@gmail.com so we can share ideas and tips for the best possible outcome.
We will share more tips and activities in the future, so keep visiting us.
We are looking forward to hearing your views and experiences.
You can email us at florastophasma@gmail.com.