AIDE Canada Library

"Activity schedules enable children with autism to accomplish activities with greatly reduced adult supervision. A child who uses this system of guided independence based on applied behavior analysis, can come home from school and begin his afternoon schedule: putting away his book bag, doing a puzzle, giving Mom a high-five, working on a school assignment, then enjoying an afternoon snack. Based on a decade of research conducted at the Princeton Child Development Institute, ACTIVITY SCHEDULES FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM uses teaching methods that have proven to be very effective for students with autism. Detailed instructions and examples help parents prepare their child's first photographic schedule, then progress to more varied and sophisticated schedules. The initial time investment to teach this method is substantial, but parents will learn techniques to gradually reduce their guidance and supervision. Over time, written schedules can be introduced for many children and followed with the same success. Ultimately the goal of this system is for children with autism to make effective use of unstructured time, handle changes in routine with more ease, and help them choose among an established set of home, school, and leisure activities independently. ACTIVITY SCHEDULES FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM can be used successfully with young children, adolescents, and adults, rewarding them with a significant amount of control over their lives."