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Visual schedule

Goal

Make the child's day predictable and reduce anxiety around transitions.

What you need

Cardboard or a large sheet · Pictures or photos (printed or drawn) · Velcro or tape

How to do it

  1. Choose 3–5 events of the day (e.g. breakfast, walk, activity, dinner, sleep).
  2. Pick one clear picture for each event.
  3. Place them in a row at the child's eye level.
  4. During the day, come to the schedule together: 'Breakfast is done — let's remove the picture. Now it's a walk.'
  5. Remove or flip finished events together with your child.
How to know it worked:The child starts approaching the schedule on their own and handles transitions more calmly.

Source: Visual supports approach; guidance from the National Autistic Society