Autism E-News
Volume 1, Issue 1
September 2003

Contents:

Support Students with Visuals
by Leslie S. Daniel, VT T/TAC  

Visual supports are things we see that enhance our organization, communication, and ability to understand the world around us. Visual supports can be objects, printed words, pictures, body language, or other environmental clues. The use of visual supports is not another fad; it's a well-documented support strategy for many of us. Approximately 69% of people in the general population are visual learners; at least 69% of people with autism spectrum disorders are visual learners, and perhaps many more! Unfortunately, as teachers the vast majority of us instruct primarily to auditory learners-with discussions, lectures, and verbal directions.

As adults many of us rely on visual supports-day planners, Palm Pilots, to-do lists, calendars of family activities, sticky notes, and many others! Personally, I like to have copies of the overheads speakers use at conferences, I'd be lost without my PDA, and I adore to-do lists. My children know to tone it down if I give them the Mommy Evil Eye, and my coworkers know that I'm trying to remember something I need to say if I sit in a meeting with my index finger pointing up.

Visual supports are tools we must teach students with autism to use. Using visual supports promotes learning, improves expressive and receptive communication, and decreases the likelihood of a person exhibiting behaviors as a means of communicating. In fact, if I could only give one suggestion to anyone supporting a person with autism it would be to incorporate the use of visual supports across their day. Now, I couldn't really stop at that-but it's a great place to start!

The wonderful thing about visual supports is they don't have to be fancy, they don't cost much to create, and they're technology that doesn't fail. You can jot down a to-do list, draw a quick picture to explain, write out the directions as well as speaking them out loud. You can also create fancier visuals with the use of Boardmaker or other software, magazine pictures, photographs, empty containers, and other items.

There are several visual supports that are commonly mentioned for use with people with autism. The following is a non-exhaustive list of ideas-there are many more visual supports you could use across the day.

  1. Provide your student a personal, visual schedule of the day and note transition times. It will help if he is able to handle the schedule, check things off, and move things around if needed. Review this schedule at the start of the day-crossing out or removing any classes that might be canceled. If the student can handle a simple schedule, don't discard it; make it more sophisticated. Teach the next level of personal schedules or calendars. See the article on visual schedules below submitted by the Region IV TTAC.
  2. You might also want a visual of work expectations during a period of time such as the start of the day, language arts class, or running a series of errands with mom. A mini-schedule is a visual representation of a short portion of the day-perhaps a 1 or 2-hours.
  3. Alternatively to mini-schedules teach the child to use "to do" lists. Seeing the expectations written is often calming to those of us who worry about all there is to do in a day (I confess to adding things I've done to my to-do lists, so I can have the pleasure of scratching them off). You will want these to be small and unobtrusive; an index card, or a small laminated checklist with an overhead pen can be helpful.
  4. Another visual that is often effective is to answer questions verbally once, but then write a prompt or draw a picture for repeat questions.
  5. The visual timer (Time Timer) lets students know how long there is to complete work, before break, until they have to get off the computer, etc. The Time Timer is a visual timer that shows the passage of time without ticking-it's just red disappearing. http://www.timetimer.com/home.htm to learn more about this device. They can be purchased from a variety of sources.
  6. Using social stories is a method that can help people with social disabilities understand social situations.  Social stories are a means of visually teaching skills and social cues to students who may find social situations difficult. A social story is a short story that describes relevant social cues and common responses, providing a student with accurate and specific information regarding what occurs in a situation and why.  Each story identifies and describes relevant social cues and desired responses to a target situation and should be written with consideration of the student's abilities and learning style.  Social stories can help individuals understand day-to-day situations such as talking to a friend, or people bumping in the hall.  They can also assist with out of the ordinary situations such as field trips or inviting a friend to a movie. Go to http://www.thegraycenter.org/ to learn more about Social Stories, or contact your T/TAC for more information.
References: 

Gray, C. (1997). Social stories and comic book conversations: Unique methods to improve social understanding.Jenison, MI: Social Stories UnLimited. 

Hodgon, L. (1995). Visual strategies for improving communication. Troy, MI: Quirk Roberts Publishing. 

Hodgon, L. (1999). Solving behavior problems in autism: Improving communication with visual strategies. Troy, MI: Quirk Roberts Publishing.

Tips on Designing and Using Individual Student Schedules
by Karen Berlin & Vicky Spencer, GMU T/TAC, and Brenda Fogus, JMU T/TAC 

One accepted best practice utilized by highly qualified teachers of students with autism is the use of visual strategies. Visual strategies give information to students in an alternate form to verbal information alone. One use of visual strategies that is particularly valuable to incorporate at the beginning of a new school year is the development of individual student schedules. A daily visual schedule is important for a student with autism because it:

Use of a visual schedule must be directly taught, and consistently utilized to be of maximum benefit to the student. Teachers must remember that the visual schedule is an assistive device that will allow the student to function with maximum independence and success, not a tool that is eventually to be faded. Just as a good teacher makes lists, follows a daily lesson plan, and refers to teaching notes to maintain focus, students perform best when visual cues are present in their environment to guide them through their day. 

