Dear Linda:
I have implemented a successful visual schedule for school and home routines, however, when we go out into the community where there is a lot of external stimuli and things that are not in his routine, the visuals do not seem to work. How can I bring it together to help him be successful when we go to restaurants, library, church, shopping, etc?

This question hits upon an issue that many students have. In their structured, predictable, routine oriented environments, they have learned to participate successfully. But out in the community, it is not so structured or predictable.

Especially during the hustle and bustle of holiday time, things can get a bit crazy. Every place seems filled with lots of people, lots of visual distractions and lots of noise,

But wait! There is hope!
Visual tools can help to create some order to the chaos in the environment. They can help students navigate the community successfully.

Here are some travel tips to make outings more enjoyable
Remember that what happens before you leave home can have a huge impact on the success of the journey.

Give information
Tell where you are going but also what you are going to do. Some destinations are self-explanatory: We are going to McDonald's to eat lunch. Other locations require more explanation: We are going to the mall to buy a Christmas present for Aunt Sally.

Using visual tools to give this information is important for many students. When it is visual, the child can bring it with him/her. Holding a card in the car that communicates the destination can make the trip seem shorter.

Create "travel books"
Depending on the age and skill level of individual students, you can make a book for each location or just have one travel book with a section for each environment. A pocket photo album size that fits into a pocket or purse can work well.

Provide a schedule
Think about beginning, middle and end. Leaving home can feel like an endless voyage to students. They can feel like they are being dragged from one place to the next with no end in site. Students do well when they feel a sense of organization about their excursions. Tell them everything that is going to happen (that you can anticipate). For example: We are going to church, then we go to breakfast, then we stop at the gas station, then we go home.

Identify the routines
It's not the same as home or school, but most locations and activities have some basic routines. Highlight the key steps that your student needs to remember. It is probably not necessary to give too much detail here. Make it simple. But keep in mind that a student's behavior will let you know if you need extra steps or information.

For McDonald's you stand in line, order your food, get
your beverage, eat, and put your trash in the bin.

In the grocery store you get the cart, find the items,
stand in line, put the groceries on the checkout counter,
pay, and put the groceries in the car. Then you unload
the car, and put the groceries away.

The shopping mall can be trickier. You walk around. Find a store. You look for something on the shopping list. You can look with your eyes, but do not play with things. Stand in line. Pay for the item. Carry a bag. Go to another store.

Rules for the community
Just like you can have home or classroom rules, a few simple rules for the community can help the trip be more successful. Of course, the rules you choose will depend on what the individual student requires. Community rules may include holding your hand in the parking lot or standing in line quietly in the restaurant. Just think of those things that are most likely to be a problem or need correction on your outing.

Build in a bit of choice making
Students can handle a lot more of what they perceive as unstructured confusion if they feel like they have some control. Giving them a chance to make choices makes a difference.

Choosing which store to go to first, which line to stand in, which book to check out, or where to eat helps them manage the disorganized part better. More choices can include things like, "Do you want to stand in line with Mom or sit on the bench with Dad?"

Add a few generic helpers
The community book needs some extras. Once you leave home there is a lot that happens that you have no control over. Try to use a few generic cues that will get you through those unexpected emergencies. (It may not be an emergency from someone else's perspective, but for this student it can be a significant issue).

For example, use a visual cue that communicates
this type of information:

• Something is going to change.
• We have to wait.
• They don't have what we want so we need to
  make another choice.
• We will do that another day.

Thanks, Linda, for a most informative workshop today in King of Prussia! I already use tons of visual supports but came away from your presentation with new ideas for both materials and implementation strategies that I can use with my students. Your Visual Toolbox is a terrific resource which I will certainly put to good use in my elementary school and when I share the info with the speech/language staff of 80 SLPs.   Pat Mervine

Have YOU attended Visual Strategies on TOUR?
Can you join me in one of these cities?

Check these locations:

• Kansas City, MO
• Santa Ana, CA
• Murfreesboro
  (Nashville), TN

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HALF PRICE SALE on the
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The deadline is December 31.

P.S. This could be a great idea for a Christmas present!

I love USEFUL gifts. That's why the products on our websites make great gifts. How about giving a gift certificate to your favorite person or teacher or family member or the president of your organization????? It is easy to do. Just call our office to make arrangements.

Call 248-879-2598 to arrange a gift certificate.

The holiday season is in full swing and at the Autism Asperger's Digest, there is much to be thankful for. First, it's the magazine's 8th Anniversary! It debuted - the first magazine of its kind on ASD - with the Nov-Dec 1999 issue.






Fireworks lit the sky recently when the Digest captured
another Gold Award for outstanding work in the field. But
amidst all the fanfare, the most important celebrations are the
little moments throughout the year when readers mention
how much the magazine means to them, how well a strategy
worked with their student, or how a personal story gave them the strength to get through another day.

Those are treasured gifts, indeed, for which we give thanks again and again. May your upcoming holidays be merry and bright. Warmest wishes from our house to yours.

Gold Winner, 2006 & 2007 MarCom Creative Award
Gold Winner, 2007 NAPPA Parenting Resources Awards

Linda Hodgdon, M.Ed., CCC-SLP is a Speech- Language Pathologist and a Consultant for Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is the author of the bestseller, Visual Strategies for Improving Communication, one of the most recommended books in the field of autism.

Internationally recognized as a powerful and informative speaker and consultant, Linda has presented her insightful and dynamic workshops to audiences of educators and parents worldwide.

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