Classroom Concern #1: Work Completion
Many of our students struggle with work completion. They may struggle with the executive skills to initate or they may struggle with motivation. Use visual supports to clearly communicate what work needs to be done and provide reminders. Additionally, for some students it can be helpful to also include reinforcement at the end of work times. This incentive should also be visually communicated.
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| Priming for Writing Activity Jen Everett Springcreek Primary, Piqua |
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| Priming for Daily Topic Focus and Assignment Due Dates Suzie Weber Miami East Junior High |
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| Computer Desktop Organizational Cues Ashley Schibler Fairmont High School, Kettering |
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| Visual Contract To Do List Sheyanne Olson East Elementary, Eaton |
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| Structured Work System Heidi Horner Nevin Coppock Elementary, Miami County ESC |
Want to learn more about this supports? Check out our previous post:
Classroom Concern #2: Managing Preferred Tasks
Having a predictable routine for earning preferred tasks using visuals like the ones above can be a great way to help students know when they will receive preferred tasks and can help to manage tangibly-motivated behaviors. Sometimes, additional visuals are needed to clearly communicate what free time tasks are allowed and when they are no longer an option.
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| iPad visual |
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| Choice Time Options and Non-Options Visual Catherine Anderson Rushmore Elementary, Huber Heights |
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| Website Rules Bobbi Jo Chapman Snyder Park Elementary, Springfield |
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| Choice Time Area Physical Boundary with Stop Sign Visual Rylie Jarrett Stevenson Elementary, Mad River |
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| Waiting Choices Rylie Jarrett Stevenson Elementary, Mad River |
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Classroom Concern #3: Turn-Taking
Waiting can be hard! Especially when you are really engaged in a certain activity or you always want to go first. When visuals are used to establish a routine for turn-taking this is often easier for students to cope with because it is predictable and they can see when they will get to participate in that preferred task. It can also be helpful in priming students who need ample warning before being called on.
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| Morning Calendar Turns Sarah Janosik Tipp High School, Miami County ESC |
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| Turn Taking Sticks |
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| Wait Visual Cue Genevieve Harvey Harry Russell Elementary, West Carrollton |
Want to learn more about this supports? Check out our previous post:
Classroom Concern #4: Voice Volume
Modulating voice volume can be an abstract concept and sometimes students have limited awareness of their own volume. Use visuals and role-playing to make the concept of modulating voice volume more concrete.
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| Cat Special Interest Voice Volume Meter Sarah Vikan Harry Russell Elementary, West Carrollton |
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| Voice and Phone Levels Thurgood Marshall High School, Dayton |
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| Voice Volume Scale Mary Schuler Baker Middle School, Fairborn |
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| PAX Voices with Visuals Taylor Ruef Stevenson Elementary, Mad River |
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| Voice Volume Visuals with Lights Kelsey Keen Tri-Village Elementary |
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| Voice Scale Visual Jackie Vollmer Driscoll Elementary, Centerville |
Want to learn more about this supports? Check out our previous post:
Classroom Concern #5: Downtime
Downtime is not our friend! When students aren't actively engaged throughout the day it can make transitioning back to work challenging. Also, too much downtime can increase anxiety when students worry about what is coming next and can make it hard to filter out sensory stimuli which can lead to overwhelm. This doesn't mean students have to be working on academic tasks all day every day! But it does mean that careful planning should be done to determine what students can do during ragged class times.
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| Anchor Activity Choice Board Robin Koronich Learning Center West, Montgomery County ESC |
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| Individual All Finished Choice Bin Rylie Jarrett Stevenson Elementary, Mad River |
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| Under Construction Zone for Unfinsihed Work Heather Balkcom Springcreek Primary, Piqua |
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| All Finished Choice Bin |
Want to learn more about this supports? Check out our previous post:
Classroom Concern #6: Group Work
Group time can be extremely successful for our students! There is a lot of sensory, academic, social, and communication demands that are involved. Priming students for what the expectations will be with visuals can make the time more manageable so they are not overwhelmed.
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| Science Experiment Group Roles Janie Dale Northwood Elementary, Northmont |
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Classroom Concern #7: Responding to Questions
Sometimes our students with more limited receptive communication struggle to know what a question is asking. And if they have limited expressive communication, word retrieval can be anxiety-producing. This may result in students not responding, providing a response that is off-topic, or even can lead to work refusal. Use visuals such as picture supports and/or multiple-choice options to help students know how to respond. This reduces stress and keeps positive momentum during work times.
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| Wh-Question Flipbook |
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| Multiple Choice Visuals Cynthia Resch Learning Center West, Montgomery County ESC |
Want to learn more about this supports? Check out our previous post:
Classroom Concern #8: Social-Emotional Regulation
When a referral is made to our team, chances are this is one of the biggest concerns. Our team strongly believes that the behaviors that can be seen stem from a student's skill deficits. They may need to be directly taught what expected behaviors are, how to control impulses, or social skills. Visual supports to teach these skills, role-playing to provide opportunities for practice, and visuals to prime and prompt students are essential.
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| Contingency Maps Mandy Schetter Northmoor Elementary, Northmont |
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| Roblox Special Interest Behavior Chart Allie Clements Schnell Elementary, West Carrollton |
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| Individualized Behavior Chart Visual Haley Urschel Perrin Woods Elementary, Springfield |
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| Good Mistakes PoP Card |
Want to learn more about this supports? Check out our previous post:
Classroom Concern #9: Transitions
Some students struggle with shifting gears to transition from one activity or location to the next. Or they may struggle with doing this independently. Visual supports can help with a variety of transition-related skills including knowing when a transition will happen and where they are expected to be.
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| Visual Countdown Jennifer McGowan Smith Middle School, Vandalia |
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| Large Group Visual Countdown Rylie Jarrett Stevenson Elementary, Mad River |
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| Line Up Visual Cues Rylie Jarrett Stevenson Elementary, Mad River |
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| Location-Based Schedules Rylie Jarrett Stevenson Elementary, Mad River |
Want to learn more about this supports? Check out our previous post:
Classroom Concern #10: Changes
Once schedules and routines are established, a new challenge can sometimes arise when things change. Sometimes our students get very anxious due to a "fear of the unknown" when a change happens which may look like rigidity or even explosive behaviors. Support students during these difficult times but using visuals to prime students when a change will occur.
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| Schedule Change Visual Jennifer Schmidt Beavercreek High School |
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| Change Card Jessica Wright Trotwood ELC |
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| Change Post-It on Schedule Angela Crum Parkwood Elementary, Beavercreek |
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| Fire Drill Priming Visual Shanon Vance Valley Forge Elementary, Huber Heights |
Want to learn more about this supports? Check out our previous post:
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