Autistic Children Need Schedules

Schedules are an important part of every child's life. This is especially true when dealing with a child of special needs like Autism. Having a schedule will help the Autistic child feel a sense of structure. Children with Autism often have anxiety issue they are dealing with. Having a schedule helps the levels of anxiety to drop. They know what to expect on a daily basis. They know at a certain time of the day what they will be doing.

If there is no schedule or structure in an Autistic child's daily life things will be very hectic. They have lots of doctors and therapist appointments. Sometimes there will be more than one appointment a day. Keeping a schedule can help you and your child to make sure they do not miss any appointments.

Some Autistic children have trouble with reading. You can use a visual schedule. Have pictures for all the daily activities. This allows them to see what is coming next. Having a schedule for your child will help avoid some breakdowns. Keep the schedule posted where your child can see it. If you have to change the schedule explain the changes to your child. They like routines, and a change could throw their whole day out of whack.

Schedules can be a help when trying to get the child to do something they do not want to do. Simply show them that after they do this they will get to move onto something else. Tell them they cannot move on until this activity is completed.

There will always be things that come up. Try to stick to the schedule as much as possible. When things come up try to get back on schedule as soon as you can. This includes weekends . If your child is used to getting up at seven in the morning continue to do so. Keep their bedtimes close to the same time each night. Your child will be happier when they have had enough sleep.

Schedules will make life much easier you and your Autistic child. Keep them posted for your child to see, and stick to the schedule the best you can. An example of a schedule you can use if found below.

7 AM Wake up, get dressed and ready for the day

8 AM Breakfast

9 AM Therapy Appointment at home

11 AM Free time/ Play time

12 PM Lunch

1 PM Outdoor Play

2 PM Arts and Crafts

3 PM Free Time

5 PM Dinner

6 PM TV time

7 PM Bath time

8 PM Bed Time

This allows the child to know what is going on during the day. Include doctors, or therapy appointments on the schedule. An older child can still benefit from a schedule. It has to be adjusted for school time, and any extra curricular activities. You can include homework time, and chores into the chart. Once you start using a chart for your Autistic child you will see a improvement in the flow of your day. This also leaves little time for boredom. There is always something planned to do.

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Educational Planning For a Student With Autism - Bring on the Visuals!

For an individual who thrives on order and routine, our world is a scary place! Humans interact at record breaking speeds; everything we do is high speed, instant and ever changing. Even our homes and classrooms tend to be quickly moving people from one activity to the next, changing schedules and living in the moment. It is a sign of our times and right or wrong, it is what it is. As non - autistic people we need our Blackberrys, our calendars, and our day planners to stay organized. Many of us could probably benefit from having a personal secretary! Individuals with autism need a way to cope with the demands of a fast paced society.

Schedules, lists, checklists and agendas are visual ways of organizing the world. Visual supports are the cornerstone of independence for an individual with autism. They tell an individual what needs to be done, when and what is coming next. Visuals provide order to a disorderly environment without the need for continual directions. It is not wise to fade out visual schedules because these are the tools that an individual will use for the rest of his/her life in order to be more independent. Students can be taught how to make and use daily visuals in order to bring order to their day and reduce anxiety.

Visuals can vary from written words to pictures, photos, objects and product samples to a combination of supports. The following are a sample of some useful visual supports:

A daily schedule that lists events/things to do/activities/changes in schedule

A key ring with visual reminders of social rules (personal space, staring, waiting in line etc...)

Checklists of tasks to complete and a place to indicate when are tasks completed

Checklists outlining the sequence of steps to complete a task (washing dishes, laundry, bathing, using appliances etc...)

Checklists of materials needed (packing a swim bag, packing a lunch, packing homework or materials for a class)

A pocket size relaxation booklet

Labels to indicate location and sequence (drawers for clothing, hygiene materials, cupboards etc...)

Graphic organizers or templates that outline what information is needed and where it should be recorded

Semantic maps (these "thoughts webs" help students gather information and see the relationships
between parts that otherwise may seem unrelated because of the learning style of students with autism)

Cue cards (Reminders about how to solve a problem, recall a rule, make a transition etc...)