Picture schedules can be developed and displayed in a variety of formats. Most easily prepared is a horizontal or vertical heavy paper strip marked in segments, with paper clips attached. More elaborate preparation, but longer lasting formats include Velcro on a blackboard, placemat, pillow desk, or personal notebook; pocket photo holders, clipboards, 3-ring binders, dry erase boards, or vinyl pocket hangers. Picture cards can be laminated or covered with contact paper for greater durability. 

In general, schedules are arranged in a left-to-right, or top-to-bottom format. Minimums of two scheduled items are presented at a time so that the student experiences sequencing. The visual representations used can be real objects, photographs, realistic drawings, commercial picture systems, or written words. 

More important than the creation of the student schedule is teaching the student to use it. It is essential that the student participate in the daily assembly of the schedule. This may be the student helping the teacher, copying, or independent assembling of the symbols. In addition, every schedule must have a specific means by which the student manipulates the visual representations to show that an activity is finished. This can range from crossing or marking off items, to placing items in an done" box, envelope, basket", or can as completed.  Most critical, of course, is that the student USE the schedule. The schedule must remain an essential part of the daily routine. The teacher should refer back to it frequently throughout the day.   The schedule should be followed, and enough time should be planned between activities to allow the student the opportunity to manage it. 

It is important to remember that information given to a student may also include what is not available.  It is frequently just as critical to visually communicate to a student what is not available, as it is to offer the student choices. For example, if a student loves recess, but it is a rainy day, it would be important for the teacher to visually communicate that the playground is not a choice activity for that day. The international NO sign is the preferred means to visually represent "no." Other means to communicate no include turning a choice over, crossing it out, covering it up, or removing it. For more information on the design and use of visual schedules, visit:  www.usevisualstategies.com, or www.dotolearn.com.

The use of a daily visual schedule is but one of many visual strategies proven to be effective in teaching students with autism. For more information on the use of visual strategies, see the references listed below.

References:

Hodgon, L. (1995). Visual strategies for improving communication. Troy, MI: Quirk Roberts Publishing.

Quill, K.  (1995).  Teaching Children with Autism:  Strategies to Enhance Communication and Socialization.

Wait Time: Easy, Free and Effective!
by Leslie S. Daniel

This suggestion is a good strategy no matter whom you are supporting-students with autism or other disabilities, students without disabilities, husbands, you name it this is a great technique!  Unfortunately it is seriously under-utilized!

Using wait time means that you must increase the time you wait before restating requests. This often helps improve understanding and therefore increases "compliance" with requests. As I said, this suggestion works with almost everyone (with or without disabilities); however, it is not uncommon for someone with a disorder on the autism spectrum to have delayed auditory processing.  Accommodate for this delayed auditory processing by waiting 10-20 seconds before restating questions or directions.

Individual processing time might be quicker or slower; this is just a rule of thumb. My husband's processing time is approximately 2 seconds, my son's 5 seconds,  one young man with autism I know processes in about 13 seconds, and another student I supported had a 5 minute processing time! To some people it feels awkward to wait, and you may want to fill the silence or rush on, but really you are saving time and energy in the long run (Ok, I know you can't wait 5 minutes, but you could make a request and tell the student you'll be back for his answer).

To explain, ask a question or make a request then watch a clock, or count off 10-20 seconds silently in your head so that the individual can process what you've said and figure out how to respond.  You may need to practice this as 10 seconds doesn't sound very long, but when you are waiting for 10 seconds to pass it can seem interminable.  

We have Brochures on Autism Available from Department of Education! Both titled, "What you need to know about me, A student with autism".  One with general information on Autism and the other with sections to fill in on specific students.  You can request the brochures by calling T-TAC ODU at 683-4333.

Web-based Resources

"Visual Supports: Helping Your Child Understand and Communicate" from The Center for Autism & Related Disabilities (CARD)  
http://card.ufl.edu/visual.html

Visual Schedule Systems offers online information about how to develop and use visual schedules. A downloadable pdf file is also available at this site.  http://www.setbc.org/projects/vss/default.html

Search for endless graphics at www.images.google.com , or at www.altavista.com/image/default,

Find favorite characters from shows on PBS and a variety of other graphics at www.pbskids.org.

http://www.dotolearn.com/ is a site with information and resources as well as free printable picture symbols and charts to use for visual schedules and steps within tasks.

IconTalk is a company dedicated to visual teaching strategies and support for persons with autism and other special learning challenges on the web at www.icontalk.com