Visual Support for the Classroom: A quick guide for busy teachers

Having behavior management strategies are essential for a successful classroom! In Special Ed teachers will need a more visual approach,... so I've listed the ones I use.

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• Schedules - Visually set out to reflect the order of the day.

• Timers - For giving a "break", to let students know how long they need to work,  or how long left on free time!

• Routines - Keep Break, Lunch and free choice the same time each day!

• Consistency - Ensure all staff are using the same strategies and are following behaviour plans!

• Positive Reinforcers - Use Token Economy Systems, First and Then, Self -Regulation tools and Reward systems tailored to individual interests and likes!

• Communication - Critical skills for Functional Communication, a means in which your non verbal student is able to request a "break" "help"  or asked to "wait"

So I decided to put together a Visual Support Book

 I was pleased that it offered all these strategies and kept in one handy place for your students to access through out the school day. There's a section for the schedule symbols, which are also included, Token reward system, plus reward visuals, critical communication cards so students can ask for a Break or Help, all while offering a consistent approach that 

staff can follow!

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Social Narratives for Classroom Behavior

Social Skill Stories are a staple in my classroom and are always easy for little hands to access. They support students in learning how to behave and respond appropriately in situations that naturally come up throughout the school day.

Social Skill Stories help students:

• Understand social expectations and appropriate behaviors

• Learn how to respond in common classroom and school situations

• Pick up on social cues they might otherwise miss

• Feel more confident navigating their day

  
  
  

  
  

Using simple words and clear visuals, each story breaks down one social situation at a time. The goal is to provide accurate social information and teach students what to do in specific moments.

All my Social Skill Stories include:

• Short, easy-to-understand text

• Clear pictures to support comprehension

• A focus on one social skill or behavior

  
  

I’ve bundled together 5 of the most popular Social Skill Story Sets that I use in my classroom.

These bundles also include:

• Visual reminder strips for extra support

• Easy placement at tables and work areas

• Quick access for students during tricky moments

These visual supported stories are always on hand in my classroom and make a big difference in helping students feel successful and supported throughout the day. 

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Visual Support Cards for Classroom Behavior Management

Asking for a "Break," "help" or having to wait is difficult for Non verbal kids, These times often resulting in disruptive behaviors, but by simply giving them the tools and skills they need will help them overcome these frustrations.

So I got going and made these support cards!

The Support Cards I made are a little bit bigger than the size of an index card and I placed a couple of useful visuals on them to use for my students with Autism.

Using these cards in my class has been a life saver, students have learnt new skills such as requesting "a break", "help" how to "wait" and the "first and then" strategies.

These cards  provide structure in my behaviour support plans and run in conjunction with ABA Management.

I use these cards in my Calm Down Corner, where we can access quickly and redirect before crises point.

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How I Teach Critical Communication

Learning new skills is so important for our students!  Requesting "Help" "Break" "Stop" or "Wait" is a huge skill on its own.

How to Teach students to use a "Break or Help" card

1. Help your student to realise when they need to use the break/help card, before they get too frustrated or loose concentration. At the start of any activity, show the student the break card and place the card where they can easily reach it.

2. Point to the break/help card and tell them, “This is your break/help card. You can use it to ask for a break.” When your student starts to get frustrated or lose interest, You say “If you are getting upset, use your break card to tell me you need a break/help.” 3.Immediately allow the student to take a break/help from his tasks, or allow the student to move away to the "break area." I found that self regulating visuals on the bottom of the card is a fantastic way of calming your student while on a break. 4. Requesting is an important part of teaching the student to trust and use the visual support, once they are consistently asking for breaks, you may begin to extend the time between the request and the actual break.

5. I added visuals to the bottom of each card in order to redirect the student to what he can do instead, or while using the card and  popped all four cards onto a keyring for easy access!

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