THINKING IN PICTURES:AUTISM, VISUAL

SCHEDULES, AND SOCIAL STORIES

Jessica Saum

TEMPLE GRANDIN

Dr. Temple Grandin,

an autism self-

advocate and

famous animal

scientist, describes

how important

visual thinking is to

someone with

autism:

“Words are like a

second language to

me. I translate both

spoken and written

words into full-color

movies, complete with

sound, which run like

a VCR tape in my

head. When somebody

speaks to me, his

words are instantly

translated into

pictures.’

Working with Autistic Children

Temple Grandin: In her own words

What can I

be doing

?

MAKING CATEGORIES

You have 30 seconds

Make as many categories with the following objects

as you can. Write your categories

down.

STOP: What categories did you come up with?

SPECIALIZED BRAINS

An autistic or Asperger’s child can easily pick out all of the red objects, however

research has shown that it is difficult for a child on the spectrum to make up a new

category, such as plastic objects. These students will need to be taught that some categories change depending on who is using an object. Example: A hat can be

worn at work or during play

CONVERTING ABSTRACT IDEAS TO

PICTURES

VISUALIZING CONCEPTS

WITH SYMBOLIC IMAGES

Peace

Honesty

Power and Glory

Horses

Shoes

Peace

Honesty

Power and Glory

Temple Grandin The Movie

Horses Shoes

Visual schedules

and social

stories can help

students with

autism navigate

our world. They

are practical,

easy to make,

and even easier

to implement.

In the classroom. . .

Social Storiescan be read on the day or a few days in advance and then repeated on the day in question, you can share with your student with autism what will happen and why and what they will be expected to do, you can show them visually, the social story will use images as well as text and will be written in an easy to digest manner.

Teachers are constantly searching for better

strategies and teaching methods to help

students on the spectrum successfully navigate

this our world.

Visual schedules are an excellent teaching tool,

and their use enables students to form the

missing link in processing spoken language.

When working with students with autism, it is

important to remember this one word: visual.

Visual schedules and social stories are important for

children with autism because they:

Help address the child's difficulty with sequential memory and organization of time.

Assist children with language comprehension problems to understand what is expected of them .

http://www.polyxo.com/socialstories/

Lessen the anxiety level of children with autism, and help to reduce possible occurrence of challenging behaviors, by providing the structure.

Clarify that activities happen within a specific time period- break is coming after work is complete. Can also alert the student to any changes that might occur.

Assist the student in transitioning independently between activities and environments telling them where they go next

BACK TO VISUAL THINKERS. . .

Social skills stories are

generally visual;

we know children with autism

tend to be visual thinkers and

learners, meaning they think

in pictures, social skills stories

use this concept

WHEN TO USE A SOCIAL STORY

Teaching Children with Autism: Social Stories: Basketball

Hygiene, Sports, Major Events, Figures of Speech, Emotions,

Being Polite

http://www.polyxo.com/socialstories/

Visual Schedule Examples

WHO (OR WHAT) COULD YOU MAKE A SOCIAL

STORY FOR?Create a social story (and if

time a visual schedule) : At

home, after school, during

the school day

Teachers love to talk. It's part of who they are. However, as difficult as it is, teachers of students with autism must learn to "tone down the talk" and use visuals in its place. Spoken words can eventually be added as a student progresses, but until that time, most students will hear the proverbial Charlie Brown teacher saying "Waaa waa wa waa" as spoken instruction goes in one ear and out the other.

Something To Leave You With