Visual Supports forVisual Supports for Students with Autism

Spectrum Disorder

Greg O’ConnorT hTeacherEducation Services Manager

Workshop Outline

• Overview of communication characteristics ofOverview of communication characteristics of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

• What are visual supports?

• Implementing visual supports to build p g ppstructure.

Building StructureBuilding StructureUsing Visual Strategies & Assistive Technologyg g gy

Factors influencing learning• Effectiveness of the classroom teacher has the

most influence on student learning (Hattie 2003)most influence on student learning (Hattie 2003)

• Number of opportunities that students have to respond to teacher directions and instructional materials is strongly associated with learning and achievement (Hook 2006)

Effective teachers:• Create supportive environments

A ti l t d t• Actively engage students • Provide instruction to match student level

and needs• Systematically present new knowledgeSystematically present new knowledge• Ensure learning is significant and relevant

P id i di ifi d• Provide immediate, specific and constructive feedback

Effective teachers:

• Use humour, flexibility & consistency• Have high expectations• Use a range of strategies including visual• Use a range of strategies including visual

supports(Hook 2006)

Julie Hook, Project ManagerThe Australian Autism Education and Training Consortium (AAETC)g ( )http://www.autismtraining.com.au/

Visual Strategies

Autism Spectrum DisorderAutism Spectrum DisorderTriad of ImpairmentsTriad of Impairmentscommunication flexibility of thoughty g

sensory

social interaction

Autism Spectrum DisorderAutism Spectrum DisorderContinuumContinuum

Overview of CommunicationOverview of Communication Characteristics• Impaired receptive communication – significant

difficulties processing spoken language / transient informationinformation

• May have difficulty sequencing and organising spoken instructionsinstructions

• May have difficulty controlling and re-establishing attentionattention

• May echo other people’s speech or repeat phrases from TV (echolalia).( )

• May use complex phrases without a full understanding of their meaning – compartmentalised approach to i f ti iinformation processing

Overview of CommunicationOverview of Communication Characteristics• Social use of language is impaired• Difficulty interpreting the behaviour of othersDifficulty interpreting the behaviour of others• Language processing may be affected by sensory

integration difficulties and attending problems ie. working g g p gout what it is that they are supposed to attend to

• May have limited or NO speech• May have difficulty initiating and/or ending a

conversation• Compartmentalised / chunk learning

• Visual learners• Visual learners

Communication and LearningCommunication and Learning StrengthsgJanzen (1996) summarises the learning strengths in

autism as the ability to:y• Take in chunks of information quickly• Remember information for a long timeRemember information for a long time• Learn to use visual information meaningfully

L n nd p t l n tin s• Learn and repeat long routines• Understand and use concrete, context-free

information and rulesinformation and rules

• Concentrate on narrow topics of interest

What are visual supports?

Things that we SEE to enhance h i ithe communication process.

Types of Visual SupportsB d M t h b d l• Body Movement: such as body language, natural gesture, key-word sign

• Environmental cues: such as objects and signs e.g. logos, labels

• Traditional tools for organisation of information: such as calendars, shopping lists, pp grecipes, instruction manuals

• Specialised communication aids andSpecialised communication aids and materials: such as picture stories, behaviour scripts, activity schedulesscripts, activity schedules

Visual Support ContinuumConcreteConcrete

Real objectsReal objectsObject symbolsColoured photosBlack & white photospLine drawingsSign LanguageSign LanguageWritten words

AbstractAbstractAbstractAbstract

Visual Support Continuum

Real objectsColoured photos Real objectsColoured photos

Black & white photosBlack & white photosSign Language

Written words

Object symbolsObject symbolsLine drawings

Why Visual Strategies for students with Autism?with Autism?• Visual supports give the student time to focus attentionVisual supports give the student time to focus attention,

work out the meaning, and keep the message visiblewhen the student needs to refer to it again.

• Visual supports enable communication to be morespecific and enco rage consistenc in e pectationsspecific and encourage consistency in expectations,procedures and routines across all the people involvedwith a studentwith a student.

Why Visual Strategies for students with Autism?with Autism?• Visual supports can make life predictable helping theVisual supports can make life predictable, helping the

student with autism track the daily routine and tasks.

• A visually supported timetable provides a framework fortalking about change.

Tips for using visual supports• View the student’s visual communication

supports as part of their educational programsupports as part of their educational program, not something additional that has to be incorporated into their dayincorporated into their day.

• Visual supports must be accessible, durable and pp ,easy to use.

Vi l S t t t i l t• Visual Supports must contain relevant information that is up to date

Using Visual Supports

• Schedules & Calendars

• Social Stories

• Aided Communication

• Curriculum Accommodations and AdjustmentsAdjustments

Getting organised

Getting Organised A VisuallyGetting Organised – A Visually Supported Environment

• Visual supports give the student time to focus attention

pp

Visual supports give the student time to focus attention,work out the meaning, and keep the message visiblewhen the student needs to refer to it again.

• Visual supports enable communication to be morespecific and enco rage consistenc in e pectationsspecific and encourage consistency in expectations,procedures and routines across all the people involvedwith a studentwith a student.

Getting Organised A VisuallyGetting Organised – A Visually Supported Environment

• Visual supports can make life predictable helping the

pp

Visual supports can make life predictable, helping thestudent with autism track the daily routine and tasks.

• A visually supported timetable provides a framework fortalking about change.

Timetables/Schedules

Cl i blClass timetable

Mini ScheduleMini Schedule

Activity Transition

Finished StrategiesFinished Strategies

Choice

Choice

Talking Symbols Notepad

Behaviour support

Social Stories

Social Stories• Is a tool for helping people to control or redirect

behaviourbehaviour• Identifies the consequence of the behaviour• Acts as a visual reminder - content is important • Use consistent language across changing g g g g

communication partners• Remind Rehearse ReviewRemind, Rehearse, Review

Social Stories

Personal Development

www.hiyah.nety

Personal Development

Boardmaker and Boardmaker PlusVersion 6 (Windows)Version 6 (Windows)• Database of more than 4500 in core libraryy

Picture This…Pro Series Photo LibrariesLibraries

• Picture This Pro• Picture This…Pro• Picture This…Functional Living Skills and Behavioural Rules EditionBehavioural Rules Edition• Picture This…School Routines and Rules

Augmentative ResourcesAugmentative Resources

www.google.com.au - Images Search

Ideas for using BoardmakerIdeas for using Boardmaker

Activity Exchange

www.spectronicsinoz.com

http://www.adaptedlearning.com

Literacy

Numeracy

Finished