Abstract
Supporting Neurodiverse Learners by Using Visual Supports as a Tier 1 Intervention examined what could be learned by using visual supports as a whole-class support in grade 1, grade 2 and grade 1-2 classrooms. Visual supports are 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). However, in the COVID or post-COVID landscape, teachers are noticing young learners with less “readiness” skills than 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 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 the use of visual supports could also benefit teachers and other adults working in grade 1 and 2 classrooms.
Evidence for this study was gathered using pre-implementation, mid-implementation, and post-implementation surveying and interviewing with the four participating classrooms from three Regina Public Elementary Schools (selected through an expression of interest process that invited participation from all schools in the division). Teacher interviews and surveys were triangulated alongside student interviewing, three 60-minute observations by the researcher, in each of the participating classrooms, conversations with administrators and educational assistants supporting in the participating classrooms, record keeping and listings of visual supports put up in classrooms, and photographic evidence from each of the three visits to each of the four participating classrooms. All data was collated and coded, and then the findings were summarized (See Data Collection).
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 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. ICE also helps teachers and school staff members examining ways to decolonize our classrooms. By moving from teacher created to co-created visual supports, teachers are dismantling structures that perpetuate the status quo and addressing unbalanced power dynamics by giving power to the learners. Similarly, by supporting independence through the use of visual supports. and by allowing peers to more efficiently and effectively support and prompt each other, the power dynamics within a classroom are shifted.
See full reporting at Summary of Study Findings - Supporting Neurodiverse Learners by Using Visual Supports as a Tier 1 Intervention and
Click this link to review Data and Data Summaries.
For more details refer to Abridged Reporting Summary
If you are a fellow researcher interested in seeing more about the data collection instruments and seeing the data, please reach out to Mary Barrow at powerofvisuals@outlook.com.
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, please see Summary of Study Findings - Supporting Neurodiverse Learners by Using Visual Supports as a Tier 1 Intervention and Supplemental Handouts and Links - Supporting Neurodiverse Learners.