Visual supports can be the key to understanding in young learning minds, whether neurodiverse or not, and that’s our topic for today! So, whether you're a parent, teacher, or clinician, this episode is sure to leave you with fresh ideas to help your children thrive.

We'll dive deep into how these tools—like visual schedules, comic strips, and beyond—can help kids learn and communicate needs effectively by making expectations clear and reducing anxiety. We'll share personal tips and tricks we've used in the clinic and at home, tackling everything from first-then boards to social stories. We'll also discuss common pitfalls and how to make these strategies work while also highlighting that visual supports are not a "one-size-fits-all" solution, but rather, they should be tailored to fit your unique kiddo's needs, preferences, and understanding. So, if you’re looking to amp up your teaching game with visuals, stick around for some great advice and a few laughs along the way!

Timestamps:

(01:24) - Welcome

(08:12) - Episode Overview

(09:42) - "First-Then" Boards in Behavioural Support

(20:13) - Common Implementation Errors

(37:44) - Transitioning with Visual Schedules

(39:11) - When Visual Schedules Don't Work

(46:55) - Social Stories

(53:07) - Visuals For Executive Functioning & Self Regulation

(01:01:42) - Comic Strip Conversations

(01:08:12) - Video Modeling as a Strategy

(01:17:35) - Visuals for Goal Setting and Progress Tracking

(01:26:17) - Stop, Think, Do

(01:30:00) - Reinforcement & Reward Strategies

(01:36:46) - Closing Tips For Therapy Sessions Or The Home

Materials We Love and Use:

• Elemenoe - Summer Visual Schedule

• Como, Dominique H.; Goodfellow, Margaret; Hudak, Delaney; Cermak, Sharon A. A scoping review: Social stories supporting behavior change for individuals with Autism. J Occup Ther Sch Early Interv 2024;17(1):154–175. doi:10.1080/19411243.2023.2168824
• Ganz, Jennifer B.; Earles-Vollrath, Theresa L.; Cook, Katherine E. Video Modeling A Visually Based Intervention for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Teaching Exceptional Children 2011;43(6):8-19
• Hayes, Gillian R.; Hirano, Sen; Marcu, Gabriela; Monibi, Mohamad; Nguyen, David H.; Yeganyan, Michael. Interactive visual supports for children with autism. Pers Ubiquit Comput 2010;14:663–680. doi:10.1007/s00779-010-0294-8
• Leaf, Justin B.; Ferguson, Julia L.; Cihon, Joseph H.; Milne, Christine M.; Leaf, Ronald; McEachin, John. A Critical Review of Social Narratives. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities 2019. doi:10.1007/s10882-019-09692-2.
• Meadan, Hedda; Ostrosky, Michaelene M.; Triplett, Brooke; Michna, Amanda; Fettig, Angel. Using Visual Supports With Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Teaching Exceptional Children 2011;43(6):28-35

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Have a question or a topic that you'd love to hear on the show? Get in touch with us at [email protected]