Using Visual Supports at Home and School

How to use Visual Supports

Visual supports are one of the most effective and widely recommended strategies for supporting Autistic individuals. When used correctly, they provide predictability, reduce anxiety, support communication, and help individuals understand and navigate the world more easily.

Autistic individuals often experience differences in auditory processing, working memory, and receptive language, which makes processing spoken instructions challenging. Visual supports provide a concrete, stable reference point, offering a more accessible format for understanding information and expectations.

While the benefits of visual supports are well understood, many parents, teachers, and professionals struggle with how to introduce them effectively and how to integrate them into daily life. This challenge is compounded by the fact that many traditional approaches to visual supports stem from compliance-based models, which focus on control rather than empowerment. A neuroaffirmative approach shifts this dynamic by prioritising autonomy, understanding, and emotional regulation.

This guide will explore practical, neuroaffirmative strategies for using visual supports at home and school. We’ll cover:

• How to create visual supports that meet individual needs
• How to introduce and reinforce them without pressure or coercion
• How to adjust visual supports over time
• Troubleshooting common challenges when visual supports aren’t working

What Are Visual Supports and Why Do They Work?

Visual supports are any type of visual cue—such as pictures, symbols, written words, or objects—that help to:

• Communicate information
• Clarify expectations
• Provide structure
• Support transitions
• Reduce anxiety

The Cognitive and Neurological Basis of Visual Supports

Understanding why visual supports work requires examining differences in cognitive processing and neurological functioning in Autistic individuals:

1. Auditory Processing Differences
   Many Autistic individuals experience differences in processing verbal information (Kjelgaard & Tager-Flusberg, 2001). Spoken language is fleeting, placing a high demand on working memory and auditory processing speed. Visual supports, by contrast, remain available for reference and do not require real-time decoding.

2. Enhanced Visual Processing
   Research suggests that Autistic individuals often show strengths in visual processing and pattern recognition (Mottron et al., 2006). Visual supports play to this strength by presenting information in a format that is naturally easier for Autistic brains to process.

3. Working Memory Limitations
   Working memory involves holding and manipulating information temporarily. Many Autistic individuals experience differences in working memory capacity (Williams et al., 2005), making it difficult to process multi-step verbal instructions. Visual supports reduce this cognitive load by providing an external reference.

4. Executive Function and Cognitive Load
   Executive function involves planning, organising, and regulating behaviour. Difficulties with executive function are well documented in Autism (Demetriou et al., 2019). Visual supports provide external structure, reducing the mental effort required for self-organisation and task completion.

5. Predictability and Anxiety Reduction
   Uncertainty and unpredictability can heighten stress and anxiety for Autistic individuals (White et al., 2009). Visual supports create a predictable framework, which reduces this uncertainty and fosters emotional regulation.

Types of Visual Supports

1. Visual Schedules

A visual schedule is a sequence of pictures, symbols, or words that outline the order of events in a day or activity.

How It Works:

• Helps provide predictability and reduce anxiety
• Supports transitions between activities
• Empowers memory through repetition
• Can be personalised to reflect individual needs

Example:
A morning routine schedule might include:

• Wake up
• Brush teeth
• Get dressed
• Breakfast
• School

Why It Works:
Research indicates that visual schedules improve task completion rates, and increase independence in both home and school environments (Knight et al., 2015).

2. Choice Boards

A choice board allows an Autistic individual to select between two or more options using pictures or symbols.

How It Works:

• Empowers Autistic individuals to make decisions
• Reduces frustration by offering structured choices
• Helps non-speaking individuals communicate needs

Example:
A snack choice board might include pictures of an apple, crackers, and yoghurt.

Why It Works:
Choice boards align with the concept of supporting autonomy rather than enforcing compliance. Decisional control has been shown to improve emotional regulation and decrease resistance in Autistic individuals (Prizant et al., 2003).

3. First-Then Boards

A First-Then board shows the order of two connected events.

• “First” shows the task or activity that needs to be completed
• “Then” shows the next activity that follows

Example:
First: Brush teeth
Then: Bedtime

Why It Works:
First-Then boards support task completion without using pressure or coercion.

4. Task Analysis Visuals

Task analysis visuals break down multi-step activities into clear, manageable steps.

Example:
Hand washing task analysis:

• Turn on tap
• Wet hands
• Apply soap
• Rub hands together
• Rinse
• Turn off tap
• Dry hands

Why It Works:
Task analysis visuals reduce executive function demands by externalising the planning process. This supports increased independence and reduces task avoidance (Bryan & Gast, 2000).

How to Use Visual Supports at Home and School

1. Introduce Gradually – Start with one or two supports and build from there.
2. Personalise Content – Include familiar images, personal interests, and preferred items.
3. Pair with Modelling – Demonstrate how to use the support rather than relying on verbal explanations.
4. Encourage Flexibility – Allow the child to adjust the schedule or choices when appropriate.
5. Avoid Pressure – If the child resists, offer alternative formats or simplify the design.

How to use Visual Supports at home and school

Visual supports are highly effective for reducing anxiety, increasing independence, and improving communication in Autistic individuals. When introduced in a low-pressure, neuroaffirmative manner, they become powerful tools for supporting autonomy and emotional well-being.

References

Bryan, L. C. and Gast, D. L. (2000) ‘Teaching on-task and on-schedule behaviors to high-functioning children with autism via picture activity schedules’, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30(6), pp. 553–567.

Demetriou, E. A., Lampit, A., Quintana, D. S., Naismith, S. L., Song, Y. J. C. and Hickie, I. B. (2019) ‘Executive function in autism: A meta-analysis’, Autism, 23(9), pp. 1937–1953.

Kjelgaard, M. M. and Tager-Flusberg, H. (2001) ‘An investigation of language impairment in autism: Implications for genetic subgroups’, Language and Cognitive Processes, 16(2–3), pp. 287–308.

MacDuff, G. S., Krantz, P. J. and McClannahan, L. E. (2007) ‘Teaching children with autism to use photographic activity schedules’, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 30(1), pp. 89–108.

Mottron, L., Dawson, M. and Soulieres, I. (2006) ‘Enhanced perceptual functioning in autism: An update’, Developmental Review, 26(2), pp. 226–274.