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The Autism Little Learners Podcast
#165: Are You Using the Right Symbols on Your Visual Schedule?
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What if the reason your visual schedule isn't working isn't because the child doesn't respond to visuals, but because the symbols you choose aren't meaningful to them yet? Today I want to talk about something that doesn't get talked about nearly enough when it comes to visual symbol selection, because not all pictures are created equal. And sometimes the difference between a schedule that works and one that gets ignored is the level of abstraction foreign. I'm Tara Phillips, and this is the Autism Little Learners podcast, where I share simple neuroaffirming tools to support young autistic children with compassion and confidence. One of the things that I hear all the time sounds like this. I made the visual schedule, I laminated it, I put Velcro on it, and they won't even look at it. Or she just pulls the icons off and doesn't know what to do. Or he drops the picture on the floor. Things like, I don't think he understands what the pictures means. Or do I need to use real photos and am I doing it wrong? And I want you to hear this first. You're probably not doing it wrong, but you might not be using the right symbols yet. When we talk about visual schedules, a lot of times we focus on the length of the schedule. Like, is it full day, or do I use a couple pictures or a half day? But the symbol selection is just as important, because a visual schedule only works if the child understands what the symbol represents. In my visual schedules made easy course, one of the first lessons we walk through is the continuum of symbols. And it goes like this. Least abstract to most abstract. At the most concrete end, we have functional objects, and then we have miniature objects, then real photographs, then line drawings or clip art, and finally written words. And the mistake that I see most often, we assume pictures are concrete for everybody. But some pictures are actually really abstract. A stick picture of gym class is more abstract than a real photo of your actual gymnasium. A tiny toilet icon is more abstract than holding a real diaper or miniature toilet object in your hand. And if a child doesn't understand that a symbol represents an activity, the schedule won't feel helpful. It will feel confusing. I'm going to tell you a little bit about what I would always default to and when I would change it up. So, honestly, this is what I usually do. When I would get started with a new preschooler, I would typically default to line drawings or clip art, like boardmaker type symbols. Why? Because they're efficient, they're organized. We as a team can use the same symbols across multiple Students, they're easy to store and keep organized, and they take less ongoing prep. And for most children, they work, but not for all. And this is where that responsive teaching comes in. Again, if I've been modeling consistently for several weeks and I can tell that the child is not connecting the symbol to, to the activity, that's my cue not to give up on a visual schedule, but to change the symbol. Let me give you a real example. Let's say I'm using a small clipart picture of toilet to represent bathroom. I model it, I show it before transitions, and I narrate bathroom time for the bathroom. But I notice the child doesn't orient to it or they don't look at it. And that alone isn't a signal that they don't understand. Because we know a lot of our students can understand something without actually looking at it. Right. But if that is paired with the child not seeming to anticipate where they're supposed to go, that can be your clue that it might be time to change the symbols. Okay, so instead of assuming they don't understand visuals, I might try shifting one level down the continuum. Maybe I take a real photograph of our actual classroom bathroom, the real door, the real sink, the real toilet, or the bathroom as a whole. Now, when I show the picture, it's not a generic symbol. It's their bathroom. And sometimes that's all it takes. And if that still doesn't seem meaningful, I might go more concrete. I might hand them a diaper or their pull up, or even a small piece cut from the packaging that they recognize something tangible, something they already associate with that routine. Now, the symbol isn't just visual, it's sensory, it's familiar, it's tangible, it's connected to the experience. And that shift from abstract to concrete can completely change how the schedule functions for that child. Now let's talk about some signs that the symbol might not be meaningful for that child. And here's what I would watch for when I was trying to figure out if the line drawing pictures that we started were or were not making sense for the child. Again, do they look at it? Do they orient to it? Does it seem to help them predict where they're going next or reduce anxiety? Are they able to match the picture to the next location? If you have it set up that way, do they seem to anticipate, like I said, what is coming next? And sometimes this is where the adult says, oh, they just don't get visuals and they give up on visual schedules altogether. But like I said, it's not that they don't get visuals. It's the symbol that might be too abstract. So if line drawings aren't clicking, the next step in the continuum is real photographs. And again, real photographs are powerful because they reduce that abstraction. A photo of the actual playground, your actual circle time rug, your actual snack table, your actual bus, your actual classroom or school bathroom. I know you're getting it. It just makes it much more concrete than a generic clip art of playground. And here's the part that takes pressure off. It's completely okay to mix symbols. You don't have to have it perfectly uniform and aesthetic. You can have some clip art, some real photos, an object or two. The goal is not a Pinterest worthy schedule. The goal is meaning. We want it meaningful for the child. So sometimes even real pictures are a little too abstract. And that's when objects shine. A spoon for snack, a diaper for bathroom, a small puzzle piece for the work table, a paintbrush for art. Objects can act both as a symbol and a transition support. In my course, I share examples of how a child who wouldn't carry a picture across the room would happily carry a puzzle piece because they understood exactly what to do. The puzzle piece wasn't just a symbol, it was functional. It connected directly to what was about to happen. For