Undesired behaviors?
Visuals. Visuals do not have to be fancy or high tech. They can be created with sticky notes and a pen, a dry erase board and a marker, simply showing instead of telling. Visuals cover a multitude of benefits. They make the abstract more concrete. They take all the thoughts swirling in the air and anchor them down on paper so we can hang onto them. They help the overwhelmed person who is flooded with sensory noise, see clearly their goal. Visuals can give the pride of self sufficiency when completing a task independently. Do not underestimate the power of visuals- they are the easiest behavioral intervention you can have access to at anytime, anywhere. Brain Research & Visual Processing To truly understand how vital visuals are for individuals on the spectrum: Biopsies done on autistic brains in a research study in 2014 by Eric Courchesne found that the brain was capable of rewiring itself, creating these "patches" throughout the brain. However the one area of the brain that these patches were not found was in the part of the brain that processes visual information. The study concluded that this was the one area of the brain not effected by autism, which goes to show why visual processing is a strength . also gives some relative perspective to those of us who would consider ourselves visual learners (myself included)- we still could not imagine the necessity of visuals for someone on the spectrum. Click below to read more on this research. |
Types of Visuals
Comic StripsMake other's thoughts and feelings visible with thought bubbles in coordination with speech bubbles, as demonstrated in Carol Gray's "Comic Strip Conversation". Click on the picture below to go to Amazon book link.
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Behavior MapsAn alternative to social stories- show behavior choices and how one's behavior effects other's. Amy Buie's book "Behavior Mapping" demonstrates several concepts to teach with them. Click on the picture below to go to Amazon book link.
Note: Also includes language mapping. Under anxiety an individuals ability to demonstrate verbal speech skills may dramatically drop. Remember- communication is behavioral as well.
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