Birthday
Balloons, a song aimed straight at your face and a cake that everyone waits for you to react to. A birthday is fun and overwhelming at once, and the pictures below let the child see the order of the whole day before it starts.
Cake with candles, a present and balloons
A light blue two-tier birthday cake with five lit candles and a banner, beside a red present and three balloons.
About this visual support
What makes a birthday unusual is the direction. On an ordinary day attention is shared between many people, but on this one everything points one way: the song is sung to one person, the presents are opened by one person, and everybody watches at the same time. On top of that comes the expectation that joy should show at the right second, which is hard even for a child who is genuinely happy.
Visual support takes the edge off the surprises without removing them. A row showing morning, present, guests, cake and guests leaving gives the day a shape the child can navigate. For children on the autism spectrum it is often the uncertainty about the order, rather than the party itself, that makes the day exhausting.
One tip is to include a picture for a break, ideally in a room where nobody is celebrating. Having the break in the plan makes it permitted, and it does not have to be negotiated mid-song. In Routined the day can be laid out as a routine with pictures and times, and the app can be tried for fourteen days at no cost.
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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A parent picks up the child
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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.
* 14-day free trial included for new users.