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At The Westview School, we believe that fostering independence is a cornerstone of helping children with autism thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. One of the most effective tools in this journey is the use of visual supports. Visual supports use images, symbols, or cues to help students process information, communicate clearly, and navigate their day. Some examples of this include picture schedules, checklists, social stories, timers, and task cards. 

From managing daily routines to enhancing emotional regulation and problem-solving, visual supports empower students with confidence and autonomy. Westview teachers and administrators integrate these strategies into their classrooms every day. Each approach reflects the creativity and dedication of Westview staffers to ensure every student has the tools they need to succeed.

Morning Checklists: Starting the Day with Independence
Christine Reilly, Lower Elementary Teacher

Executive functioning skills, such as organization and time management, can be challenging for children with autism. Visual checklists provide a structured approach to these challenges. In Lower Elementary, students start their day with a visual checklist displayed on the board detailing morning expectations. For example, a picture of a backpack represents hanging it on a hook. As the year progresses, these picture prompts are gradually replaced with words, and eventually, students complete tasks independently without visual assistance.

"This approach not only creates a predictable environment but also reduces anxiety and fosters a sense of accomplishment," says Christine Reilly. "Students feel confident knowing they can take responsibility for their morning routine."

Transition Cues: Easing the Shift Between Activities
Trevie Stone, Lower School Physical Education Teacher

Transitions, particularly away from preferred activities, can be challenging for many students. Leaving the motor room can often be a tricky transition. Visual timers, such as the TimeTimer™, paired with verbal countdowns, help students understand the abstract concept of time.

"I might say, 'We have five minutes left. What would you like to do before we leave?'" explains Trevie Stone. "Picture cards are another helpful tool. A small picture of the next activity or location can be a tangible reminder, helping students anticipate what's next."

The physical setup of the environment also supports transitions. Designated line-up spots and shoe cubbies act as visual cues for students, creating a smooth and predictable flow from one activity to the next.

Innovative Visuals for Younger Students
Amanda Warley, Prekindergarten Teacher

In Prekindergarten, visuals are everywhere—on the walls, at tables, and in task instructions. Amanda Warley recently introduced a portable photo printer to create instant visual aids tailored to her students' needs. "If a student prefers blocks over trains, we can immediately update our visuals to reflect that," she shares.

Amanda also uses visuals to prepare students for new experiences. For example, before practicing for the holiday program in a different building, she printed a photo of the location. “Having a picture helps students process what to expect, reducing anxiety. These personalized visuals make all the difference in fostering understanding and comfort.”

Step-by-Step Task Cards: Building Independence in Learning
Serena Gaylor, Middle School Language Arts Teacher

Breaking down tasks into manageable steps fosters independence and encourages self-assessment. "In my classroom, students always have a 'to-do' list and an 'after I'm finished' list displayed on the screen," says Serena Gaylor.

Recently, during a poetry unit, students followed a criteria-based checklist to evaluate their work. "This allowed them to independently assess their poems, identify areas for improvement, and ask more specific questions," Serena explains. "Step-by-step guides give students the tools to take ownership of their learning and build confidence in their abilities."

Visual Supports for Emotional Regulation
Sally Schwartzel, Lower School Principal

Visual supports also play a vital role in helping students manage their emotions. Tools like visual schedules, checklists, and social narratives provide clarity and predictability, reducing anxiety. "When students know what to expect, they feel more in control of their day," says Sally Schwartzel.

For emotional regulation, visuals can help students identify their feelings and choose appropriate coping strategies. “If a student feels frustrated, visual supports remind them of what they can do—like taking deep breaths or asking for help. This empowers them to navigate challenging moments with greater confidence.”

Empowering Students Through Visual Supports

Visual supports are more than tools; they are bridges to independence, confidence, and self-advocacy. At The Westview School, we take pride in using evidence-based practices to meet our students' unique needs. By integrating creative and personalized strategies, our educators ensure that every child can shine in their own way.

Want to see these approaches in action? Visit our website or connect with us on Instagram and Facebook to learn more about how we are empowering our students every day.

Understanding behavior, whether at home or in the community, can feel overwhelming, but it all boils down to one simple fact: behavior is just any measurable action. In this blog post, Sally Schwartzel, Lower School Principal at The Westview School, shares practical strategies for managing behavior by focusing on what we can control—our own actions. From offering choices to teaching replacement behaviors, these insights help parents create more positive interactions with their children. This post was adapted from her presentation for September WestviewEDU.

Behavior:  It Is What It Is

When thinking about behavior in the home and community, there are many topics to cover – everything from self-help skills to attending a group function with peers.  However, this wide range of topics can all be addressed by looking at behavior for what it is.  It’s just behavior! Behavior is any measurable, observable action.  Behavior is anything from waving hello to someone to hitting a friend. 

The most important thing to remember is that we cannot change the behavior of others.  This can be SUPER frustrating!  BUT, there are things that we can change. Changing what we are doing, in turn, will change the behaviors of others.  To figure out what to do before or after, we need to know “Why” the behavior is occurring.  The “Why” is also called the “function” of the behavior.  Don’t worry – there are only two main reasons why behaviors occur.  PSA: This applies to all people, not just our kids.  All of us exhibit behaviors (positive or negative) because we obtain or escape something.  Many times, we work for a paycheck (obtain).  We also push the snooze button on an alarm – to escape the noise… and the waking up part!  To change behavior, we have to change what happens before or after it happens – which is something we can control.

