Do all Autistic children need visual supports? (my answer might surprise you!)

Have you been told that you should be using visuals for your child or a child you’re working with? Sorry, that may have been me recommending that, so I thought I better explain myself…

I’ve been working as a Speech & Language Therapist for over (ahem) 25 years now, and over this time looking to support individuals with complex communication challenges some key themes have definitely emerged. One of these I want to write about today is VISUALS. But, do ALL Autistic children need visuals for support? Is there really a one size fits all answer to this? 

Imagine struggling to express yourself on a daily basis. We need to communicate so much more than just our needs. We need to express our opinion, share our thoughts, ask questions, challenge, REFUSE, and so much more. This is really where the concept of VISUALS comes in…

What are visuals?

Let me clarify what I mean by “visuals”. Think about the icons on your phone, the signs on toilet doors, pictures on a menu when you’re on holiday, road signs! The truth is, we all rely on visuals in our environment all of the time. For our children and young people with communication challenges, visuals can be pictures, symbols, written words, objects, sign language (like Makaton) or gestures. We can put these together into schedules, timetables, communication boards or books and even communication apps on our devices.

Why do we need them?

What makes them so powerful? When you think about it, spoken words are transient. We say them and they’re gone. Visuals are permanent, and where our young people need longer to process this gives them more opportunities to understand what we are saying and can give clarity. While we’re talking about their permanence, this means they are consistent and predictable. Oh and let’s not forget they reduce demands on memory. Do you make lists? I do! Why? Because otherwise we forget! Visuals can provide the same support for our children, reducing demands on their memory and language.

Do you need more convincing?

Come and see our post on instagram for more information, or watch our short training video here.

Note of caution

But again I find myself thinking, do ALL Autistic children need visuals? Not everyone is a fan of visuals, in “The Reason I Jump”, Naoki Higashida – a young autistic author – writes that visual timetables can feel overwhelming for him, and actually lead to more anxiety. He writes about how his processing of time is different which can make schedules harder to follow for him.

In my clinical practice I have noticed how individuals process images differently. We have typically referred to a hierarchy of representation, which suggests that objects are easy to access followed by photos of that object. Next comes a photo of a similar object (e.g. a different type of cup). We can then move into symbols (lines on a page), and ending in the most challenging representation – letters on a page put together to make a word.  HOWEVER… we now realise that this hierarchy is not linear, especially when it comes to a neurodivergent population… it’s actually a spectrum (who would have thought!), a multi dimensional concept where we need to consider more than just the level of representation, we need to think about vision (functional vision and visual processing), relevance to the individual, the actual images in terms of size and colour, and … motivation! Does the pupil want this? Is it functional for them? Do they see the benefit? Does it aid their understanding and ability to express themselves or is it another thing to process and another demand?

There is literally no one size fits all. And for some children, seeing pictures is an absolute NO. We need to be mindful about individualising the support we offer our children.

Summary

• Visuals can facilitate communication
• They can empower our children, increasing their independence in communicating
• To have effective communication, we all need to have a means. Visuals can provide that for individuals who are not yet talking or who have limited speech
• Visuals need to be personalised
• Collaboration and consistency is key
• The more we integrate visuals into daily life, the more children learn to use them effectively
• Visuals are more than just pictures and they are most definitely not for everyone

Watch our video on the power of visuals for more information and please do get in touch if you would like to discuss how visuals could help your child on their communication journey.