What does the research say about visual aids and strategies?  There is an increasing amount of research validating the use of visual aids and strategies.

Visual supports were used to aid transitions from one activity to another for two elementary boys. Data revealed a significant decrease in the latency between the time the students were given instructions and the time they began the next activity when the visual supports were used. Visual supports also resulted in a significant decrease in teacher-delivered verbal prompts and physical prompts during a transition. – Dettmer, S., Simpson, R.L., Myles, B.S., & Ganz, J.B. (2000). Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 15, 163-169.

Functional assessment of a preschool child’s aggressive and disruptive behaviors identified antecedent conditions associated with difficulties during transitions from one activity to another. A schedule board produced a dramatic decrease in aggression and increase in cooperative behavior in the classroom. – Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, Vol. 3, No. 1, 57-61 (2001)

Study of 3 low-functioning children (ages 6-9) with autism found children could successfully use pictures to manage their self-care behavior in the absence of a treatment provider, generalize their behavior across settings and tasks, and maintain behaviors at follow-up. When picture order was manipulated, subjects followed the new picture sequence. – Pierce, K.L. & Schreibman, L. (1994). Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 471-481

Photo cues were used for teaching a 6-year-old with autism to make successful transitions in daily routines. Providing advance notice of an activity change using combined verbal and photo cues helped reduce child’s tantrums while increasing number of appropriate transitions.- Schmit, J., Alper, S., Raschke, D., & Ryndak, D. (2000). Mental Retardation, 38, 131-137.

Video modeling and video prompting were used to successfully teach 3 self-help skills (cleaning sunglasses, putting on a wristwatch, and zipping a jacket) to 3 elementary students with mental disabilities. – J.M. Norman, BC Collins, J.W. Schuster – Journal of Special Education Technology, 2001