Changing the Before and After

So, what can we do before a behavior happens to prevent it?  My favorite is offering a choice – with a catch. The choice isn’t “Are you ready to do your homework?”  The choice is “Do you want to do your homework now?  Or do you want to do your homework in 5 minutes?”  This gives the option to make that choice - but within your parameters.  My second biggest recommendation is to frontload expectations.  Give your kids a visual schedule or a checklist.  Set up a routine.  The more our kids know what to expect, the fewer surprises for everyone involved!  Think about what a “to-do” list does for you... the schedule/checklist is their “to-do” list!

What about after a behavior occurs?  If a person is still exhibiting a behavior, they are either obtaining or escaping something.  For example, if a child throws a tantrum in line at the grocery for a candy bar and gets a candy bar, next time, it’s really likely that the child will throw a tantrum again.  If a child rips up their homework and doesn’t have to complete it, it will likely get ripped up again.  To break that pattern, we need to change what happens after.  We can power through the line at the grocery store with the child kicking and screaming.  We could have extra copies of the homework or ask for a laminated copy that can’t be ripped.  Seems easy enough, right?  WRONG.  Sometimes, the tantrum in the line in the grocery store is too big.  Sometimes, the ripping of homework after a long day is the final straw at the end of a really long day.  The missing piece is teaching our kids what to do instead of the challenging behavior.

Teaching Replacement Behaviors

The “what to do instead” is called a replacement behavior.  Replacement behaviors get our kids what they want (or don’t want) in a more appropriate way.  If we set the expectation at the grocery store as “If you do not throw a tantrum and you ask for a candy bar,” you will get it.  If, during homework time, the expectation is that the child can ask for a break or ask for help, that is a much better behavior than ripping it up. 
You’re probably thinking, “So I have to let my child get a candy bar every time?  Or let them not do their homework?”  The answer is… well, kind of.  This is only in the beginning while you are teaching those replacement behaviors.  Once the child learns they do not need to exhibit those inappropriate behaviors, you can start taking steps back or fading support.  For example, the new expectation is “If you do not _____, you can get a snack this time in the line and a candy bar next time.”  The expectation can be set at the beginning of the grocery store trip that a candy bar isn’t an option this time, but these three different yummy snacks can be asked for.  When it comes to homework, maybe the child needs to write their name on the homework before asking for a break.  If the child learns to ask for help, maybe you give them the answer to the first part and then have them complete the rest on their own. 

Simple Long-Term Tips for Success

Behavior is so easy and so complicated at the same time.  The best advice I can give (learning from different parents throughout the years) is to do what you must to keep your sanity.  Tip for doing that and still working behavior to your advantage?  Having your child comply with the tiniest directive before giving them a preferred item or activity will save your life in the future.  I have had some parents, in order to keep their sanity, have their child simply push in a chair, clear a dish, etc. before iPad time.  It seems so small, but it will really help out in the future!

Sally Schwartzel is the Lower School Principal at The Westview School. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to The Westview School, having worked for over 18 years in Katy ISD as a special education teacher in specialized autism programs and then as a leader at the district level for autism and behavioral programming. She holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education with a focus on Autism and Developmental Disabilities from The University of Texas. She is a Certified Teacher and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has co-authored and co-presented on relevant topics such as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports and Autism Support and Intervention Program. 

This blog post was adapted from the presentation given during WestviewEDU on Thursday, September 5, 2024. WestviewEDU is an education series presented by The Westview School for parents and caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder. For a full list of WestviewEDU sessions for the 2024/2025 academic calendar year, visit The Westview School online.

Do you know people in your home or classroom who always lose their belongings, forget important items, get lost from the kitchen to the bedroom, run chronically late, or just generally seem like a "mess?" Weak executive functioning could be to blame!

Executive functioning is a general term that refers to our mind’s mental manager or the cognitive processes that regulate our thinking and behavior. While there are many models of executive functioning, most include the individual’s ability to generate ideas, initiate or begin a task, stick to and finish a task, flexibly problem-solve, shift from one idea or topic to another, inhibit our impulses, ignore distractions, regulate attention, regulate our behavioral and emotional responses, use feedback to guide future behavior, select relevant goals, organize materials, hold information in mind until needed, and more. I like to think of our executive functions as air-traffic control for our brain or as the conductor of the mind’s orchestra.

When all is well, cognitive processes flow smoothly, and behavior fits the situation as expected. When there are problems… well, just imagine the airport with poor air-traffic control! Executive functioning is needed for all aspects of life. Socially, we need executive functioning to help us regulate our behavior and emotions when we are upset. After all, throwing the board game when we are losing is frowned upon…, particularly in adolescence or adulthood! We spend a great portion of time controlling our impulses to speak out in school or a meeting, to refrain from spending too much money, or even overeating. Executive functions help us to arrive on time, prepared, and with a plan for how to behave. They are also critically important for academic success. Not only are executive functions needed for decoding written text, reading comprehension, solving math word problems, and long division, but they are also needed to be an organized, efficient student who remembers homework and can plan for projects and tests. These days, if you are not in the right place, with the right things, at the right time, it is difficult to be a good student, no matter how bright you are! In fact, being in the right place, with the right things, at the right time is the very basis of holding a job.

