Tips for Creating Your Own Visual Supports for Kids

Want to create effective visuals for hyperlexic and autistic learners? Here are 9 tips for creating your own visual supports.

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It's no secret that visual supports are extremely useful for hyperlexic and autistic learners, from graphic organizers and visual schedules to social stories and scripts.

Keep in mind, though, that visual supports can benefit all kids, not just hyperlexic and autistic learners. So, while some of the following tips focus more on these types of learners, the tips will still be helpful for and applicable to non-autistic and non-hyperlexic learners as well.

I do want to mention that there's absolutely nothing wrong with using premade visuals. I mean there's a reason why you'll find tons here and in the shop. But, sometimes, you can't quite find what you need, especially if your child needs support with something super specific or has really unique interests such as traffic lights or lawn mowers.

So, if you're wanting to dive into creating some visuals yourself (even if it's only from time to time), then you're going to find these tips for creating your own visual supports helpful. Let's dig in and take a closer look!

Tips for Creating Your Own Visual Supports

Obviously, you're thinking of making your own visuals for your child (hence, why you're here). We're going to cover 9 tips in total to help you make effective visuals.

1. Visuals don't have to be fancy

Remember, visuals don't have to be fancy with all the bells and whistles like specially selected fonts and clipart.

Sometimes, low tech options such as scribbling things down quickly on an index card or sticky note can often do the trick. Even just opening up the notes app on your phone to quickly type something out can go a long way.

Seriously, index cards, sticky notes, whiteboards, a Boogie Board (a must own tool for all hyperlexic learners, in my opinion!), and even a label maker (here's the one we have) can make for effective visual supports.

Shop Boogie Boards now

2. Use technology & templates to help

I've already mentioned using the notes app on your phone, but there are also lots of great apps and websites that you can use to create visual supports for your kids, whether that's visual schedules, checklists, or social stories.

Let's take social stories for instance. You can use an AI tool such as ChatGPT to help your brainstorm ideas and/or write the story. Then you can pop it into PowerPoint, Canva, or even our free social story templates and then add some pictures, and voila, you have a custom social story.

Learn more about these templates

3. Break concepts down into specific steps or individual parts

When creating visuals, it's important to consider all of the necessary steps to include. I'll never forget the toileting social story that someone created for us years ago and it didn't include the important step of flushing the toilet...

Additionally, you want to make sure you explain the why behind the steps as our kids often want to know why certain steps are important.

Finally, be sure to consider what "done" looks like. For instance, when brushing teeth, does done mean just brushing teeth? Or does it mean brush, floss, and mouthwash AND put everything away after? Then make sure that whatever "done" looks like is properly communicated via your visual.

4. Include relevant images

Text on its own can be great, but pairing it with relevant images will be so much more effective. Plus, it can better support comprehension and boost engagement.

Ideally, you also want to use real photos as much as possible, especially for personal or familiar items (e.g., a picture of grandma, a photo of the dentist's office that you will be going to, a photo of the child with their pet).

5. Incorporate the child's interests & passions

If you want to increase engagement and interest, consider using themes or visuals that align with their interests and passions. For example, I created these video game themed posters for my youngest son to help with writing complete sentences and he loved that he could pick his favorite controller to use.

Learn more about this poster

Another example is this ABCs of problem solving poster which incorporates a hyperlexic child's interest in letters.

Learn more about this poster

6. Incorporate the written word as much as possible

Remember, for our hyperlexic learners in particular, they're drawn to the written word and can decode. So, when we include the written word in our visuals you're not only playing to their strengths, but you're also including their interest in the written word.

7. Keep the design simple

It's best to avoid hard-to-read fonts, busy borders, lots of colors and images, etc. that are visually distracting, busy, and overstimulating (honestly, it's my biggest complaint with a lot of teacher-made visuals and assignments). Instead, you should opt for plain text, a clean format, and uncluttered designs to avoid overwhelming the child. Doing so makes it much easier for the child to focus on what's important.

A good example of keeping visuals simple are these social scripts (one example pictured below), which use one line of text per card with a simple font and nothing else. There's also this free visual schedule, which pairs an image with short text or our social stories that pair a real photo with plain text.

