Children with Autism Learn Using Visual Aids

This week, Disability Living is blogging with hopes of raising autism awareness. Today we are discussing how children with autism tend to be visual learners. This post explores how parents and teachers can use visual communication to aid the development of a child’s learning process.

Children with Autism and Visual Communication

In addition to auditory explanation, visual communication can simplify learning. Providing this form of education is most important for parents of children with autism and those teaching them. As children with autism develop, it is valuable for parents and teachers to know the unique ways a child learns best.

If your child finds learning and understanding language troublesome, has lost language skills, or is not able to speak yet, knowing some visual communication strategies may benefit you.

Visual Communication Techniques

There are many ways to teach children with autism using visual communication tools. These may include, but are not limited to:

– Sign language- Learning sign language is an alternative approach to communicating with a child who cannot or chooses not to speak. Using hand symbols may serve as stepping stones to language or an alternative to speech all together.

– Pictures and images- Personal photographs or descriptive drawings are a good way to assist understanding in children with autism. Without images, the learning process can be complex and confusing. Pictures can simplify this and help them retain information better.

– Daily schedules- Most everyone benefits from writing to-do lists and keeping schedules. This is often the case for children with autism. They seem to like knowing what will come next. It is easier to understand a plan when they can see it, and it’s exciting to keep track of accomplishments throughout the day.

– Colored cue cards- Consider using colored cards to help children with autism name the emotions and sensations they are experiencing. For example, have a child hold up a green card when he or she is hungry. In return, a parent or teacher can use this same color cue card to signify it is time to eat. A blue card could indicate bedtime or that the child is sleepy. And a red card may help the child identify his or her behavior is inappropriate.

For more tips of how to effectively educate children with autism using visual communication, view this helpful resource: http://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/parenting-an-autistic-child.aspx