Visual Schedules: An Effective Tool to Teach Activities of Daily Life (ADLs)

In this video, Triveni, a special educator, an art therapist and a parent to a child on the spectrum, speaks about the importance of using visual schedules in teaching Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), like brushing, bathing, dressing or using the toilet. 

Visual Schedules prove to be effective in teaching new skills to children on the autism spectrum. They offer information in smaller, sequential steps that help children comprehend better without being overwhelmed by the tasks. 

Adapt based on the child’s needs

• Each child is different and each child learns differently, based not only on their skills but also based on their environment. 
• Design and create the visual schedule based on your child’s requirements. 
• Here, Triveni gives an example of toilet training. Nowadays, most information is readily available on the internet and to teach any new skill, parents can easily use readily available information. 
• However, it is essential to adapt the material according to your child’s environment.
• While designing a visual schedule to teach toileting skills, use pictures that are familiar to your child. 
• For instance, in western settings, toilet paper is used after using the toilet. But in an Indian setting, visual schedules can be changed to suit the child. Such as using a jet spray or a mug of water to clean after using the toilet.

Break down into simple steps: 

• An important advantage of using visual schedules is that it helps break down lengthy multi-step instructions into simple steps. 
• This can ensure that the child can learn an activity in simple, doable steps without getting overwhelmed into an information overload.

Teaches in a sequential manner:

• For a child to learn a new skill effectively, it is essential that information is relayed in a step by step manner. Visual schedules do exactly this. 
• They can be used to communicate information in a sequential way that helps children understand and anticipate what comes next.

Better than auditory instructions

• Sharing her expertise as a special educator, Triveni reminds us that children with autism often have a better visual memory than auditory memory. 
• Therefore, they might find it difficult to remember instructions given to them orally. But, information conveyed using simple yet effective visuals will be better remembered.

By using visual aids regularly, Triveni emphasises that parents can encourage independence in performing different activities. 

At Nayi Disha, we believe in empowering families with accurate, empathetic, and actionable information. Triveni’s video is a valuable resource for any parent starting their journey in understanding and supporting their child with autism.

🎥 You can watch this video where she shares more thoughts on early intervention and why its crucial.

If you have questions about Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, or other intellectual disabilities, or have concerns about developmental delays in a child, the Nayi Disha team is here to help. For any questions or queries, please contact our FREE Helpline at 844-844-8996. You can call or what’s app us. Our counselors speak different languages including English, Hindi, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, and Bengali.