16 Feb A visual cue is worth a thousand instructions
Kaye Otten feels that in her twenty-five year career as an educator, she have often used visual supports to prevent problem behaviors.
A picture is worth a thousand words and can quickly and easily remind students which behavior choices lead to the optimal learning outcomes for themselves and their classmates. Many visual cues are the best trigger by parents to direct their kids towards a task/chore without having them indulge into any instructional activity.
Visual supports are especially important for students/children who struggle with executive functioning skills and/or have language disorders as they clarify verbal information, encourage independence and provide additional structure. Often these students/children desire to make positive choices, but in the “heat of the moment” they have difficulty remembering what exactly it is they are to do to be successful or they have difficulty managing impulses or feelings that interfere.
A simple visual “nudge” can be very powerful in this situation!