As evidenced by some recent
articles in the New York Times regarding autism, the condition is heavily researched
and often misunderstood. Although we aren’t sure about the exact pathology, there
are best practices in terms of treatment. Among these, using pictures to
facilitate language and overall education and understanding is essential in any
program for students with autism. Researchers agree that one hallmark of those
on the autism spectrum is that they better understand the world in pictures. While
verbal communication is often subject to interpretation, clear, objective
pictures can be used to easily convey intended meaning. To help understand
this, let’s take the following sentence: “You stole the cookies from the jar!” Say
that out loud and put the emphasis on different words. One simple sentence can
have five different meanings, whereas a picture of a person grabbing a cookie
from the cookie jar has more direct meaning.
A picture activity schedule is a
visual display of sequenced events that are expected to occur or be completed.
Picture schedules can be used to present the steps required to complete an
activity or outline the events of an entire day. They generally include visual prompts like
photographs and picture symbols. Some
teachers and parents use visual schedules in order to allow children to
complete tasks more independently. These tasks may include: getting dressed,
going to the bathroom, washing hands, and transitioning from one activity to
another throughout the school day. Research indicates that using picture
schedules allow for a more structured teaching environment where
student-expectations are clear and adult prompting is minimized (Bryan &
Gast, 2000).
Let’s take a look at how this might look for your student.
“Getting six-year-old Joseph ready for bed is such a
struggle. I tell him to go get ready for bed, and he just looks at me. “Getting
ready for bed” is an abstract concept that has a lot of different meanings for
people—and it’s exactly the type of scenario that a student with autism
struggles with. Below is a chart using pictures that will explain in an
objective, sequential way how bedtime occurs.
Here is another example of a visual schedule. This one is perfect for building student independence during mealtime at school:
Pictures can be used in a variety
of situations, both at home and at school. Any time someone has difficulty
understanding a scenario or expectations, best practice suggests using a multi-sensory
approach to learning, which will allow for greater understanding. Our next post
will be on using visuals to help men properly load the dishwasher!
References
Bryan, L.C. & Gast, D.L.
(2000). Teaching on-task and on-schedule
behaviors to high-functioning
children with autism via picture activity schedules. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders,
30 (6), 553-567.
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