8. Tailor it to the individual child, their needs, & situation

Remember, visual supports should be individualized as much as possible. That means considering their learning style, preferences, strengths, weaknesses, and interests when designing a visual support. If possible, you could include the child in the creation process and let them have some say in how it looks and what it includes.

You also want to consider the situation. For example, does the visual need to be portable? Does it need to be waterproof? Is a digital version okay or does it need to be printed off? Depending on your needs and your answers to these questions, you might want to consider the size of your visuals (will they big or small?), laminating them for durability, adding them to a keychain, storing them on your phone, etc.

9. Make it interactive and hands-on, if possible

Think of how satisfying it is to check things off of a list. That's what we're talking about here. So you might want to consider brainstorming different ways to make your visual support interactive whether that's using velcro (like this emotions chart) or magnets, adding a checklist, using a dry erase surface, adding flaps that can be closed when completed, using a pocket chart so that things can be rearranged as needed (see here or below), or similar.

A Quick Recap of Tips for Making Visual Supports

In case you're a skim reader, here's a summary of the tips that were discussed above:

• Visuals don't have to be fancy so don't forget to consider low tech options

• Use technology & templates to help

• Break concepts down into specific steps or individual parts

• Include relevant images

• Incorporate the child's interests & passions

• Incorporate the written word as much as possible, especially for hyperlexic learners

• Keep the design simple

• Tailor it to the individual child, their needs, & situation

• Make it interactive & hands-on, if possible

Finally, don't forget to have fun and get creative. After all, there are so many different types of visual supports that you can make for your child.

Just remember that, if you want to make an effective visual for hyperlexic or autistic learners, then you should keep the above tips for creating your own visual supports in mind.

Potential Challenges for Kids with Hypernumeracy

A look at some common challenges that kids with hypernumeracy might face.

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It's no secret that kids with hypernumeracy have an amazing strength in math and numbers. Something that I have witnessed in my own son right from toddlerhood.

Yet, hypernumeracy comes with its own set of challenges too. Challenges that you need to be aware of as a parent or educator because they can have a tremendous impact on things like mental health, school performance, and advocacy.

By understanding, acknowledging, and addressing the following challenges and difficulties, you are better equipped to help and support your hypernumeric child as they grow.

This list kind of gives you an idea of what you might expect in the future. It can also give you some insight on how to craft individualized learning plans that make sense and to advocate for their needs since you'll have a deeper understanding of what challenges they might potentially face.

Things to Keep in Mind with Hypernumeracy

Before we dig into the list of some of the most common challenges faced by hypernumeric learners, it's important to remember that these kids will have spiky learning profiles and asynchronous development.

That means, there will be some skills that are really well developed, which, in this case, would be math, number, and pattern related. Meanwhile, other skills might be considered underdeveloped, delayed, or lagging, such as social skills, emotional development, executive functioning, language, or fine motor.

This asynchronous development can often contribute to - or further exacerbate - some of the challenges on the following list.

Also, don't forget that hypernumeracy co-occurs with hyperlexia (although, please note that not all hyperlexic learners are also hypernumeric). That means that some of the challenges and difficulties associated with hyperlexia can also impact their hypernumeracy. For instance, the comprehension challenges that are common in hyperlexia can make word problems difficult for hypernumeric learners, as we'll discuss in a bit.

Potential Challenges for Kids with Hypernumeracy

Now, please keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive. Nor are these challenges necessarily exclusive to hypernumeracy itself.

Instead, this list gives you an idea of some of the most common potential challenges that a hypernumeric learner might face. You can then keep these challenges in mind when advocating, crafting IEPs, putting accommodations in place, and while supporting your learner at home or at school.

1. Lack of understanding or awareness of hypernumeracy

The first hurdle is the fact that so few people have even heard of hypernumeracy before. That can make it challenging to get your child the support they might need. It can also lead to misunderstanding of their learning profile, inappropriate accommodations, limited support, unrealistic expectations, and so on. Many of which we'll cover below as well.

The other issue here is that hypernumeracy isn't an official diagnosis or anything, which, depending on where you live and the specific criteria for your region, can make it challenging to get individual supports put in place at school.

