The Impact of Using Visual Supports to Increase Independence for Students with Autism That Require Very Substantial Support in a Vocational Classroom

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of visual supports on increasing the independence of a student that has Autism and requires substantial support. Research demonstrates that students diagnosed with Autism often have difficulty achieving task independence via verbal instruction as used in a typical classroom setting. They often understand visual cuing more easily, so visual supports may be implemented to encourage independence. In this study, a five-week case study was completed to determine the influence of visual supports on task independence with a student with Autism attending non-public high school specializing in students with intellectual and behavior disabilities. Visual supports included Visual Activity Schedules, Visual Job Skill Checklists, and Work Systems and were compared with weekly baseline assessment in which visual cues were not offered. Using the null hypothesis, it was hypothesized that the use of visual supports would have no influence upon the measured independence of an individual student with Autism who requires substantial support. Findings revealed that the student reached significant levels of independence with the use of the three different types of visual supports. With each type of the support, the student was better able to complete typical classroom tasks without intervening prompts of teachers or support staff.