Therapy Treatments & Resources for Families with Children
Affected by Autism & Related Disabilities in Cleveland / Akron Ohio.

VISUAL SUPPORT CREATION

At Peak Potential Therapy, we believe that visual supports are an important component of therapy, which in the SCERTS® Model is part of the transactional supports. Communication is a common problem in children who have autism and related disabilities. They often have difficulty understanding even the simplest spoken communication from others. Because of this they have problems knowing what is or isn't happening during their day and why changes occur in their routine. They may have difficulty switching from one activity to the next and understanding why they cannot do something they want to do at a particular time. For a child with disabilities even the simplest directions can come and go too quickly for them to process and understand.

A visual support can really help them understand the message. Especially individuals with autism are often described as "visual learners" or "visual thinkers." Many children with disabilities have strong visual skills, and these strengths can be capitalized on with visual supports. Visual communication tools such as objects, photographs, picture symbols, daily schedules and choice boards can provide the support necessary to greatly improve a child's understanding and ability to communicate, helping children be more active, independent and successful participants in their lives.

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

Picture Exchange Communication Systems is simply a visual representation of spoken language. Individuals with Autism "think in pictures," while the rest of us think our thoughts with words. Usually the word and a picture of what the word represents are put on a small card. The word "drink" is placed on a card that has a picture or a photograph of a "drinking glass."



Visual Schedules

Visual schedule systems are an easy way to provide students with consistent cues about their daily activities. They provide a structure that allows a student to anticipate what will happen next, reduce anxiety by providing the student with a vision of his/her day and promote calmness between transitions. They are especially important for students who have a profile that includes difficulties with the understanding of oral language and directions. The consistency provided by a visual schedule is crucial in establishing an atmosphere of trust and security.


Social Stories

Many persons with autism have deficits in social cognition, the ability to think in ways necessary for appropriate social interaction. For example, theory of mind describes the difficulty individuals with autism have in assuming the perspective of another person. This can be addressed by a technique which is used to help individuals with autism "read" and understand social situations. This technique, called "Social Stories" presents appropriate social behaviors in the form of a story.

Expressing Emotions Using Visual Cues The problem is not that individuals with Autism don't have emotions; sometimes they just have difficulties expressing these emotions and recognizing them in others. An emotions chart can be useful to help people with autism to learn to label and express their emotions.

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