When there is executive disfunctioning, life may feel chaotic or unproductive. The child or adult may experience social, academic, or employment difficulties and/or problems in the home. The good news is that executive functions are thought to be able to be developed or strengthened. These skills begin developing in infancy as babies learn to wait to have their needs met. They really come ‘on board’ in the brain around age two as children learn they are active agents in their own world. Beyond that age, executive functions are thought to keep developing into young adulthood. Just as they can be strengthened, executive functions can be weakened or damaged. Neurological insults from accidents, injuries, or other sources can impact executive functioning temporarily or long-term.

Executive dysfunction is often part of the presentation of neurodevelopmental disorders such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Specific Learning Disabilities. Although executive functioning is thought to be the most impaired in the aforementioned conditions, it is also implicated in conditions such as anxiety, depression, and even medical conditions such as low blood sugar. Problems with executive functioning are often what bring families to seek help from psychologists, psychiatrists, or doctors.

Understanding the importance of executive functioning is the first step to facilitating its development. The ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ principle applies here. If a child has no experience planning for their day or organizing their materials, it is unlikely that he or she will simply arrive at this skill in high school.

From the time they are small, children should be encouraged to help with planning and organizing. A toddler may not be able to make a sandwich, but they can help pack a lunch. Likewise, a young child who cannot do their own laundry can sort laundry or help pick out clean clothes for tomorrow.

Children can also help with the planning and preparation for parties, events, and projects. Learning how to react when what we want is not available, what to do when we forget something important, and how to persist with the temptation of distractions are all valuable skills that adults need to afford children. Children can have fun while they help adults with household tasks and learn these skills. They can also work on these skills in their play.

Childhood games have been shown to improve the executive skills of preschool children. Games such as Simon Says, Red Light Green Light, and Mother May I all help children to practice attending, inhibiting impulses, problem-solving, regulating behavior, and regulating emotions. For older children, yard games such as Freeze Tag and Capture the Flag can be helpful. Board games are also great ways to develop flexibility, inhibition, problem-solving, and shifting. Some favorites for young children are Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders. These games are great for teaching flexible thinking by changing the rules. Some fun examples are to play the board backward or try to be the last one to cross the finish line! For older children, strategy games such as chess, Chinese checkers, or Risk may be helpful. Children and adults also tend to enjoy German-style or Euro board games. These games tend to minimize conflict and luck and emphasize problem-solving strategies. Some popular examples are Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, Small World, and Dominion. These games require planning, problem-solving, shifting strategies, and many other executive functions to master despite relatively easy gameplay and moderate playing times.

In addition to practicing executive functioning skills throughout life, accommodations and supports for weak executive functioning are often helpful. For example, making lists, using sticky-note reminders, using alarms, and having organizational systems in place can help support executive functioning skills. There are several books available with excellent strategies for support. Some of my favorites are: Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary “Executive Skills” Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare; The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children by Ross Greene, PhD; and The Asperkid’s Launch Pad: Home Design to Empower Everyday Superheroes by Jennifer Cook O'Toole.

Executive functioning skills take effort and experience to develop over time. Many services and providers exist for families requiring guidance to facilitate growth in their loved one’s executive functioning. The Stewart Center at The Westview School offers individual therapy to facilitate executive functioning in adolescents and adults, group therapy for fun skill-building in children, as well as parent coaching and case management to assist families in promoting these skills in their daily lives at home. For more information, contact 713-973-1842 or info@stewartcenterhouston.org.

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Dr. Natalie Montfort is a licensed clinical psychologist with Montfort Psychology Associates. Dr. Montfort has over 20 years of experience working with children and adults with ASD and has training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (with children, adolescents, and adults), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Relationship Development Intervention, Social Thinking, behavior modification (including Applied Behavior Analysis), and education/educational assessment.  Dr. Montfort graduated summa cum laude and as valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology. She earned a Master of Arts Degree and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University. Dr. Montfort completed her doctoral internship with the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and her post-doctoral fellowship at The Stewart Center at The Westview School. She obtained licensure as a Clinical Psychologist in 2016, and she and Dr. Ken Montfort launched Montfort Psychology Associates in 2020.  Her areas of interest include assessment of children, adolescents, and adults; cognitive and behavioral differences in children with neurodevelopmental disorders; treatment of adoption-related issues; treatment of childhood trauma; and animal-assisted therapy. She also enjoys providing professional development, trainings, and lectures on these and other topics to a wide variety of audiences.

This blog post was adapted from the presentation given during WestviewEDU on Thursday, September 1, 2022. WestviewEDU is an education series presented by The Westview School for parents and caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder. For a full list of WestviewEDU sessions for 2022/2023 academic calendar year, visit The Westview School online.