Put on a plaster
A scrape always comes as a surprise, and that is exactly when thinking in order gets hard. With the visual support below, your child can follow the steps: ask for help, clean the scrape, put on the plaster and press down the edges.
⚲Put on a plaster
A hand puts a plaster over a small scratch on an arm.
⚲Ask for a plaster
A hand points at a plaster that another hand holds out.
About this visual support
A small scrape often feels bigger than it is. It stings, it might bleed a little, and for many children the feeling simply takes over. That is when it helps to have a picture to point at instead of having to find the words. A card showing a hand pointing at a plaster says it very clearly: I need help with this. For children who go quiet when something hurts, the picture becomes a way to ask for a plaster without having to explain what happened.
Putting a plaster on also involves more steps than adults tend to notice. First the scrape is rinsed with water, then it needs to dry. The plaster comes out of the wrapper, the backing has to be peeled off without the sticky part folding over, and finally the edges are pressed down. The visual support shows each step on its own, so your child knows what comes next and can do a bit more independently each time.
A useful tip is to keep the plasters and the picture cards together, for example in a drawer in the bathroom, so your child always knows where to look. You can also slip a card into the backpack before a day out. In the Routined app you can gather the steps into a short routine your child opens when needed. You can try the app for 14 days before deciding.
Use this image in a schedule
Build your own visual schedule with this image and download it as a print-ready PDF. Completely free.
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This visual support in other languages
Take the visual supports with you
In Routined you build schedules from these pictures, add timers and voice instructions, and your child follows the day on their own.
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