This presentation was used for 1st Short Term Joint Staff Training in Poland as a part of Erasmus+ project My Work is My Future.

1. Process
Schemes
Visually Cued
Instructions

2. Visual support with a scenario
created to compensate missing
inner scenario of a child with
autism.

3. Process Schemes
We can use process schemes to support:
 Self care
 Hygiene
 House work
 Food preparation
 Work skills

4. Self care
Recommended comentary:
1. I take the end of the right sleeve with
my left hand.
2. I pull out my hand from the sleeve
3. I take the end of the left sleeve with
my right hand.
4. I pull out my hand from the sleeve.
5. I pull the jumper over my head.
Taking off the
jumper

5. Hygiene
Putting on the lotion
Recommended
commentary:
1. I take the lotion.
2. I open the lotion.
3. I take a bit of lotion
with my finger
4. I put the lotion on my
face.
5. I spread out the lotion
over my face
6. I put the lid back on
the lotion.

6. House workWatering flowers
Recommended
commentary:
1. I take an empty bottle.
2. I pour water up to the line.
3. I turn off the tap.
4. I water a plant.
5. I put the bottle back.

7. Food preparation
Baking biscuits
Recommended commentary:
1. I spread the pastry
2. I cut out biscuits.
3. I put the cut outs on the
bakery dish
4. I put the dish into the oven
for 10 minutes
5. I take the dish out of the oven
6. I stick two busciuts with jam.
7. I put the buiscuits on the
plate.

8. Hot drink preparation
Recommended commentary:
1. I pour water into the kettle up to
the line.
2. I put the kettle on.
3. I take the cup from the cupboard
4. I put a tea bag into a cup.
5. I pour boiling water into a cup.
6. I wait for 5 minutes and take the
tea bag out.
7. I put two tea spoons of sugar into
a cup
8. I stir the tea.

9. Work skills
1. Paper with scissors
2. Start cutting from right
bottom of the paper.
3. Cut along the line.
4. Cut along the next line.
5. Continue cutting till all
strips of paper are cut
out.

10. Process Schemes
The level of abstraction of the process scheme
depends on the person, the process scheme is
made for.
It can use:
 Words
 Photographs
 Pictures
 Objects

11. SHOES

12. Process Schemes
Main aim: independence from support of other people
(including also independence from verbal prompts)
Main reasons of dependency on others:
 One of the reasons is deficit in socialization - children with ASD
are not motivated by social acceptance by their social environment
and during their development the period of
“I do it myself”
is missing. Learning by imitation is also affected.
 Often there are deficits in motor skills needed to learn some self
care activities.
 Problems with sensory processing can play role in their behaviour.

13. Using Process Schemes
 Reinforcement of independence is the only way to help
a person with autism to function without help of adults.
 For the future, training in daily living skills from early
age is the best way to prepare for independent life.
 Before we begin to teach these skills, we need to make
an analysis of specific ability of a child with autism in
order to know what steps to include into a process
scheme.
 By observation we identify which steps a child knows
and which steps he/she yet needs to learn. After that
we can introduce visual support.

14. Using Process Schemes
 We visualize the steps, the child does not yet
know! (eg. washing hands consists of … steps.
We visualize only 5)
 The visual aids are not meant to be used
permanently. If a child is able to do the task
without visual support, we gradually stop using
them.
 Also when we see that a child is able to do a
certain step in the process without visual support,
we take this step away from the process scheme.

