Visual timetable for Autistic children?

I balked at the prices too, along with the fact I couldn't see what they included and therefore gauge how suitable they were.

I make my own - very very basic, I don't do a detailed one. I was very sceptical about bothering as he is a very intelligent, articulate boy, who is well used to his routine, but they have helped.

Kipper has a weekly one, which consists of post it notes stuck to the kitchen wall, one for each day of the week. Each post it note has a picture on for the main activity of the day. I cut the pictures out of the local community magazine and similar. So for a swimming day, just one pic - a photo of a child swimming. For the park, a photo of kipper at the park, etc. I don't bother doing the rest of the day as our days are very routine so it's only the morning Kipper gets apprehensive about. The afternoons are always the same (boringly so!). Lunch, telly, playtime, tea. The main way it has helped is in helping him countdown to the weekend which he thinks of as "daddy days". He definitely seems to like it and I see him look for it, to see what's afoot.

The only other visual timetable I do is for getting dressed, and I draw it on the spot for him, each day. Just basic doodles....Kipper playing, Kipper cleaning teeth, Kioper washing, kipper getting dressed, TV (his reward). This is a very new thing for us, so will be interested to see how long it helps or if he gets bored.

It sounds laborious but it keeps him engaged - I'm not sure he would bother paying attention if it was a generic load of pictures presented to him. At nursery they have tried to use a timeline for him but they can't interest him in it. It has helped keep him focussed, as I keep referring to it as we go along.

I do my own for my boys - clip art and google image come in very handy!

We have a monthly calendar with important dates/appointments marked on.

We have a weekly overview - one picture per day to show eg. swimming, seeing Grandad.

We used to also have a three day more in depth one. (Mine had no concept of time so included yesterday and tomorrow). We put one key activity for each 'part' of the day on it.

At times we have also had washing/dressing ones etc. At times of stress, such as Christmas we had a timetable (more written than visual) of virtaully each half hour over the Christmas week - where we would be, who would be with us, what we would eat, what presents we would be opening (who from), what time people would leave ...

We do also have a weekly menu so the boys know there will be food coming. Oh heck, I sound like I've either got ASD or OCD! (It works though!)

Hi Daffin,


With regard the monthly timetable, what's monkey boy like about worrying about events in advance of them happening?  I just wondered as I have to be careful with Kipper because sometimes if I make him aware of something too far in advance then he just builds up a steady pressure of apprehension and anxiety. Christmas was incredibly hard .... He began to get excited and nervous in about mid Novemebr!


for this reason I tend to only do a week at a time. For example , we are going away next weekend, but if I tell him now he will be hysterical for 10 days! I will probably tell him about 5 days before to give him time to get his head around it. 

also, I found this website helpful when I first looked into visual timetables. They've got some picture templates you can print off for free and then cut out. 

Www.HANDSinAutism.org

handsinautism.iupui.edu/tools.html

if it doesn't work, PM me.