2. Boredom in school

A common concern parents have for their hypernumeric and/or hyperlexic children is how to keep them challenged so that they don't get bored at school (see #3 here). After all, these kids often grasp math related concepts much faster than their peers.

Besides, just consider how advanced some of these kids are in terms of their math skills before they even enter kindergarten. Their peers are just starting to learn to count or recognize numbers while your child is doing things years above their age level like multiplying and dividing, working with fractions and decimals, skip counting, algebra, or whatever.

If kids with hypernumeracy are bored at school, it can lead to other issues such as underachievement despite their potential, behavioral issues, disengagement, and a lack of motivation for schoolwork.

Thankfully, there are lots of things you can do to keep kids with hypernumeracy challenged.

3. Uneven academic profile or performance

We've already touched on how boredom can impact performance and lead to underachievement above, but it's also important to consider their spiky learning profile here. After all, their asynchronous development can lead to difficulty with non-math subjects. That means that these kids might perform far above grade level in math, but they might be average or below average in other subject areas.

Additionally, this uneven academic performance can sometimes mean they might not qualify for gifted programs.

4. Limited support &/or limited enrichment opportunities

Remember, most people haven't heard of hypernumeracy before. So, most people also aren't equipped to support these types of learners. As a result, hypernumeric kids might receive limited support or inappropriate (or even zero!) accommodations.

It's also worth noting that sometimes parents and educators focus too much on the hypernumeric child's math abilities. So much so that other areas where they might need support can get overlooked. It's also possible that their advanced math skills might mask any challenges or struggles that they're facing or even lead to people not believing their struggles.

Additionally, many hypernumeric learners may not qualify or get recommended for gifted programs due to their spiky learning profile and asynchronous development. (Ask me how we know about that...)

Finally, not all schools offer advanced math programs so it's not always possible to provide the enrichment that these kids need at school.

All in all, the lack of support and enrichment opportunities can result in unmet needs or frustration. Or, in some cases, it might mean that your child might not be given the chance to fully develop their strengths.

5. Difficulty with word problems

As I mentioned earlier, their co-occurring hyperlexia and the comprehension challenges that come along with that can make word problems difficult for those who also have hypernumeracy. Yes, even though their math skills are way advanced and they could easily solve the problem if it was written in a different way.

As you can imagine, this difficulty with word problems can lead to uneven academic performance, frustration, underestimation of their abilities, and/or self-esteem issues.

6. Pressure & high or unrealistic expectations

I've talked before about the effects of high expectations on hyperlexic learners and the same applies to hypernumeric learners as well. This pressure can lead to stress, anxiety, burnout, masking, a loss of interest in math, challenges being overlooked, and perfectionism, which we'll touch on next.

7. Perfectionism & a fear of failure

Many kids with hypernumeracy develop perfectionist tendencies, whether that's due to high expectations and pressure, the extreme focus that others put on their math abilities, and/or just their personality in general. They might hate the idea of making a mistake and put even more pressure on themselves to perform at a high level.

8. Labeling & misunderstanding

When you have a child with a natural talent for math and numbers, it's unsurprising that others might be quick to label them as geniuses or prodigies, which can sometimes lead to misconceptions about their abilities. These labels, in turn, can lead to some of the other challenges mentioned above, such as high expectations or limited support, but they can also lead to social isolation among peers (i.e., they know they're different and have different interests than their peers).

9. Difficulty with conceptual understanding

Hypernumeric kids might be able to excel at calculations and solve advanced equations, but they might struggle with the why or the reasoning behind the concepts. That means they might struggle to explain what certain things represent or apply their skills to everyday real-world situations. That might show up on tests or assignments where they're asked to show their work and they don't know how to do so.

10. Dysregulation or distress due to time, routine, or order

Unsurprisingly, kids with hypernumeracy often have a heightened sensitivity to numerical details and time. So things like clocks being out of sync, not starting an activity at the exact scheduled time, or someone miscounting or skipping a number out loud can lead to strong emotional reactions and distress. It can also lead to inflexibility or additional social challenges (e.g., struggling to participate in activities because the time or order feels incorrect, misunderstandings with those who don't understand their sensitivity to time or numbers).

