The Power of a Visual Schedule: A guide on how to effectively use visual schedules within your home.

By Maria Sammut

For autistic, ADHD, or other neurodivergent individuals who may experience executive functioning challenges, transitions between or within tasks can be quite difficult. With each task needing to be completed, this can add additional cognitive stress due to the increasing cognitive load and, therefore, can increase the risk of anxiety and overwhelm experienced. Research has shown that visual schedules are an evidence-based practice that can support this, reducing anxiety and increasing confidence when completing tasks. Despite visual schedules being an evidence-based approach, many who are well-intentioned may not understand the importance of the schedule's design, how many steps should be included, or which direction the schedule should face, and this can be the difference between success and a meltdown. 

In this article, we will review evidence on the visual appearance of schedules, the importance of considering your child’s level of capacity when creating one, and the role of visual prominence in neurodivergence.

*Reminder: Before we start, it is important to remember that when supporting the autistic/ neurodivergent community, one size does not fit all. Although the information in this article is evidence-based and supported by studies with positive outcomes across large populations of participants, this does not mean that all approaches will be beneficial. All evidence-based approaches have limitations, and you can only determine their value to you and your family after use. By using evidence-based information, though, we ensure that the strategies we implement do not cause unnecessary harm to the autistic community.

Red and Orange and Up and Down: A Schedule’s Visual Appearance

Upon a quick Google search of “visual schedules”, one may be overwhelmed by the wide range of items, colours, or types available, but which design is the best? Here are a few points to consider before purchasing or making your own visual schedule. 

Vertical vs. Horizontal Schedules: Which is Better?

While many believe that using horizontal schedules can mimic left-to-right reading (left-to-right processing), which can improve scan and tracking skills and the understanding of time, research has shown that a horizontal schedule leads to longer response times and increased cognitive load. This means the brain needs more time and braincells to process the information on display. Despite this, horizontal schedules can and do have a place in supporting individuals. Horizontal schedules are best for situations where there is a journey through time, such as key activities within a school day. 

When looking at vertical schedules, researchers have shown that vertical layouts are processed more efficiently and can lower cognitive load. It has been shown that vertical lists can act as a “gravity-fed” system, in which our eyes naturally move down in situations and require less active scanning effort from the brain. This means children often have a more natural sense to process information from top to bottom. It has also been suggested that vertical schedules support the development of functional long-term skills. This is because top-to-bottom processing is reinforced in society through checklists, smartphone notifications, and daily calendar layouts.

Colour Me This? 

When purchasing or creating a visual schedule, it is also important to consider the colours used. As we will discuss later in the piece, neurodivergent individuals can struggle with object permanence due to differences in executive functioning, which can reduce the effectiveness of strategies such as a visual schedule. Research has shown that neurodivergent individuals may benefit from high-contrast colours in visual schedules, as they are a functional necessity for visual anchoring. Visual anchoring is a strategy used to support object permanence of a visual cue. 

It is important to note that high-saturation colours and low-contrast colours can reduce the effectiveness of a visual schedule. High-saturation colours, such as two colours on the opposite side of a colour wheel (red writing and green background) can cause a visual vibrating effect. This can create visual noise and cause eye strain or headaches, particularly in neurodivergent individuals. Similarly, using low-contrast palettes (such as beige on browns) can make images appear blurry to the brain, impacting its ability to identify the task instantly and increasing the burden of processing. 

"There is way too much going on!": Avoiding Visual Clutter

A common mistake when creating visual schedules is using a colourful, busy background behind the schedule. Research has shown that visual clutter can impact a neurodivergent child's ability to find and seek out information and delay cognitive processing. As a result, it is recommended that schedules use a solid, neutral background to create a “visual island”. It has also been suggested that if a child cannot identify the next step on their schedule within 3 seconds, this may indicate a problem with the visual schedule’s contrast or that there is visual clutter. 

“There is so much to do!”: Task Allocations

When implementing visual schedules in your home, consider your child's age. According to available research, the number of steps on your child's visual schedule should be determined by their working memory, attention, and level of independence. Every child is different, so capacity can vary; however, developmental milestones and ages can be a starting point.  According to developmental research and working memory science, the following provides an approximate range of tasks/steps per age group:

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Another mistake when using visual schedules is placing them out of the young person's direct sight. Due to differences in executive functioning, some neurodivergent individuals struggle with object permanence, which can lead to the “out of sight, out of mind” dilemma. To support this, it is important that visual schedules are placed either in a high-traffic area or in the exact spot where an activity is meant to occur. By doing this, you are minimising search fatigue, which can also affect the effectiveness of a visual aid. 

The Recap

In summary, while visual schedules are a powerful, evidence-based tool for reducing anxiety and navigating transitions, their success depends on intentional, neuro-inclusive design. By prioritising vertical layouts to lower cognitive load, utilising high-contrast, low-saturation colours to create strong visual anchors, and limiting the number of tasks to match a child's developmental working memory, we can create a "visual island" of clarity. Furthermore, placing these supports in permanent, high-visibility locations combats the "out of sight, out of mind" challenges associated with neurodivergent object permanence. 

Ultimately, when we tailor the visual appearance and placement of a schedule to a child's specific capacity, we transform a simple list into a reliable external hard drive for the brain, fostering independence and preventing the overwhelm that leads to meltdowns. To help you create, purchase, and use a visual schedule, check out our visual schedule audit checklist in the resources section of our website.