Visual Schedules and Autism
How stressed out are you by daily routines? What about your kids? I mean, it’s something that we do, as a household, every.single.day. Why does it have to be so stressful?
Most of us do not use visual schedules at home though many kids use them at school. These free printable visual schedules for home and daily routines might help make things easier.
Kids with autism may have more difficulty coping with unstructured time than other kids. They may benefit from the increased structure in their lives.
Also, printable schedules can help a child with anxiety who is often fretting over “what is going to happen next.” A visual schedule helps them plan and prepare even if the next activity is non-preferred. Most of all, these visual schedules are free! I hope this makes your mornings easier.
What is a Visual Schedule?
Visual schedules use a series of pictures to communicate a series of activities or the steps of a specific activity. They are often used to help children understand and manage daily events in their lives. They can be created using pictures, photographs, or written words, depending upon the ability of the child. (that is from wikipedia)
I am going to try a few of these. My son has limited communication skills. We’ve never done this at home but I know he uses printable schedules at school. Sesame Street just launched some new Daily Routine Cards. I think I may try those first.
Are Picture Schedules just for Autistic Children?
No! Many children can benefit from using a visual schedule. Any child who is struggling to learn language, reading, and writing should consider using picture schedules instead.
Benefits of Using Visual Schedules
The advantages of using these free printable visual schedules for home and daily routines for children with autism are:
- help utilizes the individual’s visual strengths and therefore provides a receptive communication system to increase understanding
- It helps the individual to learn new things and broaden their interests
- It provides tools that allow the individual to use skills in a variety of settings
- predictability can help the individual remain calm and reduces inappropriate behaviors
- child can develop independence and resulting self-esteem
Visual Schedules in the Home
Despite these benefits, setting up a picture schedule can seem like a daunting, time-consuming task for many parents. Keep in mind that the schedule doesn’t have to be perfect.
Maybe you want to have your child browse these with you and help choose them. I also have included links to purchase schedules if you don’t want to make your own.
And here is another. More below!
Reasons to Use Visual Schedules
- Help kids learn sight words.
- Better for kids who learn visually rather than auditory.
- Allow for independence-child can see what is coming next, rather than asking.
- Help some kids plan for transitions.
- They are evidence-based.
If you are still trying to get your school or your team use visual schedules, consider printing this out and sharing it with them.
Additionally, the time you invest in creating schedules now can save you time later correcting behaviors. Furthermore, it is also likely to save your son or daughter time by increasing their skills and independence.
But, in order to make it easier for you, I have found lots of free printable visual schedules. I numbered them so that if you share this post with your child’s team members, you’ll know which printable visual schedule you are talking about.
Daily Visual Schedules for Kids
Please note that if the resource is posted with strikethrough font, it means that the link went dead and I could not find a replacement. Sorry, but that’s what happens when a post is old, but popular! The other sites stop blogging or whatever…and then their content isn’t available.
- First,_next,_then_boards by Seomra Ranga
- Morning Routine printable by Laura’s Crafty Life
- Daily Routine Printables 2 by Get Snazzy
- Unknown Source (click to make bigger and print!)
- Printable Routine Cards by Childhood 101
- Morning routine printable schedule by From ABCs to ACTs
- Printable Daily Routine-getting dressed by Living Well with Autism
- Daily Bathroom Routine-Toileting
- Home and Daily Routine-night time
- Printable Morning Routine-including medications
- Printable Morning Routine-no meds
- 【With 86 Visual Schedule Cards】80 cards are printed with various patterns related to chore chart, outing activities, school, daily eating etc, those cards covers all aspects of life. Other six topic cards can sort out daily tasks in the morning and evening, and visually show the progress of various tasks and order. It will make easier to teach children routine and responsibility
- 【Stand on the Tabletop & Hang on the Wall】This routine chart have 4 grommets on the top for easily hanging it vertically or sideways on the wall as a behavior chart for kids at home, or it can directly used as a tabletop teaching board
- 【With Detachable Bag to Hold Cards】The back of schedule blending board has a transparent detachable pocket stuck with velcro to store all your flash cards, you don't need to worry about how to store the cards. Kids can also put the completed tasks cards into the bag to understand with what he’s done
- 【Communication Board for Autism】This daily toddler schedule chart is a perfect speech therapy materials for children with autism or special need, allowing them to express their feelings and what they want with visual cards, as well as to behave properly and communicate effectively with those around them, it is a perfect autism learning materials and communication tools
- 【Durable & safe】The schedule board are made of blending board, sturdy and not easy to deform, can be used for many years. The PVC flash cards is durable and waterproof, not easy to tear.
