Figuring it All Out

Hello! My name is Sarah. My seven-year-old son, Phoenix, has just recently been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.

I was referred to this site by a therapist who is experienced with children on the autism spectrum.

This site is terrific the way one can combine one's own images, existing icons and web searches.

The trickiest part of implementing a picture schedule for Phoenix is finding a system that he will respond to.

One thing I did finally hit on after a great deal of trial and error is that he absolutely loves analog clocks. He also pays attention to them, as they are logical/visual. If I say "Phoenix, it is time to go to bed because we are both tired and it is bedtime" he really cannot make the connection between my rule and the physical/emotional demand. On the other hand, if I say "Phoenix, it is time to go to bed because it is 8:30, and, as you can see, your schedule shows that 8:30 is your bedtime" he knows that to be logical. The clock faces MATCH, and you cannot argue with that.

We keep clocks in every room, too.

So this is my start. I am going to keep daily entries here to show my process/progress with the picture schedule. I hope I may be of help to others with similar situations.

Best,

Sarah