Visual Schedule and Visual Schedule and Social Story Supports Social Story Supports for Children with ASDfor Children with ASDSandra. L. Simon, MSPA, CCC-Sandra. L. Simon, MSPA, CCC-

SLPSLPMount Baker School DistrictMount Baker School District

Goals and Outcomes• To become familiar with the

developmental red flags that may indicate ASD in young children.

• To become familiar with the importance of developing a visual schedule or social story strategy to improve a child’s ability to attain their communication needs.

Special “Ones”

Imagine the child that brought you to this workshop and what your primary concerns are for their communication needs.

•Haley

•Theo

•Angus

What you Should know: The basics about

AutismASD numbers of occurrences sited today…

• 1 in 110 births results in a child with ASD as reported by the CDC• 400,000 individuals in the US live with some form of ASD today• Four times more often in boys than girls. • 1 in 70 births of male children according to the Autism Society of America are diagnosis

with an ASD• ASD is found throughout the world in all racial, ethnical and social backgrounds.

Presently, there are no agreed upon medical tests to diagnosis a child with ASD. Identification is still determined by the number and degree of characteristics noted by parents, teachers, caregivers, doctors when observing child according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition DSM-IV criteria.. *See handout

Characteristic of Individuals with ASD

These characteristics are noted primarily in the child’s:

• Speech• Social Interactions• Sensory Differences• Splinter Skills• Play• Need for Sameness and Routine• Behavioral Problems

A childhood milestone reference list is a useful tool when comparing a child’s behavior with age level expectations. *See handout

When a child begins to act out…something is wrong…

Behavioral problems don’t develop out of thin air… possiblereasons to consider:• Attention- getting strategy”• Making a demand• Need to escape from environment or activity • Self-stimulation to control the environment *Most important: What is the communicative function of the

behavior? Visual schedules and social story can be very helpful!

Teaching Strategies to Redirect Inappropriate

Behaviors• Stay Calm with body and voice• Let go of any expectations for the next moment• Determine possible cause *being afraid can heighten sense of anxiety…may help to initiate a full- body squeeze or give a favorite toy or item *Sensory stimulation may be too great for mind to process

It’s time to create a Visual Schedule

The most successful teaching method for children with ASD has to do with success in providing a highly structured environment in which the individual can learn.

Individuals with ASD thrive on predictability of structure and routine….therefore Visual Schedules and Social Stories are helpful tools in order to organize and schedule their lives.

Benefits of Visual Schedules

Your child or student may have a profound need for visual cuing and it is often due to the fact that many children who display ASD characteristics are typically visually oriented and learned best by…

Using a visual schedule because…. • Child pays more attention to what he needs to do• Helps organize activity by teaching • First….. Then… Next… Finally…• Relieves stress on what happens next…• Helps with smooth transitions between activities• Helps to manage the often confusing concept of “time”.• Helps the child meet their goals/ objectives.• Can help ease the rigidity of thinking and inflexibility that frequently characterizes children with

a ASD. …when thrown a curve ball like a surprise activity the student can better handle the change

• Can incorporate social-skill building into the activity or daily schedule may include 5 min. “play with classmate time” or “say or wave goodbye to 3

• people”.

The great capabilities of using a visual schedule is that it benefits all children!

"First we are going to get into the car and fasten the seatbelt. When we get to the playground, we play on the swings and the slide. When we are finished, we get back in the car, fasten our seatbelts, and go home."

Visual Schedule StylesNot all visual schedules are created in the same way but

they do have two common building blocks• They are sequential in design • They all use other forms of spoken

words to achieve functional communication.

Important to remember… in order for teaching to be effective you must be

heard and many children with ASD simply “hear” better with a picture.

Pictures…

•Can organize child’s words•Explain them •Tame child’s stress•Guidance and boundaries.

Visual cues can make sense when words don’t… because pics are very powerful.

First steps in setting up a successful VS is to know

what is visually meaningful to a child?

Does the student pay attention to:

• Stick figures?

• Pencil drawings?

Words alone “cup” Words and

pics: Circle time Photography

Sign Language Pics

“To do” lists

Continued…

How does the Child best track information?

• Left to right?• Top to bottom? • How many increments or cells should

be on a schedule or page at one time?

Emotions

Photographs can be helpful in teaching specific concepts

Washing Hands

                                                                           

Please Remember…• Children with ASD won’t lose the

need for a visual schedule as they get older, but the “level of representation” may change.

