I love spontaneity but too much drives me crazy! I need a little bit of it along with a lot of routine. If this is true for me as a neuro
-typical adult, It is really true for a child who has some learning differences. Why?
1. I have more life experiences than a child so I know what to expect in a variety of situations so veering away from a routine doesn't create confusion and stress.
2. A child with learning differences needs a way to predict what will come next. A routine that is practiced over and over helps this child to know how to do this. It lowers anxiety and builds confidence.
3. Children with learning differences often struggle with putting events, objects and people in categories. The ability to categorize can be seen as a file folder of information stored in the brain. This enables working memory to work smarter rather than harder when asked to retrieve information. Routines help a child store information of in a "file folder."
So let's get started! Many children have a hard time learning routines if they are only present through verbal prompting. A visual routine enables a child to have a lasting reminder of what to do next. This enables the child to internalize the elements of the routine and develop independence.
A visual routine can come in lots of forms: a picture schedule with or without words, a schedule app, a list of words on a white board or a sticky note. The visual routine displayed may require a response like a ✅ or pulling off a Velcro schedule piece and placing it in a "all done" compartment. A visual routine will look differently depending on various criteria like age, communication or academic ability.
The important thing to remember teaching a child routine is that he/she needs to understand and connect to the way it's presented. Teaching routines requires a significant amount of effort but it does pay itself forward.
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