15. What is the purpose of Process
Scheme?
 The aim of process schemes is achieving
independence so the person does not rely on help
of others (including independence from verbal
instructions)
 The aim of the process scheme is not detailed
visualization of the process, but process scheme
which maximize his/her independence in
accomplishing the entire process.
 Process schemes help compensate deficits in
ability to process audio inputs.
“Visual is real.” (Mesibov, 1996)

16. What should process scheme
look like?
The form of the process scheme is very individual
and depends of the level of abstract thinking and
generalization of the person.
We can use
 objects
 photographs
 pictures
 pictures with supporting text
 text

17. I take a coat from the hanger. I turn it facing the buttons. I put right hand into right sleeve.
I put my left hand into the sleeve. I do the buttons.
Photographs

18. Recommended commentary:
1. I take my clothes off
2. I stand under the shower
3. I put shower on .
4. I put soap on my body.
5. I wash the soap off.
6. I turn the shower off.
7. I dry myself with a towel
8. I put my clothes on.
Colored Pictures

19. Black & White Pictures

21. Planning of development of self care
and work skills
 When we want to attempt to improve the
development of some of the areas of self care
using process schemes, first we need to
consider the actual level of independence
of the person in this area.
 We can find out (measure) this level using
various developmental scales, which can help
us identify the actual age level of this area for
the child we work with.

22. Self care observation sheet
putting a cap on
Looking at the cap
Touching the cap
Recognizing front and
back side of the cap
Holding the cap with
both hands on the
sides.
Putting a cap on the
head.
Pulling the cap over
ears.
Adjust the sides of the
cup.
Assessing scale:
0 – can not do it at all
1 – can do it with a physical
and verbal prompt at the
same
2 – can do it either with
verbal or with physical
prompt
3 – can do it with occasional
prompt
4 – can do it without any
prompts – independently

23. Observation
We focus on the area of self care, which we intend to improve:
Our observations has to be based on these key points:
 Which of the daily self care activities is the person doing
independently and which of them is not and help is necessary?
 When identifying deficits it is important to clarify, if these deficits
emerge from insufficient skill or from the lack of motivation to do
the task.
 Is the level of fine motor skills sufficient in order to carry out the
self care activities without support (independently)?

24. Observation
 Can the person with autism carry out activities in
sequence?
 What is the level of imitation of the person with autism?
 How does the person with autism communicate?
(Verbally, using gestures or signs, pictures,
photographs or written text)?
 What are the best motivation situations to use in
training and teaching independence?
 What are the most effective incentives for particular
person with autism we want to work with?

25. Observation and planning
It is important to know a daily routine of the person:
 Can he/she wash/bath independently?
 Can he/she brush teeth, put on/take off clothes, open
lids without help?
 Can he/she eat, pour liquids into a cup, use cutlery
without help?
 Can he/she help with house work?
 Is he/she able to walk to school, go shopping, organize
his/her free time independently?
When answering these questions we have to take into account
age and developmental stage of the person as well as
preferences of the parents.

26. Observation and planning
It is important to focus if the observed person has
certain abilities to accomplish the task:
 Has the person correct gripping movements? Or do we
have to first focus on improving this area?
Other key issue is a motivation:
 Is it necessary to train independence in daily self care
situations?
 Is it possible to motivate a person with attractive
incentives?
 Who with and in which situations a person can carry out
certain task?

27. Training methods
When teaching more complex tasks with support of
process schemes, we can use following methods:
 Teaching in steps from the beginning / chaining from 1st
step to last step
 Teaching back-stepping / chaining from last step back
to the 1st step
 Demonstration/Modeling and following imitation
 Physical guidance (physical prompt),
 Visualization (use of process schemes) and reinforcing.

28. Which training method to
choose?
When considering appropriate training method we need to reflect the main
deficits characteristic for people with autism:
 Problems with imitation – we use physical guidance (physical prompts)
 Problems with social modeling – we use social demonstration together
with a physical prompt in modelled situation,
 Problem with sequence memory – we break a task into a sequence of
simple steps
 Problem with orientation and organization/ focusing on unimportant detail
– we stress out (visualize) the important, eg: side of clothes
 Problem with understanding of concept of the task – we use so called
BACKWARDS CHAINING – meaning: we do as many last steps of the
process, as the person is able to follow, in order to make the steps of the
process clear.

29. Which training method to
choose?
 Problem with time perception – seasons, weather
– people with ASD often can not judge correctly
what clothes to put on – visual rule is necessary
 Problem with perception of social rules and
consequences – they are unaware of how their
appearance affect other people – they are often
unkempt
 Problem with understanding of hygiene and health
and safety – why it is necessary to wash hands
after toilet, etc.

