How can you use a daily schedule to support appropriate grooming and dressing?
A daily schedule is a great way to provide structure and organization around the grooming and dressing routine. A morning schedule may define all events in the student’s morning, including grooming routine and dressing routine. The schedule will help the student complete this routine independently and successfully by letting them know what they need to do each morning to get ready.
You will likely want to use to-do lists in conjunction with the schedule for more specificity. Remember, the schedule tells you where to go or what the general activity is, and the to-do list tells you what to do once you are there.
In this example, a morning schedule tells the student the things he is to do in order to get ready for work in the morning:
What type of schedule does the student need (a written schedule, a picture-written schedule, a picture schedule, or an object-based schedule) to independently determine where to go for each event of the day and in what order?
The type of schedule used for the student will depend on their level of functioning. The schedule above is designed for a student who is a solid reader. However, another student may obtain more meaning from a picture schedule. The schedule should be geared towards the student’s most difficult day. That way, if they are stressed or frustrated, they can still obtain meaning from their schedule without having to put forth effort and experience additional frustration.
How will the student interact with his schedule to ensure that he is consistently using and referencing it? Will he check items off, delete items, place completed events in a folder, place items in a bin to represent completion of an activity, etc.?
Is the schedule available to the student at all times? If not, what adjustments should you make to ensure its accessibility?
What additional cues (e.g. time durations, highlighting, reminders) might you add to the schedule to clarify expectations and activities?
Much of the specific information about what to do should be incorporated into a to-do list. However, simple reminder cues can also be incorporated into the schedule itself. For example, here the schedule provides a reminder of important things to pack in their bag in red font so that it stands out:
In order to align this intervention topic area with the unique needs of the student, do you need to create a schedule in the View2do program?