Calendars

Power cards that outline the way that a favorite character would handle a situation (the card demonstrates effective ways for the individual with autism to act or respond)

Social Stories(TM) as developed by Carol (A specific strategy that involves a written story with pictures which describes a social situation. These stories make the unknown known for student with autism)

We wouldn't consider expecting a wheelchair bound person to "fade" the use of their wheelchair; it provides an opportunity for freedom and increased independence. Visual supports offer the same benefit to individuals with autism. It is only fair to give an individual all the tools that they need to live a life that is fulfilling and enjoyable!

Jennifer Krumins is a full time teacher in Ontario, Canada with 19 years of experience in special education and the regular classroom. A mother of three (one of which has autism), she is currently teaching severely challenged teenagers with autism. She is the author of two books:

Been There. Done That. Finally Getting it Right. A Guide to Educational Planning for Students with Autism: Lessons from a Mother and Teacher.

and

One Step at a Time: ABA and Autism in the Classroom; Practical Strategies for Implementing Applied Behaviour Analysis for Student with Autism

Please feel free to visit Jennifer's website at http://www.autismaspirations.com or email her at krumins@autismaspirations.com.

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How Does a Visual Schedule Benefit the Autistic Child?

Schedules are an essential part of a child's life, they are important to use with children because children will not have to wonder what happens next in their daily routine and they will be able to anticipate activities that they will have to do each day. Schedules are necessarily important for all children however they are extremely essential for children with autism. Autism makes it so that the child has to have a set pattern and structure throughout their day. Schedules help and do extremely well with this. Children with autism often go through their day full of anxiety and this schedule helps reduce that.

If a child with autism does not have a set and structured schedule each day it will make things hectic and dysfunctional for the child and the caregiver. Even though it may be easy for you to remember doctor appointments and other necessary activities you have to do, a child with autism does not have that natural ability of remembering things like that. Autistic children cannot simply do things at different times whenever it feels right because they have to have a schedule.

One difficulty that many autistic children face is reading, in which it is strongly encouraged to start bringing a visual schedule to help your child go about daily tasks. With these visual schedules you will have pictures of each activity at each point of the day that they have to do, which will help them see what they need to do and what to do next. Having this sort of visual schedule placed where the child can always see it will allow them to understand what to do and not have the occasional breakdowns. It is important that if there is a change to the schedule that you take the extra amount of time needed to explain to the child what was changed and why, so they don't become confused. Since children with autism like schedules, structure, and routines having even one small change to their schedule can put a huge dent on the rest of their day.

Schedules also come into use when you want to teach your child to do something that you already are aware of that they do not like or want to do. Go through the activity with the child and explain in detail that it is important for them to finish this task before they can go forward to the next task or activity. You have to be sold when letting them know and understand that the next activity or task cannot be started until the first task is completed.

As always, life is very unpredictable and things may come up during the day, however it is important to still try and stay with the schedule as much as you possibly can. If something comes up that you cannot avoid make sure that you return to the schedule as soon as possible to avoid the child to become full of anxiety and misunderstanding. The schedule for the day also includes what time they have to wake up in the morning and what time they are going to bed. It is important that you maintain the same times everyday so that the child has a sense of a normal routine.

Even though it is important to have schedules for all children, it is significantly important for autistic children. Having the best understanding that you can about how autistic children require structure and daily routines will make it better for you to work with them. Once the daily routine has been working for your child, after a while it may be important to consider the introduction of new activities to their daily routine. For example, label the activity as, "Learn Something New".

Make sure to keep the new activity simple and something easily understandable so that the child can ease into learning it. Maintaining a positive attitude for the child so that they will have a tendency to look forward to this activity, which is why it is important to start the new activity slowly and let it build up over time so that the child becomes used to this new activity being a part of their daily routine.

For more information and additional insights about Autism Visual Schedules please visit our web site at http://www.autism-explained.com

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Why Children With Autism Need Schedules

Believe it or not, schedules play a very important part in every child's life. Children like schedules because it permits them to anticipate what will happen when. But having a schedule is particularly important for the autistic child. Autistic children need a sense of structure which helps to overcome the feelings of anxiety they typically have. They know what to expect during the day and what activity they will be during at what times during the day.

The lack of a schedule in an autistic child's life can make things very hectic, both for them and for you. If you are the type of person who just "remembers" doctor appointments and other commitments and does whatever activity feels right at the time, then good for you but you are going to have to change that for the benefit of your autistic child, where autism almost requires structure and a schedule.