30. Basic principles when using
process schemes
Naturally we want the person with autism be flexible. Our
aim is not to teach a person with ASD the sequence of an
action mechanically but, if possible, introduce
(incorporate) changes into the work scheme, just as it
happens in everyday life. (Of course, it is not possible nor
appropriate in every situation as it strongly depends on
the level of autism of the person.)
In such cases it is very helpful to combine a visual
timetable with daily routine, so after each step can person
with ASD check what comes next.

31. Basic principles when using
process schemes
It has to be visually clear for the person working with the process scheme
 Which steps are finished
 Which step is he/she working at now
 Which step is next
There are various ways to do visualize this, according to developmental level of the
person and his/her fine motor skills and ability to sustain attention, etc.:
 Flipping the picture with the step that was accomplished
 Stamping marked space on the card/picture depicting the accomplish step
 Marking the accomplished step with a sticker or a peg
 Crossing out accomplished step
 Turning the card/picture depicting the accomplished step facing down.
 Taking away the picture and placing it into a designated container
 etc…

32. Basic principles when using
process schemes
 If the person is able to perform the task
without help, then we start removing visual
support. However, we need to proceed with
caution. If we remove the visual aid too fast, a
person with ASD do not have to accept or
tolerate it (unintentionally).
 We need to learn to see people with autism
exactly as they are and not as what we would
want them to be.

33. Visual support with a
scenario created to
compensate missing inner
scenario of a child with
autism.

34. It is very important to know that
these steps can be freely
rearranged,
skipped or
repeat
if it is necessary for maximum
independence and spontaneous
use by a person with autism.

35. Trainining with a person who
uses objects of reference
Example:
Task: Dressing up a coat (5 steps)
General objective: Training in daily living skills
Specific objective: Dressing up a coat
Level: objects of reference
Method:
modeling and full physical prompt;
parallel imitation of the person (teacher / parent), who
models with his/her coat according to the steps while
providing total physical prompt;
practicing can be divided into steps
the emphasis is on mastering each step

36. I take a coat from the hanger. I turn it facing the buttons. I put right hand into right sleeve.
I put my left hand into the sleeve. I do the buttons.

37. Trainining with a person who
uses pictures
Example:
Task: Dressing up a coat (5 steps)
General objective: Training in daily living skills
Specific objective: Dressing up a coat
Level: pictures
Method:
Chaining from the 1st step to the last;
Sequence of individual pictures from left to right or from
top to bottom. Accoplished step is visualised by turnig the
picture facing down.
Prompts are given according individual needs of the
person.

38. Trainining with a person who
uses words
Example:
Task: Dressing up a coat (5 steps)
General objective: Training in daily living skills
Specific objective: Dressing up a coat
Level: words
Method:
Chaining from the 1st step;
Using written instructions of the steps from left to
right. Prompts are given only if a person can not
continue or requests help.

39. Some ideas for
inspiration....

40. How to make a ball

41. How to cut with scissors

42. How to cut with scissors

43. How to stamp
with different
colours

44. HOW TO PREPARE A SANDWICH

45. ear, nose and throat examination

46. Nose smear

47. Taking pills

48. How to draw a fish

50. In the gym: Rolling over the ball.

51. In the gym: Ball excercises

52. In the gym: warm
up excercises

53. Mopping the floor
Preparation for
mopping
Mopping
Putting mop
away

57. In this presentation we used information and pictures from:
VIDIEŤ ZNAMENÁ VEDIEŤ – TO SEE MEANS TO KNOW
KATALÓG DIDAKTICKÝCH POMÔCOK – CATALOGUE OF DIDACTIC RESOURCES
written by:
Karen Gašparových, Jiřina Kántorová, Zuzana Peťovská,
Andrea Šedibová, Adela Štrpková, Dagmar Šuranová
© Autistické centrum Andreas® n.o., 2010
Thank you
for your
attention!