At the beginning of each school year, it’s my job to make sure all students have the visual supports they need to start the year off right. But after a while, those same visuals get lost, ruined or tucked away somewhere. This common problem turns into stressful, last minute printing, laminating and creating in a crisis.
I’d had it with rummaging through 10 years of bags, binders and crates full of messy visuals. Determined, but unable, to find an easy-to-use solution, I crafted an organizational storage system that was practical, versatile, easy-to-use and it made an amazing difference! It saved time, money and a lot of headaches – for me and my team. It was the perfect, proactive solution.
While the original system cost me over $100 in supplies, working with local manufacturers allowed me to reduce the cost to less than half. I have passed all that savings on to you, my fellow professionals. Together, we are able to support the Easter Seals by having their amazing young men in the Autistic Adult Vocational Program assemble the Success Box. You are providing them with meaningful employment!
Our team’s success story was last Spring, when our new student, Sam, walked into the resource room with an extensive list of visual support needs. We were ready, thanks to our proactive steps with the Success Box.
Before morning announcements were over, Sam had a daily picture schedule with all of the needed activity cards, a reward chart with stickers, a 1-2-3 token board, and a laminated, desk-sized ‘calm down’ support card. It reduced the stress for our entire team, and most importantly, for Sam. He knew we were ready to help him navigate his new environment with positive expectations, all without saying a word.
I want to share this amazing organizational storage system with parents and professionals so that you too can:
Eliminate the biggest problem with using visual supports by being able to locate and access your supports, virtually in one glance.
Be proactive and ready to respond to immediate needs with a well-stocked inventory of supports – proven to increase communication and decrease behavioral outbursts!
Reduce stress so you and your child/students will reap the rewards of well-planned, ready-to-go visual supports.