Promoting Learning and Positive Behaviour at Home
Home Routines for Children
and Young People with
Additional Needs
Resource 2
This resource is part of a series of seven booklets on Promoting Learning and Positive
Behaviour in the Home developed by the NCSE Behaviour Practitioner team.
The series is for parents of children and young people with additional needs.
Contents
Structure, routine and visual support 1
Steps for designing visual schedules 2
Helpful links 8
References 8
Booklets in the series
Resource 1: Behaviour Support Pack for Children and Young People
with Additional Needs
Resource 2: Home Routines for Children and Young People
with Additional Needs
Resource 3: Using Reward Systems for Children and Young People
with Additional Needs
Resource 4: Behaviour Contracts for Children and Young People
with Additional Needs
Resource 5: A Total Communication Approach for Children and Young People
with Additional Needs
Resource 6: Life Skills for Children and Young People
with Additional Needs
Resource 7: Transitioning for Children and Young People
with Additional Needs
Structure, routine and visual supports
Structure and routine are especially important for children and young people with additional needs.
Structure helps them to organise their day and routine helps them to know and see what is coming
next. Following a routine also gives children and young people information on what they need to do
and when they need to do it. It helps them to be more independent and gives them a sense of calm.
An effective way to set up structure and routine for children and young people with additional
needs is by using visuals. Visuals which are clear help children and young people to understand the
routine and structure.
Using visuals in a visual schedule can show parts of the day or it can show the full day. Pictures,
words or pictures and words can be used, depending on your child’s age and ability level. Schedules,
unlike timetables, rarely extend beyond a day. See below, some examples of visual schedules. All
members of the family can be involved in the design of schedules that best suit your child and your
family. It is important to use a visual schedule every day so that your child can learn to identify the
words and/or pictures used.
My Day My Day
WAKE UP Morning
GET
DRESSED
WAKE UP GET DRESSED PLAY TIME
PLAY TIME
Afternoon
SNACK
TIME
SNACK TIME HOME READING
WATCH TV
Evening
DINNER
WATCH TV BATH BEDTIME
BEDTIME
Home Routines for Children and Young People with Additional Needs 1
Steps for designing visual schedules
1. Choose pictures that show the activity / task / place. You can make (use phone or draw)
your own pictures. You can also use pictures from google images or Boardmaker ™, and
Pics for Pecs™.
2. Choose clear pictures that your child can understand easily.
3. Cut out, laminate or glue to cardboard (e.g., from a cereal box).
4. Attach the pictures to a board.
5. This board can then be attached to a wall/press/wardrobe/table/desk etc. Velcro is very
useful, if available.
6. Place the pictures left to right.
7. Decide on the main activities that your child will complete, for example, the afternoon
schedule shown below. Then arrange the pictures to show that part of the day.
My Morning Schedule
WAKE UP WASH HANDS GET DRESSED BRUSH HAIR BREAKFAST
My Bedtime Schedule
CLEAN TEETH PYJAMAS ON STORY TIME LIGHTS OUT BEDTIME
2 Home Routines for Children and Young People with Additional Needs
Or you can show the entire day on your schedule.
Schedule
WAKE UP BREAKFAST SCHOOL HOME SWIMMING DINNER BEDTIME
8. Some children might like to write out their schedule. They can use it as a checklist when
a task or activity is finished.
Joey’s Schedule
Today is Friday
Get up
Travel on the bus
Work with teacher
Snack
Work with teacher
Choose fun thing
Do my exercises
Travel on the bus
Home Routines for Children and Young People with Additional Needs 3
9 Include some pictures of activities that your child likes, as well as activities that you
want them to do. For example, see play and choose a fun thing above.
10. Some children might like to take their pictures off when they are finished. You can have a
finished envelope/box to put the picture into.
4 Home Routines for Children and Young People with Additional Needs
Top Tips!
• Use pictures that are clear and easy for your child to understand.
• Visual schedules will help your child more when used daily and consistently.
• Some children become rigid about routines. To help your child, you can change the
layout of activities each day or every second day. Don’t forget to praise your child for
staying calm when things have changed.
• Schedules can be detailed or simple. Make the schedules work for you.
• It also helps children and young people to stay calm and reduces anxiety.
Sample Morning Checklist
• Wake Up
• Put on clothes
• Eat breakfast in the kitchen
• Clean up breakfast
• Morning workout/exercise
• Put workout clothes in hamper
• Take shower
• Hang towel
• Put on deodorant
• Brush teeth
• Make bed
Home Routines for Children and Young People with Additional Needs 5
Breaking your visual schedule down to a First-Next or
First-Next-Then
Using a First-Next board with your child at home is like using a mini visual schedule. For
example, “First, let’s have breakfast. Next, let’s get dressed”. You can also look at it like a
contract or rule, for example, “First, put away your dishes. Next, you can play on the iPad”.
You might find this useful if your child has difficulty using a larger schedule or if you need to
support him or her in doing something that is difficult.
Your First-Next board can also be very helpful during transitions. Refer to the booklet on
Transitions for more information.
First Next
Your First-Next board can be made from whatever you have available at home. It does not
have to be made with a laminated print out. You can use a small white board, pen and paper
or even an erase away board (see example below).
First Next
6 Home Routines for Children and Young People with Additional Needs
If you have decided to use tokens with your First-Next board, please refer to the booklet on
Using Reward Systems for more information.
If your child has the skills for a more a complex schedule, you can add to your First-Next
board and make it First-Next-Then. The same tips will work for the First-Next-Then board.
First Next Then
It is important that your child is motivated by the item that is placed in the “Then” box.
Refer to the booklet on Using Reward Systems for more information.
Top Tips!
• Decide on what activity you would like your child to complete.
• Place a picture/write the word/draw a picture in the FIRST section.
Joey’s Schedule
First Next
Sitting
Home Routines for Children and Young People with Additional Needs 7
• Allow your child to select the activity that he/she would like to do when he/she has
finished your activity.
• Place a picture/write the word/draw a picture of their choice in the NEXT section.
Joey’s Schedule
First Next
Sitting Art
• This process can be repeated as often as is necessary.
• A First-Next or First-Next-Then schedule will help your child more when used daily and
consistently.
Make sure to use First-Next-Then boards when your child is feeling calm and positive,
not only when your child is already refusing. They should be used every time you are
supporting your child to do something. Refer to the booklet on Using Reward Systems
for more information.
Helpful links:
• [Link]
• [Link]
• [Link]
References:
• [Link]
• [Link]
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• National Council for Special Education (NCSE) (2015), Supporting Students with Autism
Spectrum Disorder in Schools – NCSE Policy Advice Paper No. 5. Accessed at [Link]
ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/1_NCSE-[Link]
8 Home Routines for Children and Young People with Additional Needs