Many children with autism or ADHD struggle when they don’t know what is going to happen next. A visual daily plan makes the sequence visible. Instead of saying “Get dressed” ten times, you point to the next picture.
Your first plan in five steps
- Start small. Pick just one part of the day, for example the morning up to the walk to school.
- Break it into steps. Four to six pictures are enough: get up, toilet, get dressed, breakfast, brush teeth, shoes.
- Choose suitable pictures. The younger the child, the more concrete: a photo of their own toothbrush often works better than a symbol.
- Let them tick it off. Your child moves, ticks or turns over the picture themselves. That makes progress visible.
- Stick with it for two weeks. Routines need repetition. Only change what isn’t working after that.
Common pitfalls
Too many steps overwhelm, too few don’t help. Make sure the plan hangs or lies where the step actually happens. And remember: a plan is not a punishment tool. If something doesn’t work, help with the step rather than pointing at the plan.
In Yuva Coach, you create the plan with your own photos. It runs on the tablet in child mode and uses a timer to remind your child of the next step.