Let’s talk routines, schedules, and checklists. Routines and schedules can provide a sense of calm to children, because they know what to expect, and what is coming next. Routines and schedules are helpful for many kids, but they are especially important to have in place for those kiddos who demonstrate difficulty with executive functioning skills, inattention, depression, and/or anxiety. Sometimes a routine can be as simple as making sure to have “anchors” embedded in the day, such as meals, and rest around a certain time each day. For some kiddos this is enough. Others might benefit from a visual of the daily routine/rhythm, a schedule with specific times, and at the most extreme end of the spectrum, a checklist of what to expect within each chunk of time period on the schedule. Some kids benefit from a simple visual, while others do better with an interactive schedule, where they actually mark off once an activity is completed.
At home, I like to use a monthly calendar where the kids can see when to expect visitors, holidays, etc. We also have a weekly schedule where they can see what days they will be going to school, and/or to any activities that they might have. A “daily rhythm” visual is posted that shows the typical flow of our day. Finally, for my toddler, I sometimes will use routine cards that I place in a basket, and have him pull out one by one in working towards the completion of a task such as getting ready for our day.
In the school setting, I like to have a visual schedule where students can see it during counseling (group or individual), and have even found them to be helpful during testing. For older kiddos I have simply listed “subtest 1, subtest 2…” with boxes next to them to check, and with my younger or lower functioning kiddos I have broken it down into a few chunks of “first work, then ___”. When I walk into a classroom for an observation or consultation, the first thing I look for is a visual schedule. Do the students know what is expected, and what is happening next?
If you have a visual schedule that you love and want to share, comment below!