• Do you carry a day-planner or keep a calendar on your desk or wall or refrigerator? If so, you too are already using a visual planner.

Reinforcing Visual Schedules with Social

StoriesCarol Gray developed the idea of social stories in 1991 as

a way to provide concrete information to help improve student’s social skills and appropriate behaviors

• A social story helps students with ASD acquire, generalize and maintain social skills that make them more successful at school, home and in the community.

• It is an illustration that addresses the needs and improves the social understanding of both parties of the social equation.

• Imagine that you are home watching your favorite TV show…

What is a Social Story

• Used to teach social skills to children with ASD• A simple description of an everyday social

situation, written from a child’s perspective.• Can help prepare a child for upcoming

changes in routine.• Can teach appropriate social interactions for

situations that they encounter.• Child rehearses the story ahead of time with

an adult.• Then, when the situation actually happens,

the child can use the story to help guide his/her behavior.

What does a Social Story Look Like?

A Social Story can take many forms depending on the ability level of the individual…

• Book Format• Single Page• Photographs• Hand-drawn pictures• Pictorial icons• Multiple materials

Social Story Sentence Types

• Each Social Story uses several different types of sentences:

• Descriptive sentences (DE) • Directive sentences (Di)• Perspective sentences (P)• Affirmative sentences A)• Cooperative sentences (Co)• Control sentences (Cn)

Example of the Story Types

A social story using all six sentence types…• When we go to the store, there will be many

shoes to choose from (De)• I might not know which shoes I like (P)• That is okay with everyone. (A)• I can hold onto my string while I decide. (Cn)• When I decide about the shoes, I will tell the

grown-up. (Di)• The grown-up will go get the shoes for me. (Co)

How To Write a Social Story Continued

• Add pictures, photographs or icons to aid comprehension• Construct story out of child friendly materials• Read story as part of child’s routine.• If child does not appear to be responding to the story,

adjust the content of the story and/or the child’s access to the story

• Fade the story when the desired outcome is maintained and reintroduced if needed.

• Child may rely on the story for an extended period of time.

How to Use a Social Story

• Read the story to the child in a location with few distractions.

• Briefly explain the importance of the social story. Ex…• Read through the story once or twice and, when

necessary, model the behavior. Ex…• If appropriate, create a schedule for the child in which

the story is read at the same time and in the same way each time.

• Read the story just prior to a situation in which the problem behavior is likely to occur. EX…

• Consider providing opportunities for the student to “read” the social story with other children or adults

Time to Construct a Visual Schedule or Social

Story!

• Select a child in your care• Review Examples• Choose materials• Design!

Questions?

Resources/References Visual Schedules Resources:•Boardmaker; www.mayer-johnson.com/boardmaker•Do2learn; www.do2learn.com •Prologuo2go;Gowww.proloquo2go.com •Flip Videos/ Social Modeling www.theflip.com Social Stories Resources:•The New Social Story Book: Illustrated Edition by Carol Gray,1994/2000 Future Horizons• The Autistic Spectrum Parent’s Daily Helper by Philip Abrams and Leslie Henriques, M.P.H., 2004, Ulysses Press• Teaching Kids with Mental Health and Learning Disorders in the Regular Classroom by Myles L. Cooley, PhD, Free Spirit Publishing• We Beehave! Stories & Activities for Social Skills Development Future Books® 2010, linguisystems.com • Scripts for Role Playing: Setting the Stage for Social Success 2010, linguisystems.com

Resources/References Continued…

References:• Learners on the Autism Spectrum, Preparing Highly Qualified Educators, Edited by

Kari Dunn Buron and Pamela Wolfberg, (2008) Autism Asperger’s Publishing Co.• Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew, Ellen Notbohm,2005, Future

Horizons, Inc.• My Child Has Autism, Now What? 10 Steps to Get You Started, Susan Larson Kidd,

2011 Jessica Kingsley Publishers• For Parent’s and Professional Autism Autism, Kathie Harrington 1998,

linguisystems.com • A “5” Could Make Me Lose Control, Kari Dunn Buron, 2007, Autism Asperger’s

Publishing Company• Autism Criteria ( from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (

DSM IV)• www.firstsigns.org National Non=Ptofit dedicated to educating parents and

professionals about the early warning signs of autism and related disorders.• www.autismspeaks.org/ Autism Speaks is dedicated to increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders www.autismclassroom.com www.autism-society.org

Finally...