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"Good visual supports increase comprehension and reduce anxiety, which will often decrease or eliminate negative behaviors."

-- Sarah, Gaby's mother

Why Visual Supports Help

-- by Sarah, Gaby's mother

Gaby has always relied heavily on visual supports to be successful. This is not at all surprising if you consider the challenges she faces due to her autism. She has significant auditory processing and language deficits, a very limited vocabulary compared to typical peers, a significant impairment in her social functioning, sensory differences and a preference for certain unusual perseverative behaviors. The world around her must often seem utterly unpredictable. What she likes to do, society often discourages; what society requires, she often finds oppressive.

Imagine that you or I were plopped down in the middle of rural China, where both the language and the culture are completely unfamiliar. Then imagine that people are nagging you relentlessly all day to do things when you can't understand what they're saying, what they might do next or why they're doing it. Sometimes these activities are confusing, irritating or even physically uncomfortable for you. Maybe you actually want to please the people around you, but the stressful nature of your environment make it hard to stay calm and figure out what you're supposed to do.

If this happened to me, I'd be pretty darn happy to get my hands on some illustrated lists that made it clear what was going to happen to me throughout the day and what I was expected to do. Without those visual supports, I think I'd be pretty darn panic stricken.

From Trip Clip® Customers

Traci - Feb 17, 2014

I know your product was not originally intended for special needs kids, but I just want to say how much I love having it at my fingertips for use with children that are on the Autism spectrum. I've made many visual schedules/checklists by slightly modifying your product from its original intended use.

I used the weekly chore chart option to print all the pictures I needed for [my daughter's] daily schedule, but I wanted movable pieces. Once I printed, I cut the pictures apart to make individual pieces, laminated them, and attached them with velcro. Many of the pieces I used the custom feature to make them more specific.

Cheri - June 5, 2013

Thank you for creating this website, my son has Autism and we have been looking for a way to use a picture list for shopping with him. This is great.

Heidi - Sept 3, 2013

I am using this with my ADHD children and it is saving our sanity (and teaching them organization).

Dawn - Feb 24, 2014

I have recently come across your site via Pinterest. I have been struggling with my 11 year son (who has autism and adhd) and finding a way to keep him focused and become more self-motivated. I purchased your chore chart, but the format doesn't work for our unique set-up. My son works best with a Velcro system that allows for the chores to be physically removed as they are done so that he can see the shrinking list of duties and feel a sense of time passing. I have printed the chores I need and cut them into squares, laminated them and use them on a changeable schedule that we find works for my son.

...your site has made it so easy to make a chart for my son, which changes daily, without the visual overload of having an entire week on one form brings (not to mention the ink drain from constantly reprinting a one-day-at-a-time schedule.). Thank you very much for all the work you have put into this site, it is a wonderful resource and I can't wait to use the grocery list as we continue to try and teach my son important life skills.