November 4, 2008
Try This Tuesday #16: Micro Schedules
I've posted before about how a visual schedule helps Michael move through his day more easily than just verbal prompts. Well, he has still been having difficulty off and on with the specials—art, library, and so on—mainly when something is different than the week before or when he is not clear on what he is supposed to be doing or how long he will have to do it.
So his team decided to implement a micro schedule for specials. The plan was to have each teacher write it down when Michael arrived at the class. It would be very basic; for instance, the gym micro schedule might read:
- run
- stretches
- relay race
On the day of our team meeting, the behavior specialist happened to have just given Michael's shadow a small whiteboard to write down directions as the teacher was giving them. So we decided to have the micro schedules written at the top of the board, which would still leave room for directions at the bottom.
One week into this, the reports I am getting are good overall. The teachers are enjoying Michael's improved behavior, although some have commented that the micro schedule seems “intrusive.” (Hmmm, more intrusive than him lying on the floor to protest that it's not his turn to make up a song this week? I don't think so!)
Either way, it seems to be helping, and I've learned that they have now given a whiteboard to each teacher so the micro schedule can be written down ahead of time and not detract from getting started. Hey, maybe by Christmas I can convince them to just use the schedule with the whole class!
Please join in and share the creative solutions YOU have found to your own challenges, or feel free to post your own challenge for input from others. For more details on how to participate, click here.
Trish can be found writing here at 5MFSN every Friday in addition to hosting Try This Tuesday. You can also find Trish at her blog, Another Piece of the Puzzle.
Filed under Individual Educational Plans, Tips and Tricks, Try This Tuesday by Trish
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7 Comments on Try This Tuesday #16: Micro Schedules »
#1 - Maddy @ 2:40 am
Yes the 'intrusive' thing is jolly annoying. This is probably why I have this incredibly intrusive trampolene in the middle of the sitting room floor - pick your piece and make peace with it!
Cheers
#2 - Amazing_Grace @ 8:45 am
Homework used to be a real chore until I got my son a Homework Helpmate.
#3 - Jenny @ 12:11 pm
I think that's a great idea for him, Trish. And I don't see why the teachers couldn't just post that for the whole class to see!
#4 - Trish @ 1:27 pm
Maddy - I think people so easily forget how things were before they started some support and then don't want to keep it going!
Amazing Grace - I love this idea.
Jenny - That's another pet peeve of mine, how teachers could use these strategies to help the whole class, or at least to make them more natural.
#5 - Cale @ 1:44 pm
I seem to be having an issue posting a comment to this site, but I'll keep trying.
I'm an Aspie College Student, and find these microschedules terribly useful.
The majority of my professors were already using them when I enrolled in their classes, and the rest have begun to once I raised my concerns.
Since most of the lectures have a powerpoint accompaniment, adding a microschedule is as simple as placing a slide at the beginning of the day's presentation listing the topics to be covered, and the estimated times of each switch of subject or activity. That allows for a greater organization of notes, and also provides some time for the more change-resistant of us to adjust to the fact that there may be an interruption in the class's normal activity (such as the addition of a Q&A session). I have yet to hear any student (NT or otherwise) complain about these microschedules, and have seen them steadily gain popularity among other teachers.
I definitely support this recommendation.
#6 - Frogs Mom @ 4:21 pm
A beautifully simple, cost effective, strategy/tool that could be used inclusively to benefit the whole class - is a bit intrusive?!? I never cease to be amazed!
I'm glad he's have good results with it :0)
#7 - Another Piece of the Puzzle » Try This Tuesday: Do You Have Something To Share? @ 12:02 am
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