Full Study

Supporting Neurodiverse Learners by Using Visual Supports as a Tier 1 Intervention was a McDowell Foundation funded, Regina Public Schools supported, examination of what could be learned by using visual supports as a whole-class support in grade 1, grade 2 and grade 1-2 classrooms.  The study links closely to Regina Public Schools Autism Strategy (Neurodiversity Affirming Strategy) as it examined how an intervention frequently recommended to classroom teachers for particular students could be planned for, and brought into the classroom, not just for neurodivergent learners, but for all members of a class.  The use of visual supports is an evidence-based practice for neurodivergent learners (with a large evidence-base, in particular, around the use of visual supports for autistic learners) (see pp. 23-29 Summary of Findings).  In the COVID or post-COVID landscape, teachers are noticing young learners with less “readiness” skills than their previous groups of students.  They are noticing students with less problem-solving, memory skills and/or independence skills (see p. 24 Summary of Findings).  As such, the researcher entered this work hypothesizing that using visual supports class-wide would meet the needs of not only of neurodivergent learners, but also of neurodiverse (all) learners in the classroom while being open to examining barriers, and possible solutions to, the use of visual supports in primary classrooms.  It was hypothesized that use of visual supports could also benefit teachers and other adults working in grade 1 and 2 classrooms.

Supporting Neurodiverse Learners by Using Visual Supports as a Tier 1 Intervention revealed benefits to independence, problem-solving, peer prompting, focus during group work tasks, reduced teacher questioning, and a reduced need for teacher prompting or re-teaching of directions or concepts.  In one classroom, learners noticed a teacher using visual supports to communicate with an English Language Learner and started to use the visuals, unprompted, with their peer as well.  Students were found to use visual supports as a tool if explicitly taught how to do so, and would independently and naturally fade the use of the visual when the visual was no longer needed (by particular learners).  The learners did report feeling, however, a sense of comfort when the visuals were still present in the space.  However, there was no risk of over reliance on the visual supports for students.

For teachers, reduced preparation time to create visuals in advance of lessons (as this study found that co-creating visuals was most successful), reduced money spent on commercialized or electronic visuals and reduced preparation time for a substitute or guest teacher (as the visuals showed guest teachers what vocabulary and procedures are used by the teacher).  Adults entering to work within the space found that they had a strong sense of how lessons had been taught, general classroom expectations, and immediate expectations for learners given the visual supports present allowing them to feel comfortable redirecting or prompting learners as the common vocabulary was present for the lesson/in the room.

Successful implementation/increased use of visual supports, in the Tier 1 context, requires teachers to have time and materials to create these.  Teachers benefit from time to collaborate with colleagues teaching the same curricular outcomes as them.  But, when this time is given and visuals are produced, they are most successfully used with the acronym of ICE in mind.  ICE – Intentionality, Co-creation and Explicit Teaching –will lead to the success of using visual supports as a Tier 1 intervention for all learners, and for all adults supporting and teaching in classrooms.

See full reporting at Summary of Study Findings - Supporting Neurodiverse Learners by Using Visual Supports as a Tier 1 Intervention and Supplemental Handouts and Links - Supporting Neurodiverse Learners.

Abridged Reporting Summary

Video: Thank You to Sponsors and Supporters

The Supporting Neurodiverse Learners by Using Visual Supports as a Tier 1 Intervention Study was funded by McDowell Foundation and was supported by Regina Public Schools.  For additional information, including objectives, please see Summary of Study Findings - Supporting Neurodiverse Learners by Using Visual Supports as a Tier 1 Intervention.