Helping your child to understand the main activities of the day or week
Why?
- Autistic children can find the world a confusing place particularly when things change.
- We can help reduce any anxiety they may be feeling by telling them and showing them what the main activities of the day or week will be.
How?
- We can show them a visual timetable such as the one below.
- Photos are easier for some children to understand. For others you can write out or draw out a visual timetable for them on paper or a whiteboard.
- At the beginning of the day show them the main activities they will be doing.
- Then as each activity finishes take off the activity picture/cross it out and point to what activity is coming next.
- You can watch the below video to see how to use a visual timetable.
- You can click here to read a written transcript of this video.
Use the timetable to prepare them for changes to their usual activities:
- Have a picture of the new activity on the timetable.
- When you tell them about the new activity try and make it sound exciting or positive so they understand that although there is a change to their routine it will be okay.
- The below video shows how to use the visual timetable to prepare your child for a change in their usual routine.
- You can click here to read a written transcript of this video.
Use the timetable to prepare them for a change to their usual week
- Some children find certain changes hard such as when it changes from being the school holidays or weekend to being back at nursery or school
- You could prepare them for those changes in advance too. You could use a weekly calendar that shows them what is coming up:
Watch the below video to see how to use a timetable like the one above:
Last updated20 Jan 2025