Free Visual Support:Temperature (PDF)

To help students really understand the concept of temperature, it is important to teach the concept from many different perspectives. This support helps represent temperature in terms of degrees, descriptive words, and appropriate attire. This visual can be used to support teaching in a group, such as during calendar, or on an individual basis, such as in the home to help an individual make appropriate choices about what clothes to wear on a given day. The video contains a brief description of the support.

Free Visual Support:Important Times (PDF)

Enhancing predictability for individuals diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum helps to alleviate the experience of unnecessary stress and anxiety. This simple visual support, Important Times, helps a student to understand the flow of their daily schedule, while also providing an opportunity to practice telling time. These clocks can be used to create a bulletin board for the whole class to reference throughout the school day or to provide an individual with a personalized visual support. There are 5 large clocks- 4 that are labeled with generally recognized Important Times and 1 blank clock to allow for individualization. A single sheet containing the 4 pre-labeled clocks which can be easily used to support an individual student is also included as part of the downloadable file. Clock faces can be filled in by staff in advance or they can be completed by students using laminated copies and dry erase markers as part of an academic lesson. Space is provided for both analogue and digital time. The video contains a brief description of the support and possibilities for modifications.

Free Visual Support:Play Web (PDF)

This is an example of a play web to help organize creative, imaginative play for children at the emerging language stage of development. Play webs offer visual choices of ways to engage with the toys. This particular example illustrates play options for wooden trains. The circular construction of the web conveys choice rather than a linear sequence of steps for play. Each play suggestion is represented in simple verb-object phrases, allowing the child to select any play figurine to execute the actions. Each word in the captions is visually supported and color coded in an effort to ensure comprehension and to facilitate the development of early sentence structures. The video briefly describes the support and its uses.

Free Visual Support:Regulation Roadmap Visuals (PDF)

The Regulation Roadmap is designed to help kids on the spectrum realize that “the green road” and “red road” which are often associated with behavior and consequence mapping aren’t absolutes. There is always space for a child to “make a U turn” or do a little “construction work” and get back on the green road and actively engaged in learning or playing. This visual is designed to help support kids during those critical junctures by providing them with reminders of individualized strategies that they can use either independently or with help from others. The video tutorial briefly describes the customization and use of the support.

Free Visual Support:Person-focused Request Visuals (PDF)

Person-focused Request Visuals are designed to help the child/student focus not just on the object of their interest, but also on the person from whom they are making the request. This support is designed to be customized with a photo of the child’s/student’s communicative partner in the red box of each simple sentence. These sentence strips can then be cut apart and placed on see-through, hard-to-open containers containing the child’s preferred objects. Parents and school staff can reinforce a child’s communicative message and focus on the partner by repeating the message on the sentence strip following the child’s/student’s initiation, bringing the container close to his/her face, and responding consistently to the request. The video tutorial briefly describes the use and individualization of the support.

Free Visual Support:Fit and Focused (PDF)

Fit and Focused, is designed to be a fun and interactive tool to engage elementary school students in a daily exercise routine! It can be used at home before school to set the stage for classroom engagement or in the school environment when larger movement-based breaks are warranted. Fit and Focused includes four types of activities in the compact 12 minute morning workout. Menus are included in each section to allow a child to customize their routine each day. The video link briefly discusses implementation and considerations for customization.

Free Visual Support:Regulation Dice (PDF)

Everyone needs to take a break sometimes! Regulation Dice are made for those times when you want to bring an element of fun into your break and to not spend time trying to decide what type of break to take. Designed to be used with individuals, small groups, or whole classes, Regulation Dice turn taking a break into a bit of a game. Two sets of dice are included for download here – one with picture symbols that depict early developing regulation strategies and one with words that represent strategies for use with older or more able students. Each set includes 1 die that includes 6 brain/attentional breaks and 1 die that includes 6 body/movement based breaks. Die can be used individually (i.e., either a brain break or a body break) or together for a longer break which provides two different types of regulating input. The video link briefly discusses implementation and considerations for customization.

Free Visual Support:Word Comprehension Framework (PDF)

Vocabulary can be hard. Sometimes a simple definition is not enough. Even common words can have multiple meanings and several common uses. The “depth and breadth” of a single word can make it difficult for concrete thinkers to understand the intent and meaning of the word in conversation and in reading. The Word Comprehension Framework is a simple support based upon a common vocabulary building tool, the Frayer Model. It is designed to provide students with a robust way to explore and understand a word. This support taps different learning channels to help students build a more complete concept of a word. This version provides flexibility to work in a student’s visual perceptual strengths (e.g., picture) as well as content related to social understanding (e.g., examples). Please see the support for completed examples. The video link briefly discusses implementation and considerations for customization.

Free Visual Support:Desktop Help Card (PDF)

The Desktop Help Card is a simple support designed to provide classroom staff with a quick visual assessment of how a student’s independent work is progressing. This support enables students who have difficulty gaining other people’s attention a quick, visual way to indicate that all is well or to signal that help is needed. Designed to be cut out, folded in half, laminated, and placed on a student’s desk- the Desktop Help Card can be used for a single student or an entire class. The video link briefly discusses implementation and considerations for customization.

Free Visual Support:My Gas Tank (PDF)

My Gas Tank is a support designed to help students recognize and utilize the activities and supports they need to navigate their day successfully. Inspired by my mentor, Dr. Barry Prizant, My Gas Tank is a combination of a customizable social story and visual support which helps students recognize the signs that their energy reserves are running low, as well as activities that help them to refuel. The video tutorial provides an overview of the the support and discusses some options for modification and individualization.