I had to take a quick break from the series I started at the beginning of the year because, well, life happened and I got led astray, but don’t worry, I’m back with more information on how to make inclusion meaningful (and successful!).
In this tip I’m going to share 3 super simple tips for incorporating visual supports into any classroom. Come check them out!
1. Create Visual Boundaries for Students
Most of our little guys (even those who are not on the spectrum) have a hard time knowing what space is theirs and what space belongs to other students. I like to make sure my students have clear boundaries in our group times and during small work centers. Check out these 2 easy ways to define boundaries in the classroom.
As you can tell, I love me some painters tape to define spaces. It’s super easy and students easily know their boundaries.
2. Provide a Daily Schedule
Giving our students a visual representation of what is coming next is a great way to structure the day for students with Autism! I post my schedule in my classroom daily. The pieces are on magnets for easy movement. I also highlight changes with my class during our morning meeting time. When we have an unusual event like an assembly I make sure we replace the event that would normally occur with the new activity. This super simple schedule I use in my classroom has magnets on the back and is quickly changed from day to day. Also, check out how I highlight specials for my students in the bottom corner.
Need an amazing schedule for your classroom? Check out the one I use!
3. Incorporate Visual Supports for Classroom Routines
Daily routines are part of what make your classroom run smoothly. Providing our visual learners with supports for those routines is going to make your life a ton easier and will provide easy support for students. Lining up is a routine we are constantly working on in my classroom. Check out the visual supports I have incorporated to help my students with this skill.
You can grab this poster for free here! We absolutely love it in our classroom!
Other skills that would benefit greatly from visual supports are how to get supplies in the classroom, what to do when you have finished an assignment, how to complete a task, and honestly, this list goes on and on!
These are my favorite simple tips for adding visuals to any classroom. What other visuals do you use in your classroom?
