Visual Schedule and Rules

[Guest guest]

I am getting ready to make a visual schedule and rule boards for my kiddos. Any advice/suggestions?

I'm going to use a large dry erase board for the schedule so it can be changed easily and just use magnets on the back of the pictures so those can be changed easily as well. I think I am going to make several rule charts for problem areas, ie playroom and diningroom and then an overall house rules chart. Then I plan to make a mini chart for the bathroom just to guide self care for mornings and nighttime since Wyatt is able to do most all of it.

My hope is that this will reduce the amount of time we have to repeat what we need him to be doing and he usually memorizes these thing very quickly!

I'm excited!

[Guest guest]

Hi,

If you do not have the pictures yet then you can take a look at Picto

Selector to find them. Print them on paper and laminate them. Then they will

be very durable.

You can find Picto Selector on www.PECSforAll.com it is freeware and

combined with 12000 symbols.

Martijn van der Kooij

(Developer of Picto Selector and father of autistic son who benefits a lot

of those visuals)

[Guest guest]

That sounds wonderful! I know I could use that! Thank you!

From: Martijn van der Kooij <mcvanderkooij@...>Autism and Aspergers Treatment Sent: Fri, July 16, 2010 2:19:36 AMSubject: Re:Visual Schedule and Rules

Hi,If you do not have the pictures yet then you can take a look at PictoSelector to find them. Print them on paper and laminate them. Then they willbe very durable.You can find Picto Selector on www.PECSforAll.com it is freeware andcombined with 12000 symbols.Martijn van der Kooij(Developer of Picto Selector and father of autistic son who benefits a lotof those visuals)

[Guest guest]



Visual Schedule AND two way communication;

At a recent autism support group meeting there was a therapist there (in the crowd, not as a speaker) and she told us that when the school uses a visual schedule - for our 4 year old who has yet to talk to any other child at school in two years, yet plays and talks a bit at home with his little brother - that that is good but it's not two way communication which should be addressed on his I.E.P. I had never really thought about that before.

She told us perhaps we ought to re-visit his I.E.P. and be sure that the visual schedule and speech twice a week doesn't count as totally fulfililng his communication goals. She explained that getting the communication from him is important too and that should be addressed. as part of the official I.E.P. Comments?

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He shared an aide at school with another girl this year - which helped avoid melt downs but the aide didn't do much as much as I'd of liked with getting him to socialize with others, although I'd have to say, perhaps she did try. The aide was sent to STAR training for two days, hotel room, meals, etc. which I really appreciated that the (public pre-school) did. But at times like recess, when things were less structured, she mainly sat and visited with the other teachers and took a break along with them, while he paced at the side of the playground never playing with the equipment, balls, going down the slide, etc. I observed this repeatedly. I admit she did let the group play 'monster' letting our 4 year old be the monster and chase others, something she probably wouldn't have done for other children, but did it as way to coax him into interacton. But other than that, he basically self stimmed during recess, as well as maybe 1/3 of the school day.

The aide was not rehired for next year, they decided not to for financial reasons and will now have no aide. The speech teacher had really wished she had been allowed to give input on hiring/choosing the aide, as she wanted someone with a bit different personality and I think she was right. But of course we were thrilled he even had an aide at all as before the aide was hired we could barely get him in the the school door, he had multiple melt downs throughout the day,. We were tempted just to take him home by noon ever day, which I wish we could, but jobs, you know. But he was always a bottle of tension after school and I feel it's just what that peson told us. I believe he gets like a tight spring in that he has not communicated to anyone all day at school and has a lot of pent up frustration in there.