Autism Speaks releases 'Visual Supports' tool kit for parents, providers

Provides valuable instruction to parents and providers to improve daily communication when your child with autism has limited verbal skills

Autism Speaks, North America's largest autism science and advocacy organization today released the Visual Supports and Autism Spectrum Disorder tool kit providing valuable guidance to parents, families and providers about how to utilize pictures, photographs and other visual supports to improve communication for children, adolescents and adults who struggle with understanding or using language. For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), not only can visual supports greatly facilitate routine communication and improve language comprehension, visual supports are also useful in explaining social interactions, daily transitions from one activity to another and can facilitate adaptation to new situations for children and adolescents with ASD. The guide is particularly helpful if a child or adolescent on the spectrum has difficulty understanding social cues, has trouble following spoken instructions, or is anxious or acts out when presented with surprising or unfamiliar situations. Families who use visual supports have reported decreases in challenging behaviors and increased compliance and independence.

"Expressive and receptive language skills are a common problem for children and adolescents on the autism spectrum," says Dan Coury, M.D., medical director of Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (ATN). "We've found that non-verbal communication methods such as visual supports improve their communication skills, and this guide can be particularly helpful for families navigating their daily routines."

Visual Supports and Autism Spectrum Disorder was developed by clinicians and families at the Vanderbilt ATN site to provide step-by-step instructions for parents, caregivers, teachers and other professionals who may be unfamiliar with visual supports or who would like to use them more effectively.

"The goal of the 'Visual Supports' tool kit is to empower families with effective strategies to create less stressful and smoother routine communication between a child with autism and their families or practitioners," said Autism Speaks Vice President of Clinical Programs Clara Lajonchere, Ph.D.

Visual supports can help children and adolescents with ASD who may not understand social cues as they interact with others in daily activities and may not grasp social expectations such as how to start a conversation or how to respond when others make social approaches. Children with ASD often find it difficult to understand and follow spoken instructions and may not be able to express well what they want or need. Visuals can help parents communicate what they expect and allow a child to express his or her wants and needs which in turn decreases frustration and may help decrease problem behaviors that result from difficulty communicating. Children with ASD are also often anxious or act out when their routines change or they are in unfamiliar situations ranging from a visit to a relative to undergoing a medical procedure. Visuals can help them understand what to expect and will happen next, and help to reduce anxiety allowing them to pay attention to important details and cope with a change in routine.