A Quick Recap on Some of the Challenges that Kids with Hypernumeracy Might Face

Here's a quick summary of some of the potential challenges of hypernumeracy that were discussed above, as well as the impacts that they can have:

• Lack of understanding or awareness of hypernumeracy - Can lead to misunderstanding, limited support, unrealistic expectations, etc.

• Boredom in school - Can lead to underachievement, behavioral issues, disengagement, etc.

• Uneven academic profile or performance - Can mean a difficulty with non-math subjects and not qualifying for gifted programs

• Limited support and/or limited enrichment opportunities - Can result in unmet needs, frustration, failing to qualify for gifted programs, etc.

• Difficulty with word problems - Can lead to uneven academic performance, underestimation of their abilities, frustration, self-esteem issues, etc.

• Pressure and high or unrealistic expectations - Can lead to stress, anxiety, burnout, masking, perfectionism, etc.

• Perfectionism and a fear of failure - Can lead to even more pressure and stress

• Labeling and misunderstanding - Can lead to misconceptions about their abilities, high expectations, social isolation, etc.

• Difficulty with conceptual understanding - Can mean difficulties applying their skills to everyday situations

• Dysregulation or distress due to timing, routine, or order - Can lead to emotional dysregulation, inflexibility, and social challenges

Remember, their spiky learning profile and asynchronous development is at play here, contributing to many of these challenges. Of course, you also have to consider sensory needs, emotional development, and language skills as they can present their own set of challenges.

So, which of these potential challenges was most surprising to you?

Free Printable Colors I Spy Game

This free printable colors I spy printable for kids is a perfect way to work on a variety of skills!

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Many hyperlexic and autistic learners have a passion for colors, especially as toddlers and preschoolers. They'll often enjoy sorting objects into rainbow order as part of their daily play, whether that's crayons, letters, cars, or something else entirely.

So, while this free printable colors I spy game is designed with these kids in mind, it can also be a great resource for teachers and homeschooling parents to teach (and practice) colors.

Simply search for the different blobs of colors and count them up. How many are there of each?

By the way, since I live in Canada where we use colour versus color (although I tend to use the American spelling on this blog for simplicity), you will find two copies of this game included below, one with the American English spelling and one with the British English spelling. That way you can print the one that best suits your needs and spelling variant.

I Spy Games are Versatile!

I spy games are tons of fun and great for kids of all ages. You can use them with toddlers or preschoolers or even preteens and teens. I know that lots of people have even used my I spy games with elderly people and those with dementia.

What I love about I spy games is how versatile they are, even beyond appealing to various age groups. There are lots of different ways to use them (there's a section below with some ideas) and they can also be used in different settings.

For example, I spy games are perfect to use as a quick boredom buster activity at home when the kids are saying, "I'm bored!" Or to keep kids busy while you're cooking supper.

They can also be used in the classroom as part of a learning center or included in a specific lesson or unit. You could also use them as filler activities for those kids who finish their classwork quickly.

You could also print off a bunch of the I spy games, package them up into a binder, and create a busy book for road trips or plane rides. You could even laminate them first (here's the laminator I use and love) or put them into sheet protectors and use a dry erase marker so that the book could be reused over and over.

I spy games are also a great activity to use in speech or occupational therapy since they can be used to target a variety of skills, which we'll touch on in the next section.

The Benefits of I Spy Games for Kids

There are lots of benefits to playing I spy games like this color themed one.

For instance, they're great for developing visual tracking skills and improving visual discrimination. After all, these printable games require kids to visually scan through the objects, compare and contrast them, and find all the ones that are the same.

Then there's obviously the math benefits. I spy games are a great way to practice and develop math skills such as sorting, counting, comparing, etc.

You can also work on fine motor skills using I spy games. You might cross off items, cover them in play dough, or use tongs to place pom poms to cover the items (see the next section for other ideas for how to use I spy games).

Furthermore, you could work on handwriting skills with I spy games. After all, there is an answer sheet to record your answers and kids can practice writing numbers or drawing tally marks.

Playing I spy games with your kids is also a great way to work on speech and language skills. You could target articulation and vocabulary for instance. All of my I spy games include written words to accompany the images to aid in comprehension, especially for hyperlexic learners.

