Adding more visual supports has been SO helpful for Wilson. This was something that took me awhile to come around to understanding that he needed because I thought he KNEW most all of these words.

It was incredible to see how much of a difference it made for him to SEE them, especially when it comes to scheduling and first/then scenarios.

I can say “put your shoes on” 50x but if he sees an image of shoes, car, then school- he is more likely to complete all those steps without a million prompts.

Now he puts his own magnets up when he wants something and can’t exactly get those needs across verbally. He’s even started drawing items he wants! (His sandwich 🤣- see video below!)

Checking events off as they are completed has been really helpful as well.

The magnets we’re using here are schKIDules ordered from Amazon, and some wallet sized photo prints we made of items more specific to Wilson, like preferred foods/activities, his school, therapists, our house etc.

I also included a screenshot of the Choiceworks app we use for schedules on the go. It’s great- you can use stock photos or photos from your camera roll.

For special events, park visits, doc appointments and other outings we bring a small whiteboard so we can draw or create checklists on the fly!

Give some of these a try and if you have questions don’t hesitate to ask- I wish I hadn’t waited so long to make some of these simple things more available for the whole family!

Click the images below to see Wilson using his visual supports!