Using visual aids with neurotypical child

[Chasingdownmylane]

Does anyone else use visual aids with their young child who is neurotypical?

My son is 3 and neurotypical. His language and understanding are above average for his age. But he's 3. You know the score. He's pretty well behaved and biddable but he'll do the usual "no, I don't want to" when it's time to brush teeth. Or "5 more minutes" when it's time to do whatever. We give him choices and allow him his "5 minutes" etc, factoring it in to our time so he doesn't feel he's always being ordered about without any agency.

I wondered if some visual aid cards might help him feel he has more control in his little life and show him what's coming up each day. So a little Velcro strip with cards saying like: breakfast, play, park, cafe, home, dinner, bedtime... this sort of thing.

Does anyone use these sort of cards at home and find they help or is it just an unnecessary added faff for a child who doesn't really need them ?

Well, it is an added faff but it’s not going to do any harm I wouldn’t think so if you’ve got the time then you could try it.
Does he appear to struggle with changes or transitions?
What you’ve described here doesn’t really suggest it to be necessary.

No he doesn't struggle any more than your usual toddler behaviour. I'd say, compared to friends of ours, he is very good. He doesn't tantrum for example. But you know the usual toddler stuff that's just exhausting where everything is a discussion and he whines about things. I wondered if it would be an extra help to order his little world a bit. For example, marking which days are nursery days and so on. A sort of precursor to understanding timetables and calendars, days of the weeks, seasons etc.

It wouldn't be to help with communication as he's very fluent, or behaviour as his behaviour is fine. It would just be to help him understand his world, daily routines, what's happening each day and so on. Nothing overly structured.

As a teacher, I use visual aids all the time. They help everyone. They’re certainly not going to do any harm.

My dc are older but still really benefit from having a schedule written out when we have a really busy time ahead (so does DH tbh!). What you’re describing implementing is a really sensible self-management strategy. Go for it!

I'm a bit of a list maker myself otherwise my thoughts just swirl about and I forget things. Maybe that's why the idea appeals to me

Children's nurseries often use visual timetables. It's harmless and if it makes life easier why not? Especially if things are busy and you do different things on different days of the week, or do things in a different order so he doesn't have the same fixed routine every day.

I think many little children's lives used to be less busy, less time pressured, more predictable and more regular than they are now.

We have a very slow paced life which is maybe a reason against. He goes to nursery 3 days a week and the rest of the time we just do things like go to the park or library, go for a walk in the woods and so on. But we are doing nice things for Halloween, fireworks night, Christmas and so on, and maybe once a month we'll do a bigger trip somewhere.

It sounds like he does need them so I don’t see what the issue is. Neurotypical children aren’t exempt from needing some of the same things that some (not all) neurodivergent children need.

I don't think he does need them. That's why I'm deciding whether it's a nice bonus in his daily life, or an unnecessary faff. There are lots of nice things in his life he doesn't need.

I'm wondering if it would add some conversation, new language, a bit of control for him getting to choose cards and stick them on, a little extra framework for the day... or if it would just be something that falls by the wayside. So I'm asking if anyone else has used them for their neurotypical child.

At no point have I said he's exempt from using them. I'm considering using them.

My only tiny concern would be how do you think he’d react if the schedule had to change?
So if it said park after lunch but you’ve decided to go after nap instead. Or not go at all?? Would he be ok with that.
Some kids can become very rigid with these things.

He's not at all rigid. He can have normal toddler moments of wanting this that or the other. But he would respond fine to swapping one card for another if need be. We just talk him through moments of "I don't want to leave the park" or "I want to go to such-and-such." We're firm with him so it never lasts long.