If a parent or colleague shares that a student is struggling with a task or concept, you can guarantee my first question will be, “Are you using a visual?” or “Is the information written down?”
Visual supports include, but are not limited to: pictures, photos, words as a system of communication, scheduling systems, conceptual maps, graphic organizers, motivational systems, or other social cueing systems. Visual supports are any visual tools that assist children in their ability to maintain attention, understand spoken language, and/or sequence their environment. But, here’s the secret: Visuals are not just for children, nor just for children with disabilities. Presenting information in a variety of formats, including visual and kinesthetic, is one of the key components of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
UDL is a curricular framework that helps provide equal opportunities for all students to learn. The three main principles include:
1) Providing multiple means of representation-using a variety of methods to present information, provide a range of means to support
2) Providing multiple means of action and expression-providing learners with alternative ways to act skillfully and demonstrate what they know
3) Providing multiple means of engagement- tapping into learners' interests by offering choices of content and tools; motivating learners by offering adjustable levels of challenge
And, guess where visuals fall? Numbers 1 and 2! Using visuals is a way to provide students with another way to access the curriculum or concept or show what they know. So before anyone starts a rebuttal with “Yeah, but Nialani, if we don’t improve the student’s comprehension, which is relatively weaker, they may not function at their potential,” or “visuals will just make the child prompt dependent” let me just ask you this…Did you just check the RATP app to see which side of the metro you should sit on? Have you noticed how many exit and sortie signs are around you in public? Is your comprehension or expression impaired because you received a reminder on your phone to pick up milk on the way home? NO!
We use visuals ALL THE TIME in our everyday life. We need to teach our kids to use visuals too, especially if it can drastically improve their everyday life. Now, don’t go and print out every visual you can find on Pinterest. More visuals is not always better; but functional, and purposeful visuals can be great tools! So make sure the visuals you use make sense for your particular child. We are going to keep working on those skills that are weaker, but, if our kid can stand in line with a little visual reminder to wait patiently and he/she looks like everyone else in the line, then we take that for a win! It may even help the kids standing next to him in line too! Visuals are awesome, and they help ALL learners.
How I’m implementing visuals in my sessions (Disclaimer: I don’t receive any compensation from the products and companies I mention!):
1) Key Ring: For my younger students, I always have a key ring of visual directions with basic instructions like “work, sitting, clean up, quiet hands.” I use this with my verbal and nonverbal students as a preparatory set, or a visual cue. (Google “Visual support key ring”).
2) Visual Schedule: I have a large visual schedule for my younger students, but have also made individual schedules for school age kids. I like the large PECS schedule board for teaching the concept to some of my students just because I find the plastic is sturdy and hardy, but love to individualize schedules using the software Lessonpix. For teens and adults, I can’t go wrong with recommending the Erin Condren planners. I love them. Personally, I need to see what I have to do daily, weekly, and monthly, and write out my goals and grocery lists. I would be lost without my planner and I can definitely tell you this planner is my tried and true planner that I would recommend to anyone who needs help with visualizing the future.
3) Visual Timers: Often times my students have difficulty sensing the passage of time. Using a visual timer like a digital kitchen timer, sand timers, Time Timer, or even a simple plastic wall clock can greatly help students learn to estimate their time or see the passage of time. I use them for breaks, to estimate the length of time of tasks, and even plan out entire sessions. Check out this color-coded after school clock.
4) Social Stories: If I need to whip up a social story, my go-to software is Lessonpix, again. I search for icons, write out the story, and assemble it in one of their books, and voila! I also find the pictures of people to be more diverse than the pictures I can find on Boardmaker or other software.
5) Problem Solving and Behavior Mapping: Jill Kuzma’s resources for social behavior mapping and problem solving are so relatable for school-age kids. The pictures help with comprehension so much and are great for working on the spot with children who may have difficulty processing, and need to really analyze or regulate their emotions or behaviors. Take a look at her social problem solving templates or expected behavior maps. Honestly, all of her resources are great.
6) Posting goals: For students who are ready for metacognition, I have begun to post goals in my workspace. Either by flipping out my handy-dandy Speech & Language Learning Targets from TeachersPayTeachers (I was lucky to score a copy of these from SchoolHouseTalk since I worked with her in my last school district!) or posting goals in speech notebooks, I have started discussing with my students the reason why they are working with me, what we need to do to “graduate,” and how we are going to get there. Tying goals to the student’s greater purpose like “learning how to write more effectively to someday write a cookbook” is also important. It helps motivate them.
7) Speech interactive notebooks: For my older school-age kids, I have trialed speech interactive notebooks this year and they have been great (Pinterest has some great examples of interactive notebooks). I print off their goals, worksheets on half a page, they glue, cut, color, or practice words, and insert their activities straight into their notebooks. No more of this “Do you remember what we did last session?” They can now tell me!
Sources:
About Universal Design for Learning. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/our-work/about-udl.html#.XaXvki2B2qA, 15 Oct. 2019.
Cohen, Marlene J., Cohen, Marlene J., and Peter F. Gerhardt. Visual Supports for People with Autism: a Guide for Parents and Professionals. Woodbine House, 2016.
The Universal Design for Learning Guidelines. Retrieved from https://theudlapproach.com/wp-content/uploads/udlg_graphicorganizer_v2-2_numbers-no.pdf, 15 Oct. 2019.
Visual Supports. 15 Oct. 2019, www.erinoakkids.ca/ErinoakKids/files/3e/3e4878ea-9425-4f25-81ce-3defde4ae728.pdf.
Universal Design for Learning. Retrieved from https://lincs.ed.gov/sites/default/files/2_TEAL_UDL.pdf, 15 Oct. 2019.
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