Using visual schedules: A Guide for Parents

By: Jessica Drake-Simmons M.S. CCC-SLP

Using visual schedules allows your child to see what is going to be happening in their day and the order of events.  Visual schedules can be customized to meet the needs of each child.  Getting started with a visual schedule can seem overwhelming, so this blog will help you recognize if your child would benefit from a visual schedule with ideas on how to get started.

7 Benefits of visual schedules:

1. Provides structure and predictability:  Visual schedules prepare a child for what is coming up, which can reduce anxiety. 
2. Eases transitions: Visual schedules are helpful in easing transitions from one activity to the next.
3. Reinforce verbal instructions: Most children process visual information better than auditory information.  Words disappear after we say them and the visuals give language a lasting component. 
4. Supports literacy development- Consistent exposure to written words can enforce reading of sight-words and provide an opportunity to practice reading through decoding.   
5. Supports development of executive functioning: Visual schedules enforce planning, sequencing, completing tasks independently and the natural consequences of time management.
6. Supports conversation skills: Many childrenn have difficulty recalling and retelling previous events.  Providing the visual framework of the schedule can help kids answer open-ended questions like: “What did you do today?” or “What was your favorite activity?”
7. Helps caregivers:  Having a plan in place can be calming for adults.  Creating a schedule helps the caregiver prepare for the day and use time effectively.

Decide on the format

Visual schedules come in all shapes and forms.  When selecting a visual schedule format, consider which would be most functional for you to use, along with what would be most beneficial for your child.  Some schedule forms take more preparation while schedules like line drawn images or written words can be done quickly and on the fly. 

  Here are some different types of visual schedules:

Apps on phone/tablet   Tangible pictures with Velcro Line drawing images  Written words

Decide on the length The length of the schedule will be based on your son or daughter’s needs and abilities. Some children may be able to use a whole day schedule while others will be overwhelmed by this amount of information and will need to see just one or two items at a time.

First/Then-This can be an effective format to introduce visual schedules without overwhelming the child with too much information.  It can assist a child in getting through the non-preferred first activity by seeing that next, she will get a preferred choice.

Part of the day with more specific activities                                              Monthly Calendar

 

 

Whole day with more general activities

It is beneficial to include your child as part of the process of creating the schedule.  The slowed down, one step at a time, verbal explanations paired with visuals helps the child understand and prepare for upcoming activities.  It can also be a nice opportunity for the child to have some autonomy and make choices about what their day will look like. Don’t feel that making a schedule means that you have to rigidly follow it.  Life is unpredictable and having a change in plans is something that we all have to adapt to.  The visual schedule can be a great tool to teach your kids about flexibility.

Learn more about Easter Seals DuPage & Fox Valley resources here: https://eastersealsdfvr.org/.

Stir Crazy Kids: How to Stay Active this Winter

By: Laura Bueche, Occupational Therapist

Oh the weather outside is frightful, and we are going crazy indoors. Just because there is snow and ice on the ground, does not mean your child’s arousal level is any lower.  On the contrary, it’s probably reaching a boiling point and you are looking for ways to get your kids the sensory stimulation and gross motor activity their little bodies are craving.

Getting your kids up and moving has a lot of benefits. The Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that children and adolescents engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days of the week, preferably daily. As an occupational therapist, I love physical activity because of the regulating aspects of proprioceptive input*, as well as development of coordination skills and strengthening opportunities.

*Proprioceptive input are sensations from joints, muscles and connective tissues that underlie body awareness. Input can be obtained by lifting, pushing, and pulling heavy objects, including one’s own weight. For example, climbing on a jungle gym, swinging across monkey bars, or pulling a wagon.

Why is it helpful? Providing your child with more proprioceptive input throughout the day can help them:

• Tolerate sensations and situations that are challenging
• Regulate emotions, alertness and increase attention span
• Reduce unwanted sensory seeking and sensory avoiding behaviors
• Handle transitions with less stress (sensorysmarts.com)

For more information about sensory processing check out the post, How Sensitive is Too Sensitive?

In these bitter winter months, it is difficult to get your kids the physical
activity they need. Here are just a few ideas for indoor activities to give you and your family a much-needed break from being stuck at home.

