The most commonly utilised means of sensory cue or structuring is visual. Utilising her years of experience and education, Sharon has developed and produced a Visual Support Pack designed to provide parents and schools with a ready-made set of visuals to cover a wide variety of different areas of need. This visual programme is evidence based and is a teaching programme that will be used to structure the environment and support a child’s communication, social skills and general learning. It is a programme that, when used consistently, will reduce an autistic child’s anxiety as it works to the child’s need for predictability. It is a programme suitable for use at all learning levels and it is also compatible with reading and language supports; language semantics colour coding. These tools can be used to identify a safe or quiet place or to assist a child participate in any class routine for example.

The programme is used to teach a child to make choices, follow instructions, follow schedules and learn how to do and complete tasks. The pack includes, among others, visual templates to represent several common daily activities and household objects, sequencing visuals, customisable planners and schedules and change cards. These visuals can be used in conjunction with one another to prepare and support an individual seeking visual feedback and structure in almost any situation they are likely to find themselves in.

This programme is used to build upon skills, encouraging independence and empowering the child to transfer skills across settings. Ultimately, it ensures the child has a means to communicate his or her needs when he or she is too overwhelmed to speak.