A school day contains many activities, locations, people, and transitions. Visual supports can provide a visible reference for parts of that day.
Show the school-day sequence
Use visuals for smaller routines
A visual support does not need to represent the entire school day. It can focus on a specific classroom routine.
- Unpacking a backpack
- Getting ready for lunch
- Cleaning up
- Going to the bathroom
- Packing up at the end of the day
Prepare for something different
Special events, substitute teachers, assemblies, field trips, or schedule changes can make a normal school day look different.
When possible, visual information can be updated to show the changed sequence.
Coordinate with the school
Families and school teams can share information about visual supports that are already familiar and useful.
School staff can also help determine how visual supports fit into the student's individual educational supports.
Visual supports are flexible. What is clear and useful for one person may need to be changed for another. Adjust the number of steps, wording, and visuals based on individual needs.