Ideas for Local Indoor Activities

• Rock climb at Vertical Endeavors, Glendale Heights
• Roller Skate at Lombard Roller Rink
• Go bowling at Pinstripes, Oak Brook
• Jump around at SkyZone, Elmhurst
• Climb and jump at Pump it Up, Elmhurst
• Swim at Grizzly Jack’s Indoor Water Park, Itasca
• Climb around the tubes at Enchanted Castle, Lombard
• Play basketball and climb at Monkey Island, Melrose Park
• Yoga for kids and teens at Elmhurst Yoga Shala
• Gymnastics during open gym at Gym Stars ETC, Addison
• Crash and Climb at Naperville Ball Factory 
• Ice Skate at Seven Bridges Ice Arena, Woodridge
• Laser Tag at Laser Quest, Lombard
• Youth Basketball at Centre of Elgin

Ideas if You Can’t Leave the House

There is a crazy blizzard outside, what can I do with what I have at home? Here are some ideas to get kids some movement breaks when stuck indoors:

• Build a furniture fort by pushing and pulling furniture and cushions from around the house.
• Make an obstacle course by army crawling, jumping and doing jumping jacks to get to the finish line in record time.
• The floor is hot lava! We all know this favorite.
• Animal walk relay races: bear walk, crab walk, wheelbarrow, and penguin waddle across the room to roll the die of a board game or get stickers for a craft project.
• Jump and crash into a pillow pile or onto the bed.
• Jump rope with rhymes and songs.
• Squeeze, squish, and smash Play-Doh.
• Use a scooter, tricycle, or scooter board to propel through the house.
• Squish your kids in a pillow pile; making sandwiches.
• Swing your toddler in a blanket between you and another adult.
• Push a vacuum or mop, collect the garbage, wipe down the table, load the laundry, and push the laundry basket.

Halloween Safety Tips

By:  Kelly Lopresti, Director of Child Development

Children are our most valuable investment.  Ensure that your child is aware of all the safety tips and rules this Halloween. Drive carefully as some children may dart into the street and may not be easily visible due to dark costumes. Please take the time to review the following safety rules with your child.

• Make sure young children are accompanied by an adult or responsible teenager when they go door-to-door.
• If children are going to be out after dark, me sure they carry a flashlight.
• Walk, slither, and sneak on sidewalks, not in the street! If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the street facing traffic.
• Instruct children never to eat anything until they are home and the treats have been carefully examined. Throw away anything unwrapped.  Check the wrapper of commercial treats for evidence of tampering.
• Leave your porch light on so children will know it’s okay to visit your home.
• Decorate costumes and treat bags with reflective tape for easier night visibility.
• Be cautious of animals and strangers.
• Use face paint rather than masks or things that will cover your eyes.
• Accept your treats at the door and never go into a stranger’s house.
• Plan a route on well lit streets and share it with your family.
• Don’t hide or cross the street between cars.
• Cross the street only at corner.

Have a safe and fun filled Halloween!!!

For other fun resources, check out the Power Ranger Megaforce Halloween Safety video!

Or read more about Halloween safety at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website.

Learn more about Easter Seals DuPage & Fox Valley’s Lily Garden Child Care Center at: http://www.eastersealslilygarden.org/page.aspx?pid=678. 

Top Reasons Kids Make Great Gardeners

By: Vanessa Doyle, Lead Teacher in the Lily Garden Child Care Center Infant Room & Horticulture Coordinator

Pop quiz! Which of these would you like your child to improve on?

1. How to make healthy food choices.
2. How to cooperate well with others and engage in teamwork.
3. How to increase their confidence and self-awareness.
4. How to interact and connect with the natural world.

If you agree with one or any of these statements, your child would be a great gardener.

Gardening has been around for so long that people may not realize the positive effects it can have on our children and us. With more processed and highly sugared foods hitting the table, we are further away from where our food comes from than ever before.

Everyone agrees that eating healthy is good. It makes you feel better, gets you a good doctor’s report and prevents disease. But it can be really hard sometimes. After working all day and picking up the kids from school, going to soccer practice, therapy and homework; taking a swing threw the drive-thru seems like the only option available. But this option is causing a worldwide epidemic of obesity and metabolic disease not only in us but also in our children.

So what can we do to turn that around?

We can start by establishing healthy eating habits young. These habits will last a lifetime.

Gardening is a great way to incorporate real fruits and vegetables into your home. It provides a learning opportunity for children to see where their food comes from. School or community gardens also offer an opportunity to interact with a group to practice socialization and teamwork. Once youth are involved in the growing process, they gain a sense of pride and ownership of what they created. This makes them more willing to try new foods and share. Often school can be an overload of sensory input. The garden provides a relaxing environment for everybody. Children can explore their senses by smelling flowers and hearing the sounds of nature around them.