I spy games can also be a great way to work on executive functioning related skills and working memory.

See, lots of benefits! Now, let's take a look at some different ways to use this I spy game.

How to Use this I Spy Game

The most obvious way to use this I spy game is to simply print and play (you'll be able to download your copy below). Just grab a pencil, start counting, and record the number of items you found on the answer key (write the number or use tally marks, if you'd prefer). 

Maybe you also want to cross off or circle items on the game sheet with a pencil as you find them.

Another option would be to use bingo dabbers or dot markers. You could also use pom poms or counters to cover the items as you count. You could even pair pom poms with tongs or tweezers to target different fine motor skills.

You could also laminate the I spy game first to make them reusable. Simply use dry erase markers to cross off the items as you find them and fill in the answer key. 

You could also use play dough instead of dry erase markers to cover the items on the laminated game sheet. That way you add an additional sensory component.

Finally, you can go digital by playing this I spy game right on the computer or tablet. You can also pull it up during a Zoom meeting, teletherapy session, or similar using the screenshare function. Then use the annotate tool to cross off the items.

Download the Free Printable Colors I Spy Game

This colors I spy game has five pages: two game sheets (different spellings for colors/colours), two pages to record the answers (different spellings for colors/colours), and an answer key. Feel free to print off the page that makes sense for your regional spelling of colors/colours. Both the answer sheet and answer key include the image as well as written words to describe the object.

To get a copy of this I spy game, click the link below:

>> Click here to download the free printable

 

Want More I Spy Games?

You'll find even more themes in the I spy games bundle!

Click here to get your copy of the I spy games bundle

Free Printable Jack-O-Lantern Barrier Game

This free printable jack-o-lantern barrier game is a perfect way to work on speech therapy and language goals this Halloween.

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Carving pumpkins can be a sensory nightmare for a lot of kids.

But what if you could make a jack-o-lantern that not only avoids the sensory aspect, but also works on speech and language skills?

Well, that's where this free printable jack-o-lantern barrier game comes into play! 

You'll be taking turns, designing a custom jack-o-lantern, and seeing if you can get others to follow your instructions to make the exact same one. Simply mix and match the different eyes, noses, and mouths to create your own fun pumpkin, all while working on a variety of different skills.

What is a Barrier Game?

Barrier games are a way to practice speech and social skills concepts by creating and describing scenes to another player and having them recreate the scene on their own game board. An example of a barrier game that you might be familiar with is Battleship.

We personally use barrier games to work on skills such as:

• Following directions

• Listening skills

• Prepositions (on, under, above, beside, next to, etc.)

• Expressive speech

• Vocabulary

• Turn taking

• Comprehension

But, of course, that's not all! You can use barrier games to practice a wide variety of different speech, language, and social skills. You can learn more about barrier games and their benefits here.

How to Use the Free Pumpkin Themed Barrier Game

To prep this barrier game, you will need at least two players. Simply download, print two copies of both the scene and the items (one copy for each player), cut the individual items, and laminate all pieces for durability (optional).

To play this barrier game, have all players sit at a table and set up a barrier. A file folder or book works great! The goal is to make sure that all players cannot see each other's materials.

Each player takes turns placing an object on the scene and describing to the other player where to place the objects. It's important to give clear and specific directions on where to place the objects.

The objective of the game is to have identical pictures at the end. That is, all players should have matching scenes with the items placed in the same spots for all players.

Download the Free Printable Jack-O-Lantern Barrier Game

This free printable barrier game includes four pages, including detailed instructions on how to play, a landscape or scene, and game pieces.

Keep in mind that you'll want to print two copies of each page and laminate everything for durability before use.

To get your copy of this barrier game, click the link below:

>> Click here to download the free printable

 

Want More Barrier Games?

You'll find even more themes in the barrier games bundle!

Click here to get your copy of the barrier games bundle

Or you can enjoy more seasonal fun with the Fall & Halloween Barrier Games Bundle! This jack-o-lantern barrier game is a free sample/preview from this bundle.

Click here to get your copy of the fall & Halloween barrier games bundle