Going Home Routine

Lots of students with Autism and other developmental delays have a difficult time when routines change.  They get set in their schedules and have significant meltdowns when things do not go as they had in mind.  This is true for one of my students who has a different pick-up routine on different days of the week.  Sometimes he rides the bus and other times his mother picks him up.  As we anticipated, this was very confusing to him. 

The Solution:  A chart that shows all the days of the week and corresponding pictures of how he would go home each day.  After the first few days, we realized this was not going to work.  Visually he could not determine the day of the week even after crossing out all preceding weekdays. 

The Rework:  Instead, we came up with this handy little visual.  It hangs on a hook by the footprints where the children line up for dismissal.  It works perfectly.  He is able to see how he goes home for the day and we are able to switch it from a "bus" picture to a "mom" picture very quickly.  

Mom Pick-up

Bus Pick-up

Home Adaption:  This solution may be adapted for parents by using the visuals to distinguish between weekdays "School Days" & weekend days "Home Days".  We hang the below visual on our refrigerator so our 5 year-old knows if it's a home or school day.

 Use a magnet to display this home-adapted
visual on the refrigerator.