How do I get started?

• Gardeners are great sharers! Ask friends, family and even us here at Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley. Somebody usually has an extra plant or two to spare or a packet of seeds to share. If you can’t find any, your local nursery can help or you can order seeds online at Rare Seeds.
• Dedicate an area of your yard to be the garden. If you don’t have a plot of land to dedicate to a whole garden, that is okay too. Containers work well and can grow plants such as tomatoes and peppers.
• Make it easy on yourself. If you have never gardened before, it is as simple as putting a seed into the dirt, giving it sunlight and water and watching it grow.

Happy Planting!

Come by and check out our very own school garden grown by the kids in the Lily Garden Child Care Center at Easter Seals DuPage & Fox Valley in Villa Park.

Other Resources:

http://www.letsmove.gov/eat-healthy

http://www.chicagobotanic.org

http://www.earlysprouts.org

Why Inclusive Childcare is the Best Experience

By: Vickie Robinson, Developmental Therapist & Kelly Lopresti

We truly feel an inclusive childcare environment is a wonderful experience for all Involved! With the recent 30^th Anniversary of the Lily Garden Child Development Center here at Easter Seals DuPage & Fox Valley, we wanted to discuss all the benefits of an inclusive child care program and outline some ways to support children with special needs in your classroom. Children with special needs and typically developing peers benefit from an inclusive environment as well as teachers and family members.

12 Benefits of Inclusion for Students with Special Needs

• Friendships with same aged peers
• Increased social initiations, relationships, friendships and networks
• Peer role models for social, academic and behavior skills
• Increased achievement of therapy and Individual Family Service Plan/Individualized Education Program goals (IFSP/IEP)
• Greater access to general curriculum
• Enhanced skill acquisition and generalization
• Higher expectations
• Increased staff, parent and therapist collaboration
• Increased parent and teacher participation
• Families are more integrated into community
• Affords a sense of belonging
• Provides a stimulating environment for growth

12 Benefits of Inclusion for Typically Developing Students

• Meaningful friendships are cultivated
• Increased understanding and acceptance of diversity
• Develops respect for others with diverse characteristics
• Increases abilities to help others
• Prepares all students for adult life in an inclusive society
• Opportunities to master activities by practicing and teaching others
• Greater academic outcomes
• Develops capacity for empathy
• All student’s needs are better met, greater resources for everyone
• Develops sensitivity toward others’ limitations
• Develops feelings of empowerment and the ability to make a difference
• Increases abilities to help others

In the California Department of Education’s Inclusion Works! Informational Booklet, they outline common modifications, adaptions and supports for an inclusive environment.

Strategies include:

1. Providing environmental supports:
   • Using pictures or objects to signal next activities
   • Making physical boundaries to decrease distraction
   • Engineer classroom to support children of all abilities
     • Lower hooks, make paths for children in wheel chairs

2. Adapt materials. Examples include:
   • Adding knobs to wooden puzzles
   • Offer a variety of scissor, pen, marker, crayon options
   • Use a tilt board or easel for easier viewing
3. Activity Simplification
   • Simplify complicated tasks by breaking them into smaller parts. For example, give child materials for a task one piece at a time.
4. Be Aware of Child Preferences
   • Use motivating subjects, toys and games to promote learning, participation and interaction
5. Use of Special Equipment
   • Use adaptive devices to maximize and facilitate participation. Making sure child care staff are trained by parents and therapists to properly use adaptive or medical equipment.
   • Make sure children who need physical support are positioned optimally and are encouraged to play on the same level as peers.
6. Adult Support
   • Make sure staff is trained and comfortable in working with all children in their classroom. Having permission to interact and learn from a child’s therapist is important. Knowing a child’s goals and beneficial supports will benefit the child.
7. Peer Support
   • Use classmates as models to help children learn.
   • Teach children specific ways to engage and interact with a child with special needs.
8. Invisible Support- Arrange naturally occurring events to assist in inclusion.
   • Assign roles during children’s play, such as having a child with limited mobility be in charge of “pumping gas” as the children riding bikes go by.
   • Comment on children’s play in ways that encourage further interaction.

To learn more about the Lily Garden Child Development Center, our inclusive child care center here at Easterseals Dupage & Fox Valley please call Melissa at 630.261.6283.