The Importance of Making It Visual

Individuals with ASD are primarily visual learners (Savner & Myles, 2000). Therefore, it is important to include visuals when using CBM with these students. Visuals may take the form of a number scale to rate intensity of emotions, a drawing to illustrate perspective or a video of someone modeling positive behavior

Example: Taku

Taku has difficulty with social interactions on the playground. He often gets into trouble for hitting other students, particularly when he thinks that they have broken the rules. He is typically sent to the principal’s office where a well-meaning Mr. Olson lectures Taku at length about how hitting hurts other children. Mr. Olson carefully explains how Taku’s behavior may cause other children to not want to be around him. He verbally presents alternatives to hitting, for example, reporting offenders to the playground supervisor. At the end, Mr. Olson asks Taku if he understands. Taku says that he does, and everyone thinks the problem has been solved.

Two days later Taku is back in Mr. Olson’s office for hitting a boy who cut in line. What went wrong? What is missing? Mr. Olson is trying to help Taku understand the consequences of his behavior. He is giving him alternative behaviors to try. He is hoping that their “talk” will increase Taku’s ability to manage his own behavior.

The principal’s efforts might have been more successful if he had used visuals. The use of visuals can increase the chance that student with ASD process information more effectively by making social information more concrete. The use of visuals capitalizes on Taku’s visual learning style while removing some of the emotional intensity of a face-to-face discussion.

Examples of visual feedback include

1. A scale for Taku to rate the rules typically broken by students on the playground help him to recognize the rules that upset him the most.

2. A cartoon illustrating Taku hitting another child with a thinking bubble labeling his feelings and a thinking bubble labeling the feelings of the child getting hit.

3. A logbook for Taku to record playground infractions as they occur. This can then be reviewed with Mr. Olson or the special education teacher and Taku will have an opportunity to rate his feelings about the incident.