17 FREE Printable visuals for Autism classrooms including printable visual schedules, schedule cards, picture visuals, rules cards, social stories, and token boards all perfect for special education teachers. Get your free printable visuals for SpEd today!
If you teach in a self contained classroom and work with special education students, then you know how much you need printable visuals. When I work with new teachers, there is often a desperate need for visuals, but no time to search for the perfect ones. You came here for printable visuals for Autism because they are so essential. Here are some great free printable visuals, perfect for a teacher looking to print and go!
Printable Visual Schedules for SpEd
You absolutely need a visual schedule in your SpEd classroom (and really any classroom). If you want to read more about setting up a visual schedule and the types of schedules you can make, then check out this post.
If you are ready to make your own visual schedule, then start with the one on Everyday Autism. They have a First-Then chart you can score absolutely free. You can get that printable here.
If you are looking for a classroom schedule, this freebie give you 10 pages perfect for making a class schedule on the board. Thanks to Lovely Commotion for sharing that resource here!
TLC Talk Shop has a cute student sized school schedule for FREE, thank Tamatha. You can find that printable visual schedule here.
Printable Token Boards for Behavior
If you are working on behavior management, impulse control, or executive functioning, then you should absolutely have token boards in your classroom. Students really respond to them and it is a positive way to reinforce target behavior.
Miss D’s Autism Homeroom offers a free token board with a behavior sorting mat to separate negative and positive behaviors. Check it out here!
Simply Special Ed has the cutest token board for younger students who love trains or games. You have to check this one out and add it to your behavior tool belt! You can find that here.
Having a portable token system that is easy to take from class to class or as a student goes to lunch, PE, or electives is always a plus. The one from Teaching Differently is el dente and fits perfectly on a key ring or ID badge. Yay! You can find that here.
If you want to learn more about how Token Boards work or How to Fade Token Boards, then check out posts about both.
Printable Rules Cards for Classroom Management
You have rules in your classroom… so how do you reinforce and review rules with your students? Start by posting rules and setting up personal rules for students as a way to help manage behaviors.
If you are not sure how to start addressing behaviors in your classroom, then read the post on Function of Behavior to get started. Then print out these freebies to help you get it done!
Shenanigans in SPED posted a 3 Strikes behavior visual that can be used to reinforce classroom rules. Check that out here.
Erin Dunkle has shared a Rule Board that combines with a Token Board for teachers to get more bang for their Velcro-Bucks! You can find this simple and effective printable here.
Erin from Creating and Teaching has a 27 page FREE visual rule card printable that is perfect for posting classroom rules for all your students. You can score this one here.
Printable Communication Systems for Autism
You know too much talking doesn’t really help students with Autism or language processing deficits. Why, then, do we only think of AAC and communication boards for students?
Now don’t get me wrong… students need choice and voice. Be sure you provide students with a way to communicate. Check out this post on How to use AAC More in the Classroom and then print these helpful freebies:
Super Power Speech shared a great set of communication cards perfect for the teacher in the classroom to give directives to students. Check those out here.
If you are looking for a set of communication cards a student can carry around to share basic wants and needs, then this one is free, printable, and simple. Print and go for a student communication ring or necklace. Check it out from 2livNlearn here.
If you need a great one pager to work with core vocabulary, then Teach Love Autism has a great and free one page printable you can start using today. You can find that here.
Boardmaker Icons are universal in most of sped. If you want something with the Boardmaker visual icons you know and love, check out this free one page core vocab printable from Susan Berkowitz and you can find that here.
And, at the very least, print out these simple Yes-No cards to have on hand. You would be amazed how much such a simple printable visual can do! Check this one out from Words to Live By here.
Social Stories for Students
I LOVE social stories! They are the best printable visuals for Autism Units or self-contained classrooms. Plus, they are a great way to review rules and expectations with students as well as address social skills and behavior. On top of that, because they are repeated so often, they really reinforce the targeted preferred behaviors for a student.
There are some great free printable social stories out there, and don’t forget the growing bundle available in the Noodle Nook Store.
Allison Fors has a great story for When I Am Frustrated that is perfect for social behavior. You can find that here.
And you should download and print the social story Sometimes I Feel Green by Lynn Hubbell and you can find that one here.
