The use of visual schedules and work systems to increase the on‐task behaviour of students on the autism spectrum in mainstream classrooms

Abstract

Apparent differences in executive function can lead to challenges for students on the autism spectrum in mainstream settings. Difficulties with staying on‐task and transitioning between tasks and task elements can interfere with students’ participation in educational activities and lead to stress and anxiety. While the use of visual supports, such as visual schedules and work systems, has been shown to be effective in supporting students to stay on‐task in special education and autism‐specific settings, there is little research to support the use of these strategies by teachers in mainstream classrooms. This study evaluated the use of visual schedules and work systems in supporting four students on the autism spectrum to stay on‐task and work independently in a mainstream setting. These strategies were implemented by teachers as inclusive practices, and evaluated using observations within the natural classroom environment to examine their feasibility in mainstream settings. All participants demonstrated improvements in on‐task behaviours. Results for other, secondary, dependent variables were mixed, with some students showing reduced off‐task behaviours and increased productivity. The implications for clinical practice and future research directions are discussed.

Visual Support Reduces Anxiety in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Enhance Their Visual Perceptual Skills

“…Itled to improved problem solving skill but with efficacy difference in both groups 23 . Another research came down to the same conclusion that the use of visual supports promotes better learning capacity while performing activities that we call as "on-task behavior" in classrooms with children with autism spectrum disorder 24 . The present study evaluated the effect of using visual aids visual perceptual ages and assessed anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorder.…”

The Anxiety Caused by Secondary Schools for Autistic Adolescents: In Their Own Words

“…The use of buddy systems and peer support for both in and out of class activities could help remind autistic students of what might happen and how to cope. The regular school day, published timetables, and advance warning of changes are recognised as essential for autistic students [34][35][36]. Staff members need to be aware of the need to warn of changes, and to know at what point in time this is helpful for an individual since needs are likely to vary.…”

Understanding the Psycho-Social Context for a New Early intervention for Resistance to Change that Aims to Strike a Beneficial Balance Between Structure and Flexibility

“…Despite being widely used, the limited empirical research on visual schedules has tended to report on single case series. Bene ts have been highlighted but in such designs, visuals have been created in different ways for each individual (Macdonald, Trembath, Ashburner, Costley & Keen, 2018). Incorporating visuals that allow caregivers to plan multiple distinct available alternatives and communicate these to children in order to scaffold exibility, is consistent with applied-behaviour-analysis-based techniques around use of visuals to facilitate self-orientation and task-processing -having visual cues for all potential alternatives provides additional processing time, which may be necessary in the context of the speci c cognitive challenges experienced by children (e.g.…”