Inhale asthma medicine
Breathing in deeply while pressing the canister, holding the breath, counting and then releasing is four actions in one. Miss one and you miss the dose. The visual support below splits the inhalation into clear steps, one at a time.
♂Boy taking asthma medication
Illustration of a boy using an asthma inhaler, with medicine mist coming out.
About this visual support
The coordination required for inhalation is surprisingly complex for a small body. Press too early and the air has not yet reached the canister. Press too late and the breath is already on its way out again. Holding the breath for several seconds afterwards is a separate skill, and many children release without thinking once the press itself is done.
This is why inhalation works better when each sub-step has its own picture. It becomes four or five small assignments instead of one long sequence. The child can point to where in the order you are, and you have time to adjust the pace if something does not click.
One detail that often helps: tie the counting to something familiar, like holding the breath as long as it takes to silently say their own name four times. The seconds become concrete instead of abstract. In Routined you can add a short timer between steps and a checkmark per puff, so you know exactly when the second dose is due and never lose count halfway through.