Visual Schedules for Kids with Autism

Stressing out about your schedule? Your kids might be too. Keeping up with schedules and routines can be stressful, especially for kids with autism. Visual schedules serve as a visual reminder to help kids understand upcoming events and prepare for the activities on the schedule.

All About Visual Schedules for Kids with Autism

If your child struggles with managing schedule changes, unexpected deviations from the routine, or transitioning from one activity to the next, a visual schedule can help them move to new tasks and manage changes more easily.

Keep reading to learn more about visual schedules, why you might need one, and how to get started today.

What is a visual schedule?

The pictures in a visual schedule show kids what will happen and when. You can create a visual schedule with photos, clip art, physical objects, written words, or a combination of words and pictures.

If your child is not yet reading, you’ll probably want to choose a picture schedule. You can display your picture schedule on the fridge, a wall, or a family schedule board. For teens and older kids, you may wish to use a computer or notebook for your visual schedule.

In many cases, parents create visual schedules for their kids. Over time, children can learn to create their own schedules too. Visual schedules can be used for just about any activity during the day.

A daily schedule shows kids all of the activities during a single day. Mini schedules can also be used to show kids all the steps within a certain task. For example, all the steps used to brush your teeth or pack a lunch.

Some visual schedules are used between routine activities to help with transitions. For example, leaving home to go to an appointment or moving from getting dressed to brushing teeth.

Why are visual schedules important for autism?

Kids with autism generally prefer structured time and can be thrown off by unstructured gaps in the schedule. They usually benefit from increased structure, so printable visual schedules help them to prepare for what’s coming next, anticipate changes, and transition from one activity or location to another.

As a mom, having a visual schedule for your child with autism can be a game changer that makes your kid’s day easier and your day just a little bit easier too.

Here are just a few of the awesome benefits you and your child can experience with a visual schedule:

Helps to organize the day
Makes your expectations clear
Reminds kids what to expect
Promotes independence
Provides extra structure
Makes transitions easier
Helps redirect kids when they get off task
Makes it easier for kids to self-regulate

How do you introduce a visual schedule?

After you decide which kind of visual schedule will work best for your child, you’ll need to work together with your child and other caregivers or teachers to implement the schedule. Teach your child how to use the schedule with prompts, encourage him or her to use the schedule throughout the day, and praise them for their successes.

Eventually, your child will be able to use the schedule independently and might even be able to create their own schedules in time.

It’s important to remember that when you introduce a visual schedule, you’ll need to keep it short. Start with just a few items on the schedule. You might want to start with just one mini schedule for a multi-step task first.

Try not to give too many verbal instructions when using the visual schedule. You want to ensure that your child is learning to check the schedule and encourage independence as much as possible.

Click Here fo an Editable Visual Schedule with over 300 different activity cards

Setting a daily schedule for kids has never been more simple than with this visual schedule printable.

It has smaller pictures and includes days of the week, seasons, times, feelings and emotions. Plus, lot’s of great picture cards with activities.

Best Visual Schedule Apps for Kids with Autism

These days there are lots of awesome applications that can help you build visual schedules on your smartphone or tablet. These types of apps are perfect for older children or teens who might prefer to be discreet with their schedule, but there are also a growing number of helpful apps for young children too.

Here are some of the best apps for creating visual schedules from your smartphone or tablet:

Boardmaker: A software platform that can be used in the classroom or at home which includes innovative symbols, apps, software, and AAC tablets.
Kazutime: This app uses visual, auditory, and even tactile clues to help children master the concept of time. It’s geared towards young children between ages 3 and 8. The app is perfect for parents, teachers, and therapists.
First-Then Visual Schedule: A high tech version of first-then boards, this app offers lots of helpful tools! It includes customizable visual schedules, video modeling, and social stories. Schedules can be broken down into mini-tasks with timers for kids that need help transitioning from one activity to the next. There are pictures for each step involved in a task too, making this app one of the best.
Visual Schedule Planner: The visual schedules you can create with this app are perfect for showing kids what to expect throughout the day. You can customize their schedule with pictures, add video models for a number of events, schedule timers, and even set up a checklist for kids to use as they move through the day. The app also offers kids the option to view daily, weekly, or monthly schedules.

If you’re looking for a visual schedule to purchase that doesn’t have to be printed and not an app on a screen, you should definitely check out SchKIDules. There’s a school setting, home edition, and a deluxe package.

Each set comes with a magnetic board, a large collection of laminated magnet images, as well as accessory magnets with days of the week and numbers, to help you create the perfect visual schedule for your child.

Do you use a visual schedule at home with your children? I’d love to read more about your experience with visual schedules, so don’t forget to share your stories with me in the comments.

You can check out some of the Free Visual Schedules we’ve shared here.