If you want to score a free social story from the Noodle Nook Library, you can get that here by subscribing to the Noodle Nook Newsletter. Every month we will send you a new free printable resource made specifically for teachers in Self-Contained Classrooms. Click here to get the Social Story ASKING POLITELY FREE!
More Essential Visuals
If you have a Visual Schedule, Token Board, Rules and Communication System in place for your students in special ed, then you have all the essential printable visuals necessary for success! Social Stories add a great teaching tool for addressing social skills, behavior, and executive functioning. Well worth investing in.
Visuals for Autism FAQ
Visual supports are a powerful tool that can help students with Autism Spectrum Disorders process information and understand what is happening around them. Visual aids such as picture schedules, visual cue cards, and a choice board can provide a positive way for autistic children to communicate and support them in developing communication skills. These resources are especially helpful for early learners who may have difficulty with verbal directions or have problem behaviors.
A visual daily schedule is a tool that can be used to support the daily routines and activities of students with autism. It is a visual aid that provides a clear and consistent schedule of activities for the day, using pictures, symbols, or words to illustrate each activity. A visual daily schedule can help students with autism understand what is happening throughout the day and prepare for transitions and changes in routine. Check out all of the printable visual daily schedules for autism listed above. Or purchase our premade printable with customizable options to get up and running without all the fuss.
A printable visual school schedule can be a great resource for special education teachers to create consistent schedules and support students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. By using picture symbols or color images, students can easily understand their daily activities and routines. It can also be used to help children’s visual timetables, for example, by including leisure activities or free time. In a school setting, a visual full-day schedule can be used to help students understand what’s happening throughout the day, including fire drills, snow days, and days of the week.
Yes, creating your own visuals can be an effective way to support students with Autism Spectrum Disorders who have difficult behaviors or a low probability behavior. Picture visuals, social narratives, and visual instructions can be customized to fit the needs of different children. For example, a first then board can be used to help a student transition from one activity to the next or a reward chart can be used to reinforce positive behaviors. You can even create your own magnetic circles or line drawings to use as part of a token board or point scale.
A visual board can be a great communication tool for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. It can be used to teach life skills, such as how to ride the school bus or how to process information during fire drills. Additionally, it can be used as a reward system, allowing students to see their progress and work toward a goal. In the back of the card or on the next activity, you can include a preferred activity that the student can engage in after completing the task.
A visual organization system is a set of visual aids that help students with special needs understand and manage their daily schedule, activities, and routines. This can include tools like daily schedules, a first-then schedule board, and choice boards, as well as visual cues and information cards. By using organizational systems, students with special needs can better process information, stay on task, and reduce problem behavior related to difficulty with transitions and changes in routine.
A social narrative is a story or script that helps children with autism spectrum disorders understand and navigate social situations or daily routines. They can be used as a visual aid to support expressive communication skills by providing a concrete, visual way to teach social skills and reinforce positive behaviors. By breaking down complex social situations into clear steps and using pictures or symbols to illustrate them, social narratives can help children with autism spectrum disorders learn and practice appropriate social behaviors in a positive way. Check out the set available from Noodle Nook.
Yes, there are many free resources available to support special education teachers in creating visual supports for their students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Online sites listed above offer free download files, including picture schedules, flash cards, and schedule boards. These resources can be a great starting point for new teachers or support workers who are looking for different ways to support their students. Your BEST option, though, is to grab the resource packs from Noodle Nook. Check out the store here.
Making visuals for autism can be a time-consuming and challenging process, especially for new teachers or those without design experience. However, there are resources available that can make this task easier and more effective. Check out the printable visual aids for autism, including visual schedules, choice boards, social stories, token boards, and more. They are a powerhouse in the classroom and can help you save your valuable time and energy. Best of all, students get effective visual aids to support their learning and development.
It can be hard navigating all the necessary printable visuals for Autism Units or Sped Classrooms as a first-year teacher. It’s difficult no matter how long you’ve been teaching! But if you’re looking for a functional, easy, and cute set of visuals for your Autism unit or special ed classroom, check out the visuals available in the Noodle Nook Store. All the pictures in this post are from Noodle Nook products, including Visual Schedule feat Boardmaker, the Behavior Toolkit, Token Board printable, and several Social Stories.
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