Which visual supports and checklists work at home, and how do I make them?

The short answer

Choose the support by the question it must answer. A schedule shows what happens and in what order; a now-next board narrows attention; a task strip shows actions within one job; a checklist supports checking; a timer represents remaining time; and a photograph can show what sufficiently finished looks like. Use words, pictures, objects or a combination the child already understands. Keep the information short, place it where the action happens and teach how to use it during a calm practice. Then test whether the child notices it, finds the next action and needs fewer spoken prompts. Visual supports are not automatically accessible to every autistic or ADHD child. Adapt for reading, vision, language, motor, sensory and privacy needs, and remove systems that have become clutter.

• Start with one question the support must answer, not a preferred template.
• Words, photographs, drawings, symbols, objects and spatial arrangements can all carry visual information.
• A child must understand the representation and know what action to take with it.
• Place the support at the point of use and keep only current information visible.
• Teach and test the system; displaying it is not the same as making it usable.
• Do not assume every autistic or ADHD child processes pictures better than spoken or written language.