some children, that level of concreteness makes all the difference. So let's talk objects. I'll paint you a picture of what this looks like in real life. When we talk about functional objects, we're talking about the real, actual item the child is about to use. No tiny little representation of it, not a picture of it, the real thing. And for some children, especially those who are very early in symbolic understanding, a traditional left to right or top to bottom visual schedule with objects or pictures Velcroed on it, just isn't that practical. Because a full size diaper doesn't Velcro really well to a schedule. A real spoon isn't going to sit neatly on a laminated strip. A real puzzle piece is not flat and tidy. So instead of thinking strip on the wall, we'll think about it differently. I've used small baskets or containers labeled with the child's name. And inside that basket are the objects that represent the next activity or activities they're going to do. So let's say the child is going to transition to the table to do puzzles. Instead of a clipart puzzle icon, instead of a miniature puzzle, we take the actual piece from the exact puzzle that's on the table, and that puzzle piece goes in the child's basket. And when it's time to transition, the adult goes to the basket, takes out the real puzzle piece, and hands it to the child. Now, the symbol isn't just the picture. It's something functional. The child holds it, they feel it, they recognize it, and then they walk to the table and place that piece directly into the puzzle. If the child really needs predictability, always start with that same puzzle, a favorite one, and you give them that piece. And quickly they learn the routine. Oh, we walk to the puzzle, we put this in. And then you could do more puzzles while you're there or switch to another activity. But it serves the purpose for them to understand where they're going as well as getting there, making that transition easier. And that is the power of a functional object. It doesn't just represent an activity. It begins the activity. It reduces the gap between what's next and what do I do. It gets them started. And for children who struggle with transitions, especially those who drop pictures the minute they're put in their hand, they maybe seem to ignore icons or resist moving across the room. This can completely change the experience. Because the object has purpose. It's not something to carry just because the adult said so. It has meaning, it has use. It belongs somewhere, and that's what makes it powerful. This might also look like handing the child their actual spoon before snack, Giving them the real paintbrush before art, Handing them their pull up before bathroom. And they bring those things with them to the activity. The object becomes both the symbol and the bridge. And when children understand objects more easily than pictures, this approach can reduce frustration almost immediately. You might be saying, how do I know what to start with? And this is a question I get a lot. And here's my practical answer. Start with the line drawings or clip art that you already have. Model it consistently. Give it time. Give it enough time to click. If it's not clicking, move through that symbol continuum. Less abstract, more concrete. And then observe. Do they look at it more? Do they carry it? Can you tell they're anticipating, kind of knowing what's coming next. Do they bring it to the right location? Do they transition more smoothly? That's your data, not a worksheet, not a test. Observe. Write it down. I want to quickly address something that people ask, like what size should the picture be? And really, it doesn't matter. But for younger kids, preschoolers, maybe even early elementary, I always started with 2 by 2, 2 inch by 2 inch. Younger kids often need slightly larger formats to capture their attention, at least in my experience. And as children become more comfortable and capable with visual tools, the size becomes less about comprehension and more about convenience. But don't overthink this. If they're not looking at a tiny icon, make it bigger. If they're managing well, you can go smaller later. Again, it's responsive. I think sometimes adults feel frustrated if they do need to switch symbols. Like, I already laminated everything. I don't want to redo it. I should have gotten this right the first time. But symbol selection is not really a one time decision. It's a process. So in the course that I mentioned earlier, I actually included a flowchart to help you think through the decision step by step, starting with line drawings and moving toward more concrete options if needed. Because it's not about perfection, it's about clarity. And when it comes down to it, this episode really isn't about clipart versus photos versus objects. It's about access. If the child doesn't understand the symbol, the schedule cannot reduce anxiety, it cannot increase independence, it cannot ease transitions. But when the symbol clicks, when it truly represents something meaningful to that child, you'll see it, they'll glance at it, they'll carry it, they'll anticipate it, they'll transition with greater ease. That's when you know. So are you using the right symbols? Here's your reflection question this week. Is the symbol meaningful to the child? Now remember, probably 90% of your class is going to be just fine with the clip art line drawing pictures. A lot of times for me, it was one student each year or one student each semester that we needed to change things up a bit and add in some real pictures, add in the objects, right? So we want to ask ourselves, is that symbol meaningful to the child? We don't want to ask, is it cute? Is it organized? Is it uniform? Is it what everyone else is using? But we want to know, does it make sense to that child? If the answer is yes, you're on the right track. If the answer is maybe try adjusting that level of abstraction, less abstract, more concrete, and observe what happens. If you have ever felt frustrated because your visual schedule wasn't working, if you've ever wondered whether you should switch to real pictures, if you've thought they just don't get visuals, I hope that this episode gave you a new lens. It's not about making visual schedules prettier or perfect. It's about making them meaningful. Thank you so much for joining me. Keep leading with connection and I'll see you back here next week. Thank you for spending this time with me. You? You're doing important work. And the small supports you put into place matter. Keep leading with connection and I'll talk to you again next week.