Why is a visual schedule important?  

A visual schedule is used to teach new skills and promote independence. Using a visual schedule helps to provide a routine in many situations. Teaching a child to follow a visual schedule is a skill that will benefit him/her in school, at home, and while out in the community. 

Tip #1  

• Use pictures that are simple with no distractors in the background.  

For example, use a simple clip art picture or remove other items in view and take a picture of an item on the table or in a room.

Tip #2  

• Start with a basic “First/Then” schedule. One of the first skills we work on is “first/then”.  

Have the child engage in a less preferred activity in order to gain access a more preferred activity or item. For example, first math, then iPad time. Using a “first/then” visual provides a small visual schedule for the child to know what to expect. 

Tip #3  

• Make it doable and not overwhelming.

Depending on your child’s level of tolerance, it is best to focus on one activity at a time. You can slowly extend the visual schedule to more than one activity over time. However, it’s important to remember not to make the schedule too overwhelming. For some children, seeing their entire day on a visual schedule can be too much to process. In other cases, it’s better to chunk the day into smaller time periods. For example, a visual schedule for morning activities, midday activities, and afternoon activities. 

Tip #4  

• Break up preferred activities with less preferred ones.

 It’s a good idea to scatter more preferred tasks with less preferred tasks. If you know that your child has a few work tasks in a row, put a more preferred activity into the schedule to break it up. For example, first math, Simon says, spelling, then iPad.  

Tip #5 

• Reinforce independence.

Always reinforce independence (“Great job! Awesome work!”) whenever a schedule is completed independently. For example, when completing chores, independent work activities, or activity schedules. If a child needs support or prompting, you should start out with a model, gestural prompt, partial physical, or partial verbal before providing full verbal or full physical prompting.

Reference 1

Reference 2

Brushing teeth is an important aspect of healthy living and oral health. Establishing these routines are sometimes difficult for all children, especially those with special needs. This blog will help assist caregivers to get your child to learn to love brushing their teeth. 

To begin these routines, we want this to be a positive experience for you and your child. A great place to start is picking out the tooth brush. For children, there are endless options, whether it be their favorite color, favorite movie character, etc. Having a tooth brush your child likes is simple and can make a world of a difference. Let your child know you are going to the store to pick out their super–cool toothbrush! Along with this, pick up a few different toothpaste flavors. You and your child could "try them out" identifying their favorite one. There are flavors such as mint, bubble gum, different fruits, and even more! You can also have your child watch you brush your teeth, showing them what you do. Some children may even enjoy trying to brush their parents' teeth. This could be a great step in gaining comfort with the process. 

Next, create a visual. Your team at Blue Bird Day can help you with this! Visuals are great tools for children to use when learning new skills and to help them practice all the necessary steps. Your visual would be small and could easily be kept in the bathroom where your child brushes their teeth. This can act like a handy "check-list" and would include pictures such as:

1. Getting toothbrush and toothpaste 
2. Put a small dot of toothpaste onto the brush
3. Rinse toothbrush under water 
4. Brush teeth (more information below)
5. Spit remainder of toothpaste into sink 
6. Rinse toothbrush under water
7. Rinse mouth with water/spit

While teaching your child to brush their teeth, it may be best to prompt them through this process and then gradually fade back your support once they begin to be more comfortable and get the hang of it. Start by doing hand-over-hand assistance, so your child can learn the motions. While assisting your child, try and tell them where to brush, such as fronts, tops and backs of teeth. For children, it is also good to quantify these processes, so they learn how long is efficient. Some parents have found it useful to establish "rules", such as brushing each area for 5 strokes, 5 seconds, or using a timer.

Establishing a routine is really important for you and your child. Ensure that they are practicing to brush their teeth every morning and evening. By creating this routine, your child will become more and more comfortable with this and their healthy living routines will be stronger. Find what works for you and your child and be consistent! Another fun tip could be singing songs with your child while brushing their teeth. With YouTube nowadays, there are endless options. Some favorites are listed below!  

In conclusion, it's important to make healthy living routines such as brushing teeth to be positive ones for you and your child. Supporting and helping them at the beginning allows them to begin gaining these skills and working toward the goal of independence!  

Toothbrushing songs: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCio_xVlgQ0  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd4WnsXwdqw  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxMrtK-kYnE