Doctor visit visual schedule: free printable for kids

Who it’s for

Children going to a checkup or a sick visit, especially children who find new places, waiting or being touched hard, and children who don’t speak or don’t speak much. The talk board on page 2 gives them a way to say stop, scared or it hurts during the visit.

How to use it

1. Look at it together a day or two before. Go through the steps calmly, and act some of them out with a toy.
2. Build your visit with the cards. Put page 3’s cards in the order you expect, and leave out what won’t happen.
3. Bring it along. In the waiting room, point to the first step: “We’re here. Wait.”
4. Point to each step as it happens, and to the next one before it starts: “Next, the doctor looks in your ears.”
5. Show the doctor or nurse the talk board, so they know the child may answer by pointing, and give them time to answer.

Be honest about the hard parts

If there will be a shot, put the shot card in the schedule. A schedule that leaves out the hard part stops being trusted the first time it’s wrong. Put something good straight after it, like sticker or go home. If you’re not sure what will happen, say so, and use what’s next? to ask the nurse together.

Talking to the doctor

The talk board on page 2 lets a child answer questions (yes, no), set limits (stop, wait, a break), say how they feel (scared, too loud) and show where it hurts. Ask the doctor to talk to the child, not only to you, and to wait for the point.

What’s on the PDF

Checkup steps

• wait
• weigh
• measure
• temperature
• sit on the table
• listen to heart
• look in ears
• say ahh

Tell the doctor

• yes
• no
• stop
• wait
• help
• a break
• it hurts
• scared
• too loud
• show me
• what’s next?
• all done

Page 2 also has head, ear, throat, tummy, arm and leg, and things for after the visit: sticker, go home, car, hug, play and snack. The cards on page 3 add arm squeeze (blood pressure), shot, bandage, eye test, hearing test, nurse, doctor, mask, sticker and go home.

Printing tips

• Laminate the pages, and keep the cards in a zip bag clipped to them.
• Glue a photo of the real doctor’s office or the real doctor onto a blank card, if you can get one.
• This board helps a child take part in a visit. It isn’t a medical tool. If a child may be badly hurt or very sick, call 911 or your local emergency number.
• For a hospital stay, see the hospital communication board. To show where it hurts in more detail, use the where does it hurt board.