Speech therapy visual schedule: free printable with talk board

Who it’s for

Speech therapists, occupational therapists and other therapists who see children, and the parents who sit in on sessions or practice at home. A child who knows what’s coming, and when it ends, can spend less effort wondering and more on the session. The schedule suits children who use pictures to know what comes next, including autistic children and children who don’t speak or don’t speak much. Change the words and it works for occupational, physical and other therapy too.

How to use it

1. Plan the session on the schedule before the child arrives. Glue or stick activity cards from page 3 over play a game or my choice to show today’s activities.
2. Go through it at the start, pointing to each picture: “First hello, then work time, then a game.”
3. Point to each step as it starts, and to the next one before it’s time to change.
4. Keep the talk board on the table, and model on it while you talk: point to my turn and your turn during a game, again when something is fun.
5. Answer every message. If the child points to a break or too hard, that’s communication, so respond to it, then come back to the plan.

Choices and breaks

My choice on the schedule is the child’s turn to decide. Offer two activity cards and let them point. The break is on the schedule from the start, so the child doesn’t have to ask to stop; the talk board also has a break and move my body for when one is needed early. A child who knows a break is coming, and that the session ends with say goodbye, can often manage a hard part in between.

If the child uses a talker, a picture board or an app, keep it within reach for the whole session, not just for “AAC time”. Should we save it for therapy? explains why it belongs everywhere.

The same session in the schedule maker

The eight steps are also a routine in the free visual schedule maker. Open “Therapy session” in the schedule maker to put in photos of your own therapy room and toys, take steps out for a short session, or turn it into a first-then board.

What’s on the PDF

Therapy session steps

• say hello
• work time
• play a game
• a break
• more work
• my choice
• clean up
• say goodbye

Talk

• my turn
• your turn
• again
• more
• help
• wait
• look
• say it again
• I don’t know
• yes
• no
• stop

How is it going?

• easy
• too hard
• fun
• silly
• tired
• I did it!

I need

• a break
• a drink
• bathroom
• quiet
• move my body
• all done

Activity cards

• book
• bubbles
• blocks
• puzzle
• board game
• cards
• play dough
• stickers
• mirror
• draw
• cars
• ball
• music
• tablet
• trampoline
• swing
• snack
• my talker

Printing tips

• Laminate page 1 and put hook-and-loop dots on each step and on the back of the activity cards, so the plan changes every session.
• Send a copy of page 2 home, so the same words are used at home between sessions.
• For one hard moment, use the first-then board; for picking an activity, the choice board; and for everyday words, the core word board.
• Parents: what an AAC evaluation is, and questions to ask the speech-language pathologist.