Linda Hodgdon

Linda Hodgdon

Whenever Mom drops Tommy off at school in the morning, Tommy (a child with autism) cries uncontrollably. Mom takes him to the grade 2 classroom door and an Educational Assistant meets them. Mom and the assistant have a difficult time getting Tommy calmed and into the classroom. Everyone in the class and the hallway are disrupted. Tommy cries; clings to mom and escalates into dropping to the floor and hitting out at adults nearby. Tommy’s reaction is not as a result of separation from his mom. Tommy uses a visual schedule at home.

Describe how you might manipulate the environment to make a calmer morning for Tommy entering into the school.

Describe visual strategies you might use to make a calmer morning for Tommy entering into the school.
Provide at least one sample of visual strategies described.