Picture Schedule

A picture schedule can be beneficial to a child who has difficulty transitioning from activity to activity. As well a picture schedule can assist a child who has tantrums or "meltdowns" when they are not following a certain routine. This picture schedule can be displayed in a common area and reviewed with the child throughout to day. In my experience it is good to review the schedule in the morning and then as each activity has passed, I allow the child to place the finished task into a finished folder or box. The child feels a sense of accomplishment in this especially if you praise him/her for a job well done on each task. Even things the child does not enjoy become more tolerable if he/she sees that something fun is coming up on the schedule. For example, if the child doesn't like a certain chore or academic objective, seeing that free time is only a few tasks away can be quite motivating.