Using visual schedules, choice boards, tools to give information, tools to manage behavior, Social StoriesTM and lots of other visual communication supports can make a significant difference in the ability of a student with autism to participate successfully in school and home routines.
Visual Strategies for Improving Communication is a “how to” book that will show you exactly what to do and how to do it. The strategies work for students who have an autism diagnosis but also for other students with other special learning needs.
We call them visual strategies, visual supports or visual tools. Sometimes we refer to visually supported communication. What these terms mean is that we are using something visual to help individuals understand communication better.
Visual strategies help students in many ways.
- We use visual strategies to help us communicate information TO individuals. Visual tools help students organize their thinking.
- Visual supports are used to give choices or communicate rules.
- One of the most important uses for visual strategies is to give information such as what is happening, what is not happening, what is changing, etc.
You can create visual tools to give students the information they need to help them participate successfully in all the routines and activities in their lives.
There are lots of options. Schedules and calendars are the most common visual tools used to give students information.
Step-by-step directions, choice boards, and classroom rules provide structure in classrooms.
They help students by creating an environment that is more predictable and understandable.Visual strategies for autism are important tools for student success.
Most individuals on the Autism Spectrum tend to be VISUAL learners. They understand what they SEE better than they understand what they HEAR, They benefit when we use visual strategies to support communication.
Visual Strategies are things that we see. Body movements, environmental cues, pictures, objects and written language can all be used to support communication.
Our environment is full of signs and logos and objects and other visual information that supports communication.
Using visually supported communication is an extremely helpful approach for students with communication and behavior challenges.
Visual strategies help students learn effective communication, appropriate social interaction and positive behavior.
Many people use a few visual tools with students. Few people explore all the possibilities. Learning how to use visual supports is not hard to do.
Visual strategies can help children with autism, and even teens and adults with ASD achieve success at school, home and out in the community.
