Home learning - Schedules

Visual Schedules

In school we use visual schedules to support children to understand what is happening during the day, sometimes we present the whole day and sometimes they are broken down in smaller chunks. In lessons we use in task organisers to help structure a task.and also in a lesson, and most importantly to develop independence. Tasks at home can also be supported in this way.

Check in with your child's staff in school about which kind of schedule they are using in school. We are going to add some links below. You might like to invest in a timer- these can really help for task completion. If you don't buy one you could download a visual timer onto your phone or ipad.

'Reality to an autistic person is a confusing, interacting mass of events, people, places, sounds and sights... Set routines, times, particular routes and rituals all help to get order into an unbearably chaotic life. Trying to keep everything the same reduces some of the terrible fear. '

Jolliffe (1992) in Howlin (2004), p.137

Visual supports to print

T-S-111-Now-Next-Visual-Aid.pdf

Now/Next

AU-S-001-Now-Next-Then-Visual-Aid_ver_1.pdf

Now/Next/Then

t2-e-2608-daily-visual-timetable-display-poster_ver_3.pdf

Daily schedule visual

nz-t-2548864-school-closure-home-learning-daily-timetable_ver_3.pdf

Daily schedule handwritten

APPs to support the use of visual schedules

Timers and Tokens

£0.99 iPad

Use the app as a visual timer to show your child how much time they still have to stay at the current activity.

Use the app to support your child to ear tokens by clicking on the screen before they are given a reward for completing the activity you had set.

Visual Timer Countdown

Free Android

Use the app as a visual timers to show your child how much time they still have to stay at a particular activity.

ivisual schedule

£3.99 ipad

Create schedules/timetables for your day which can be displayed as pictures, text or both. You can also add a recorded audio message. You can also add choices into the timetable where you would like your child to choose.

Visuals 2go

Free ipad

Create personal visuals or picture cards to support your childs understanding. Text-to-speech can also be used. This app could be used as a communication device with stored picture cards to allow your child to express themselves when out. You could also use this to create a photo album for your child to look through.

First then visual schedule

£14.99 ipad

Create a short schedule showing your child what they need to do now and what will happen next using visuals to help support their understanding.

First/Then

£1.99 ipad

A simple app that uses a board with photos to show that one activity must happen before the next. This will support your child to complete an activity knowing what is coming next (preferably a reward or preferred activity).