Therapy Riding Lessons

I love watching Bean riding a horse.  Most of the times it’s so peaceful, minus the fun comments that go back and forth between him and his instructors.  Generally, he loves to laugh and when he is so relaxed on horseback it just seems to go hand in hand.

As we head out to riding tonight, the riding facility is looking at changing the horse that he rides.  I have mixed emotions about this, but I know they are wanting to do what is best for Bean.  The horse he rides now is a great horse!  We love Babe!  She’s very laid back but doesn’t share a lot of responses to Bean’s emotions.  For a child on the Autism spectrum it’s sometimes a better match to have a horse that reacts to the child’s emotions/actions so they visually see what they are doing and how it affects the horse.

So we’re off to see if it’s going to be Glory or Bailey who will be Bean’s new riding partner!  Thanks Babe for everything that you have done! ♥

Visual Schedules

What is a visual schedule?

Simply put, it’s a set of pictures or cards that communicate a series of activities or the steps involved in a specific series of tasks.  They can help an individual to better understand and manage their day.   

Those that are diagnosed with Autism generally have more difficulties dealing with auditory input and respond better to visual information.  Depending on the age and ability of the individual, you can use photos, images, words or a combination of both. 

 

Imagine not being able to understand what is expected of you throughout your day.  If it was me, I think I would find that incredibly frustrating!  Frustration leads to increased anxiety, aggression and other behavioural problems.  So having a visual schedule allows a person to be more independent, knowing what is expected, and gives them the ability to stay on task and have a more successful day.

I’ve seen and used many different types of schedules with Bean.  There are resources and schedules that can be in an electronic format, something you can put in a notebook or binder, use in a strip format or even in magnetic form.

Aside from a full visual schedule, we also use visuals in a ‘First/Then’ Board format.  These are great for transitions and rules.  The least preferred task generally needs to be completed before an individual acquires the more desired task or object.  For example, “First you need to sit down and then you can have a snack.”  A great reference about ‘First/Then’ Boards is an excerpt from From Tutor Scripts to Talking Sticks:  100 Ways to Differentiate Instructions in K-12Classrooms by Paula Kluth, Ph.D., and Sheila Danaher, M.S.Ed. 

These visuals can be used at home, at school or anywhere else that you feel the individual would benefit.  They can be time consuming, but if you stick to it and find the right fit for your family it does get easier with time.  We try to keep our schedule very general because Bean is so literal and if it isn’t on the schedule then it isn’t going to happen.  Others may find they need to include more detail to ensure proper understanding.

Some websites that offer different resources and information regarding visual schedules/communication:

PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) offers a number of products, support and training.  ‘Based on using Applied Behaviour Analysis in conjunction with the development of functional communication skills.’

Easy Daysies is a magnetic schedule that was created by a Mom/Teacher for kids to have easier days.

Mayer-Johnson has some great resources for software and assistive devices based around Picture Communication Symbols (PCS)

Do2Learn gives a good description of how to use a visual schedule as well as offers some really good printable for visual schedules including images and online programs.

If you care to share any other resources, please leave a comment.