Many autistic children exhibit many problems in reading, in which case you are encouraged to use a "visual schedule" to assist them. On this visual schedule, you will put pictures of each daily activity, which allows them to see what is coming next. Having such a schedule posted where the child can always see it will help to avoid the occasional breakdowns. If you need to make a change to the schedule for whatever reason, be sure to take extra time to carefully explain it to the child. Children with autism like a schedule and routine, and even a minor change can put a huge dent in their whole day.

Schedules can also be used to encourage the child to do something that you already know they do not want to do. Show them the activity or task and carefully explain that this task must be completed before you can move on to the next activity, pointing to the next activity. Be firm in letting them know that the next activity cannot be done until the first task has been completed.

Life is unpredictable and there will be days when something comes up, although you should try to stick to the schedule as much as possible. If something comes up, try to get back on schedule as quickly as possible so as to avoid the high levels of anxiety that the child will experience. This schedule also applies to something like what time to get up in the morning and bed time - keep those times the same every day as it represents a part of the normal schedule.

While having a schedule is important for all children, it is particularly important for autistic children. If you can understand that they require structure and routine to avoid anxiety, you will have a much better opportunity to work with them and teach them new things. In fact, as time goes as, you may even want to include a new daily activity that you will introduce into the schedule, perhaps labeled something like "Learn Something New". Keep it simple but use this scheduled time to ease into learning something new. Be sure to keep it positive so that the child will look forward to it, which is a good reason to start this new activity slowly and let it build over time as the child gets used to this new part of their routine.

For more insights and additional information about Autistic Child Schedules and Routine please visit our web site at http://www.autism-explained.com

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Day Schedule Strips to Teach and Calm Autistic Children

Schedule and Day strips are a great way to get an Autistic child to understand what is going on on a day to day basis. It teaches them language and can modify their behavior by understanding what is going on.

We found with our daughter and other Autistic children that one of the major causes of a meltdown is when they are confused about what is happening. This is often happens when a routine is changed and they don't know about it, or understand why.

By communicating with the Autistic child, by some means, well in advance, perhaps the day before, of what to expect for that day they will be exceptionally calmer even if it is a big change from their routine.

One way we found of communicating to the child is through pictures. Most Autistic children are highly visual communicators. They see the world in pictures, mainly because they can not process sounds and written words.

Compics, PECS and Boardmaker were developed for communicating with persons that have impaired or do not have language skills at all. They can be used for communicating and ultimately for teaching language step by step.

The day schedule strips are just one example of using pictures to communicate, but this for us was one huge step toward teaching and communicating to our daughter about what to expect for the coming day and any changes to her routines.

With this knowledge it was as if she was a completely different child, willingly following what was on the schedule, and accepting new and challenging experiences. However if the schedule had to change then there was a problem to contend with.

Over time however we found if things did change we would use the same method, only without as much advance warning, but it was just as effective in preparing her for the change.

How to make the Schedule Day Strips
The strips can be made up of laminated cardboard or plastic with a Velcro strip along the front. The pictures used for the strip are made up of either Compic, PECS or Boardmaker style pictures which have a Velcro pad adhered to them on the back. The strip is made long enough to fit sufficient number of pictures for the days events.

It is important to make the strips and pictures large enough to catch the child's attention and make it easy for them to see and read. The pictures should have words with them even if they can't read as this will aid to teach them words associated with the pictures.

How to use the Schedule Day Strips
For each day a schedule can be laid out in order of events from left to right. The child can see what day it is, for example F Friday and what they will be doing during the day. This can be slowly progressed in time as the child learns to read, or recognise the words, into cards with words or short sentences only, to describe the days events.

Now we have progressed Isy to using a diary which she refers to on regular basis during the day to see what her days schedule is. It is great to see her looking and reading her diary and knowing exactly what is in store for her for that day and coming days, such as planned events in the future.

It is important to know when to progress from pictures to words to sentences, and not done too early or too late. If done right they will transition easily and smoothly along.

To see the images for this article visit: http://isybeeautism.com/autism-teaching-aids/day-schedule-strips-to-teach-and-calm-autistic-children/

Hi, my name is Isabella, Isy for short. I was born in mid 1997 and was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. My parents originally started Isabella's Autism Pages and Isybee Autism web pages to help other parents in similar circumstances, and to give recognition to other people and organisations who have helped them help me. We hope to cover a lot of ground writing articles and providing information and resources for families and persons affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Please visit my website for more information and resources:

http://isybeeautism.com - Autism information and resources.