Visual support ideas
Visual support: Morning routine schedule
The first ten minutes of school are a run of small tasks in a fixed order, performed in a noisy room while saying goodbye. Many autistic and neurodivergent students can do every step but lose the order, and being told the steps again each morning turns the start of the day into a correction.
A morning routine schedule puts the steps on the wall as a row of picture cards, in order, where the student can check them without asking. Make the cards match your room exactly, laminate them, and let the student turn each one over or move a peg along as it is done. It replaces the nagging with a glance.
Sample cards
A typical set
- Bag on Hook
- Hat in Tub
- Lunch Box in Basket
- Sit on Mat
A sample made with HandsOnTop. Yours is written for your student.
The request is filled in. Choose how many cards, then click Generate.
30 free credits with an account — and one free try with none.
Tips for using it
- Use the exact objects in your room, such as the real colour of the hat tub.
- Mount the cards at the student’s eye height by the door, not on the teacher’s board.
- Add a way to mark each step done, such as a peg, a tick card or flipping the card over.
- Pair it with the arriving-at-school social story in the first week.
Common questions
How many cards do I need?
Four to six is the sweet spot. More than that and the schedule becomes a wall of pictures; fewer and steps get skipped. You choose four, six or eight cards before generating.
Can I change the steps for one student?
Yes. Type the steps that student needs, in their order, and the set is drawn for that. Many teachers keep a class schedule and a personal one for a student who needs an extra step.
Do the pictures stay consistent with each other?
Yes. Every card in a set follows the same rule, one word and one clear image in the same style, so the row reads as one schedule. You can redraw or relabel any single card.