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How to Use Visual Strategies to Improve Communication
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders tend to be visual learners. They frequently respond better to visual information than they do to auditory information. In this department you will learn ways to use visual strategies to organize the day, give information, manage behavior, teach skills and more.
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Effective and Teacher-Friendly Ways to Incorprate Visual Strategies into Classrooms
QUESTION: What is the most effective and teacher friendly way to implement visual strategies within the classroom? I am a speech therapist working with preschool children who are non-verbal. I have implemented a daily schedule for 1 student with autism, but there are other students in the room who would benefit. ANSWER: Be bold about sharing with others what you are learning. Now please understand. . .if you go in and tell a teacher "You need to do this," you are not likely to get an enthusiastic response. That is not "teacher friendly." . . .
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Using Visual Strategies to Help Autistic Students with Social Problems
QUESTION: What are the best ways to use visuals to help social problems with middle schoolers? ANSWER: There has been some interesting research that demonstrates our students can watch behavior on video and then imitate that behavior. There have been a number of studies that have demonstrated students can learn a variety play behaviors and social behaviors after watching them repeatedly. The idea is to record someone doing the correct behavior for the student to watch. Or another approach is to record the student doing something that he does once in a while. . . .
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Understanding the Need for Using Visual Strategies in Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Understanding WHY is Half the Battle. Using visual strategies with students used to be rare. Now it is a more common practice for educators who have a lot of experience working with autism. In my Visual Strategies Workshops at least 75% of the people indicate that they use some visual tools with students. They see great results from this method of communication support. That is why they are attending the workshop. They want to learn more. The problem is. . . .there are still a lot of people who have difficulty understanding the need. Some of them struggle and argue and fight to try to avoid accepting the need for this communication approach. . . .
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Using a Journal to Help Children with ASD Handle Life Changes
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Dear Linda: We've had situations with Bryan that have consumed us. Grampa died (someone that was very close to Bryan). Plus there have been some other major changes in his life. He has had many incidents at school. There have been altercations in the classroom. He is talking about violent things. I can tell he is depressed. He does not know how to handle himself when he is in stressful situations and his reactions are negative and have violent gestures. . . .
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Addressing Family Concerns About the Use of Visual Strategies in Children with ASD
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
The Mom sat intently in my workshop. I watched the distressed look on her face during most of the program. When I was done speaking, she came up and asked to talk to me. We sat down for a while and chatted. Mom understood the concept of using visual strategies. That was not her question. Her concern was that she felt like it was a "life sentence" for her son. She was afraid to use visual strategies with her son because then he would become dependent on them and he would not grow up to be a "normal" adult. . . .
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The Benefits of Photos as Visual Aids for Children with ASD
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Photographs are powerful tools for communication. Visual communication tools come in many forms: line drawings, logos, signs, written language, objects and more. But photos are often the most effective visual tools. Why take photos? Because they. . . Look like the real item Clearly communicate a message Are universally understood Can be easily produced . . .
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Grandma's New Knee: Using Visual Strategies in Unexpected Ways
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Grandma has a new knee! It's a medical miracle. The doctors can put a new knee in where an old, non-working one used to be. Grandma had that surgery. But surgery has its challenges, and anesthesia and medication were two of them. I went to Grandma's home to help her as she recuperated. My job was to help her take her meds on time and create a routine for her therapists and exercise and eating and all her life needs. Guess what helped??? Visual strategies. They helped as we tried to create a general routine. But most of all, they helped Grandma regain her orientation. Here is what worked. . . .
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Ten Simple Solutions with Visual Strategies
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
We know that most of our students with autism and related communication challenges demonstrate strength in understanding VISUAL information compared to their ability to understand auditory input. Visual supports help these students to participate successfully in their school activities. The visual tools do not need to be complicated to be effective. Even simple visual cues can dramatically change student behavior. . . .
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Visual Strategies: Focus on Student Understanding
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Does he talk? Communication is one of the core deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Lots of students with other diagnoses have communication challenges, too. When we focus on communication problems, the easiest part to pay attention to is the student's ability to talk. Here are the questions people ask: Does he talk? Is she non- verbal? What kind of communication system does he have? A picture board? A communication device? But there is another part of the communication system that is extremely important to pay attention to. . . .understanding. . . .
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Visual Strategies: Recognizing and Teaching Autistic Students to Spot Visual Aids in Their Environment
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Do your Autistic students use the information in the environment? Here is how to help your students use those visual cues all around them. Do an Inventory Doing an inventory is a great place to begin. Take time to sit down and observe the environment. Pick any environment the student is in: home, school, community. Observe What is there that is visual? What cues help people know what to do? What is already there to give information? Here are some examples: . . .
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Avoid Awkward Social Interactions: Using Visual Aids Effectively
QUESTION: When using visuals for improving social skills, at what point does the use of pictures become intrusive? Is it better to cue children immediately before a social situation rather than during, to avoid interruption and confusion? ANSWER: The first thing I think of is the goal. If the goal is to have the student learn to participate in social situations as naturally as possible, we need to make sure we are teaching in a way to accomplish that. We don't want to create weird or unusual or socially inappropriate situations. . . .
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Visual Strategies: Commit to Creating a Supportive Environment
Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Did you know that creating a supportive communication environment for students is a bit like going on a diet? Both situations require us to change our behavior. We know that using visual strategies can provide powerful support for our students. Yet, there are people who have doubt. They are convinced that THEIR student is different. That uncertainty prevents them from embracing all the possibilities. One of the most commonly asked questions at my seminars is how to get "some other person" to use visuals with a specific student. Perhaps this is the greatest challenge. . . .
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Webinar: Picture Talk for Autism
Linda Hodgdon
A special gift to YOU for
Linda Hodgdon interviews Emily Colson. They discuss Picture Talk for Autism, a visual communication strategy Emily has developed to help her son, Max. . . .
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Using Object Schedules to Aid Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Barbara T. Doyle MS
Some people with learning challenges have a difficult time understanding what is happening in their daily schedule and when scheduled events are supposed to occur. Anxiety and behavior problems can result when an individual is unable to understand and predict routine events and unusual events. An object schedule is a simple and inexpensive way to provide information to learners in an easy to understand format. An added feature of the system is that it can become a way for people with communication difficulties to signal their desire to initiate particular activities. Characteristics of individuals who may benefit: . . .
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