Using Overboard or Boardmaker for Visual Schedules

Overboard is an inexpensive alternative to Boardmaker and both can be used to create visual supports for a child with autism.  Dr. Temple Grandin and other experts on autism explain that, unlike "typical" children, those with autism think in pictures rather than words.  Spoken language may be very difficult to comprehend.  Much like using a roadmap to get where we need to go, visual supports help a child with autism understand what words and language mean.  Visual schedules are important for children with autism because they help support sequential memory and organization of time, reduce anxiety associated with transition and help with language comprehension.  We will create a visual schedule here using pictures or drawings that you can obtain from Boardmaker.

Supplies needed:

• Poster board, a white board or heavy cardstock (There are even commercially made boards that include clear pockets so you can easily change pictures to suit the situation.)

• Your created pictures that illustrate general language, terms or actions

• Velcro tabs

• Laminator or clear contact paper

Putting together a visual schedule:

There is no one way that has to be used when putting together a visual schedule.  The way that it is designed and used should be entirely individualized to the child's needs.  Here are a couple of examples of completed visual schedules.  You will notice the simplicity of the tool, as well as how easy it is to make, adapt and use. This website has three different examples of visual schedules: one that uses pictures, one that uses words and one that uses real items.  http://members.aol.com/Room5/schedule.html  

The poster board is used as the base, while the pictures should be laminated or covered in clear contact paper in order to lengthen their lives (they will be used a lot!).  As mentioned above, these pictures can be obtained through the Boardmaker software, or can be  your own photographs or drawings. Velcro is stuck to the back of each card and on the poster board to place the cards on.  This makes the schedule very easy to change throughout the day. 

Example: 

Lucy is a seven year old girl with autism in your second grade mainstream classroom.  She frequently has issues with transitioning to different tasks and is especially wary of leaving your classroom for music or art.  You have decided to create a visual schedule for Lucy so that she can see what activities will be approaching, hoping that she will have better grasp on what you are verbally telling her and easing her anxiety about the transitions throughout the day.  You chart her morning activities first:

 

Lucy's Morning

Come to school

Calendar Time

Music

In general, at least two symbols should be used on the schedule, but should not exceed more than your student can handle.  In Lucy's case, it may be very beneficial (because of her age) to break the schedule up into smaller amounts of time, such as morning, mid-day and afternoon. It has also been suggested that, when you begin a visual schedule with a child, you should start with line drawings and gradually move to real photographs.  Again, this would be individualized to meet the student's needs.  Visual schedules can be laid out vertically or horizontally and can be as low or high tech as you desire.

Here is what Lucy's board would look like:

For more information on visual schedules, including free symbols and helpful tools:

http://www.ttac.odu.edu/ENewsArchives/Autism/autism_e_September_2003.htm

http://www.dotolearn.com/

 

This site was created by Stacy Rempel as part of the Educational Technology program at Northern Arizona University.