Research summaries for autism therapy: visual schedules

definition of visual schedules: Personalized tool used to visually communicate a series of activities or the steps of a specific activity. Visual schedules may be created with photographs, pictures, written words, or physical objects.
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Change in Autism Classification with Early Intervention: Predictors and Outcomes, Summarized Sep 14, 2010

Children with autism who have decent receptive language skills are most likely to improve with early intervention.

This study looked at a wide range of factors that might result in a change in autism diagnosis after intervention. The study focused on groups of children whose autism changed or stayed stable after intervention. They then looked to see what types of children were most likely to change their autism status. They found that the child’s age, level of skills, and parents’ ages were not linked to changes in autism status. The authors found that those children who were improved post-intervention improved in both verbal and visual skills.

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Case Report: Color as a Therapeutic Intervention, Summarized Dec 28, 2009

Colored lenses that filter out certain colors may help visual processing and reading skills for people with autism.

This case report describes a 10-year-old boy with autism who was sensitive to artificial lights, strobe lights, and reflected light. He also suffered headaches and nausea in response to certain colors of walls, food, and clothing. The authors allowed the child to choose a colored film that was placed over a page for him to read. He chose the color purple, and he was able to read faster right away with the purple overlay. He also said that he could see the words more clearly. When the boy wore glasses with purple tint all the time, he had fewer problems with headaches and nausea.

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Using Structured Work Systems to Promote Independence and Engagement for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Summarized Oct 29, 2009

TEACCH-structured work systems may help school children with autism learn to work independently.

The therapy program called the Treatment and Education of Autism and Communication-handicapped Children (TEACCH) is used in schools and special education programs to help children with autism. One part of TEACCH is using work systems to help children with autism gradually learn to do things themselves. Work systems are a visual system of organizing tasks and clearly showing what the child is asked to do. This article describes how work systems can be used in the classroom. Specific examples are discussed.

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When “Simon Says” Doesn’t Work: Alternatives to Imitation for Facilitating Early Speech Development, Summarized Jul 20, 2009

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and other methods may help children with autism learn to speak.

Some children with autism do not imitate the sounds of others. For these children, several speech therapy methods may help them learn to speak. AAC is often the first strategy to help them learn enough communication to be able to have some social interactions. There are five other methods that may also help these children: 1) avoid pressuring children to speak, and use puppets and play as encouragement instead; 2) imitate the child and they may start imitating others; 3) use exaggerated sounds and speak slowly; 4) use visual feedback and touch to help teach skills; and 5) add exercises for mouth movements that are specific to speech. Read more...

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Synonyms for visual schedules include: schedule board, visual aids, visual schedule, visual schedule board, Visual Scheduler, visual skills, visual structure, visual therapy
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