- EASY & INSTANT: Right out of the box you can try so many visual schedule set ups with your child to test which one achieves your behavioral goals
- MULTI-AGE PRODUCT: With our dual purpose board, 21 unique headings and activities magnets that span from simple routines to chores, this visual schedule offers many functions for multiple ages
- NO ASSEMBLY: You’ve got everything you need to start using a visual schedule with your child the minute it arrives; simply set up your design and hang it with the provided nylon rope
- BEHAVIORAL GAME CHANGER: A must have for parents with a strong-willed child, type-A child, distracted or forgetful child, visual learner, child with ADHD or on the Autism Spectrum
- INCLUDES: One 18” tri-folding, reversible, dry-erase magnetic board, 21 headings, 36 stars, and 72 home-themed laminated activity magnets for the easy setup of an instant visual schedule
- Package Content: You will get 60 children's visual timetables, 1 felt background hanging bag and 60 hook and loop points, the number of cards in the set is sufficient, and the cards are beautifully made, which can meet your daily learning use. Can be used as learning material for children with autism.
- High-quality Material: Children's visual timetable is made of high-quality cardboard material, the surface is laminated, the material is hard, waterproof and not easy to tear or wrinkle, the card can be pasted and removed many times using the included hook and loop. The hanging bag background board is made of high-quality felt material, with Velcro sewn on it, which can be pasted or removed many times.
- Multiple Functions: The home-school organization schedule card is composed of 40 different cards, including breakfast, lunch, snacks, drinks, brushing teeth, bathing, going to school, cleaning, swimming, shopping, walking, stories, etc. in every way. This is a great starter pack if you need visual assets but don't know where to start.
- Simple to Use: you just need to stick the dot velcro on the back of the card and stick the card on the felt background board hanging bag. The felt background board hanging bag can hold 10 cards at a time. There is a small pocket under the hanging bag, which can hold cards. The felt hanging bag has a lanyard, which can be hung on the door, blackboard, etc., which is very convenient to use.
- Good Learning Aids: children think very visually, when they see the picture on the agenda card, their receptive communication will be stronger, they will want to focus on it and follow the behavior shown on the picture; This is great for children with autism, allowing them to choose what they want to do by playing cards to reduce their anxiety.
- Thoughtful Visual Schedule Combination: you will receive 60 pieces of picture cards, 3 pieces of back boards, 3 pieces of hook and loop fasteners and 60 pieces of white hook and loop dots, 126 pieces of items in total from the visual schedule for toddlers, enough for you to use
- Various Activities Cards: the picture schedule cards consist of 60 different motivations, including but not limited to phone, TV, breakfast, snacks, lunch, drinks, teeth brushing, bathing, school, cleaning and so on, enough to cover various aspects of time
- Applying for Lots of Occasions: the visual board for autism can be applied to a lot of occasions, such as home, kindergarten, preschool, primary school, junior high school and so on, to help kids form nice habits
- Practical Leaning Props: when kids see the pictures on the wall schedule board for kids, they will know their daily tasks on visual earlier, you can use them to make schedules for your kids, and the lovely pictures are easy to arouse their interests, helpful for them to complete tasks
- Serviceable and Reliable: the daily schedule board for kids and picture cards are mainly made of PVC, stable in structure, not easy to fade or deform, bright in color, light in weight, in exquisite workmanship, you can use them with ease and confidence
- Reduce anxiety and create calmer and happier transitions at home and less stress for the whole family by communicating to them what is happening in their day, and thereby allowing them to feel in control.
- This is a visual wall planner, or daily routine chart for kids, of 35 picture cards plus two foamex boards which attach to one another using VELCRO Brand hook and loop. The visual schedule can display up to 10 cards at once and these can easily be changed around thanks to the VELCRO Brand hook and loop stuck to the back of the cards and the boards.
- Features clear visual symbols that have specifically been designed with communication in mind. The characters in our visual aids are age neutral, meaning they are suitable for children or adults.
- Cards have rounded corners and are made from sturdy, waterproof, durable plastic that does not tear, ready to be used again and again by strong hands.
- Created by a Mum and early years teacher, this is a great visual timetable for autistic children and those with asd, autism, adhd, aspergers, speech and language delay, and special educational needs. Communication cards are, in fact, fantastic for all kids.
Visual Schedules for Preschoolers
Please don’t let the word “preschool” cloud your opinion of this. If my child needs a “preschool” chart when he’s 25, so be it. I don’t care much for age labels.
Visual-Schedule-TemplateI hope that these free printable visual schedules for home and daily routines are helpful to you and your kids.
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