This is Why Visual Schedules Help Children

A visual schedule is a daily routine put in a place where the child can see it. Many homeschool parents and parents of children with different needs will use visual schedules as a means to curb meltdowns and keep the day to day life routine. Whether you are looking to use a visual schedule to help your special needs child or venturing into homeschool and want to ensure the day to day routine is kept, this post will help you see what the benefits are for having a visual schedule.

Benefits of Visual Schedules

5 Benefits of Visual Schedules – Ultimate Visual Schedule Printables

Removes Emotional Response

Having a visual schedule makes the day to day life more of a routine and expectation versus an emotional desire. You see children who have a visual schedule in front of them each day know what is expected and that there is no negotiation. This visual schedule enhances your child’s independence because they don’t have to rely on you to tell them what to do and when. They can use this visual schedule to get their daily tasks done without question.

Makes Transition Easier

This is very helpful for children with autism who tend to thrive on routine and have difficulties with transitions. Having a visual schedule up in plain sight ensures that your child will know what time things will happen throughout their day. With visual schedules you can include times of day where certain activities or changes will occur. Having this setup for your children can ease the burden of transition throughout the day and minimizes meltdowns.

Increases Flexibility

Having a visual schedule up each day is a great way to encourage flexibility within your child. Sometimes there life happens and a change in the schedule will occur, this is where you can change up the visual schedule to prepare your child for that upcoming change. Using the visual scheduled as a tool to prepare for changes will increase your child’s ability to be flexible with a new activity or routine change before it happens.

Educates on Time Lapse

Children often struggle with the concept of now, later or after time lapse. To them an hour could seem like just 15 minutes if they are enthralled in their favorite activity. Having a visual schedule for your child will help educate your child on time lapse. You will find that your child will start to comprehend what now, after, later means in a new way that eases the burden on their emotions. This will also help curb tantrums and meltdowns regarding time.

Set up Healthy Habits for Kids

When a child can see what comes next, their visual learning skills are activated. This helps them understand and cooperate more. It also reinforces memory, independence and mental organization of what’s to come. In addition to these behavioral and psychological benefits, it helps families set up healthy habits with daily routines, responsibilities and schedules everyone.

There you have it a few benefits of using visual schedules. Sure having a visual schedule may not sound appealing to the fly by the moment type of parent, but sometimes we have to adjust in ways that benefit our children. Often times children, specifically those on the autism spectrum need to feel that stability and security that comes with knowing what to expect each day.

A visual schedule will truly increase security, stability and help your child transition so much easier.