Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Visual supports are all around us. Calendars, road signs, shopping lists, timetables and maps all help us understand information without relying only on spoken language.
For children, visual supports can make information clearer and easier to remember. They can be particularly helpful for children who have difficulties understanding language, following routines, communicating their needs or knowing what is expected of them.
Why are visual supports important?
Spoken language disappears as soon as someone says it. In contrast, a visual support remains available for a child to look at again.
Visuals can help children:
- understand spoken instructions
- know what is happening next
- remember information
- follow routines and sequences
- organise their thoughts
- understand expectations
- communicate choices, needs and ideas
- become more independent
For some children, seeing information as well as hearing it can make a significant difference to their understanding.
Visual supports give children more time
Children who find language processing difficult may need extra time to understand what they have heard.
A picture, symbol, written word or visual schedule gives the child something they can refer back to rather than having to remember everything that was said.
As a result, visual information can reduce the need for adults to repeatedly give verbal instructions.
What kinds of visual supports can we use?
For some children, visual supports may also form part of a broader AAC communication system.
They can include:
- real objects
- photographs
- pictures
- symbols
- written words
- gestures or signs
- choice boards
- communication boards
- first–then boards
- checklists
- visual timetables
- visual schedules
The type of visual support used should suit the individual child, their communication skills and the situation in which it will be used.
How can visual schedules help?
A visual schedule shows a child what is going to happen and, where appropriate, the order in which activities will occur.
For example:
Get dressed → Eat breakfast → Brush teeth → Pack school bag → Go to school
Visual schedules can be used at home, preschool, school, therapy sessions and in the community. For example, a child might use one to follow their morning routine at home or understand the order of activities at school.
As children become familiar with their schedule, they may begin checking it independently. As a result, they may rely less on an adult to tell them what comes next.
Tips for using visual supports
To make visual supports more effective:
- Pair the visual with spoken language. Keep your words short and clear.
- Keep visuals accessible. Place them where the child can easily see or reach them.
- Be consistent. Try to use similar pictures, words and language across different environments.
- Give the child time. Children may need repeated opportunities before they understand what a particular visual means.
- Keep it simple. Too many pictures or words can make a visual harder to understand.
- Change the support as the child develops. A visual that works today may need to be adapted as their communication and independence increase.
Visual supports can be used anywhere
Visual supports can be particularly useful when families, educators and therapists use them consistently across the places a child spends time. In this way, the child receives clearer and more predictable information across different environments.
This might include:
- home
- preschool
- school
- therapy
- community activities
- outings and appointments
Parents, educators and therapists can work together so that the child receives clear and consistent information.
How can Innerlink Therapy help?
There is no single visual support that works for every child.
At Innerlink Therapy, our Speech Pathologists and Occupational Therapists can work with children and families to identify strategies that support communication, understanding, participation and independence.
We can help families develop practical visual supports for everyday routines at home, school and in the community. In addition, we can work with families to choose strategies that match the child’s communication needs and daily environments.
If you would like to discuss whether visual supports may be helpful for your child, contact our Client Care Team.