The nuts and bolts of an autism classroom are the structure and the schedules. It’s my bread and butter and I couldn’t get through one minute of the school year with any success without careful consideration and implementation of these two classroom components.
Classroom Structure
The physical structure of your classroom is important. Having a classroom that is visually defined and visually defined is essential for children with autism. Check out the Seven Steps posts on classroom structure: Why Structure is Important; Classroom Structure Considerations; Visually Divided & Defined; Structure in Inclusion; and Making Structure Work.
I have a TON of furniture in my room. In order to create physically separate centers, I use desks, shelves, and dividers to structure my class. My advice – hoard around your school. Snag old teacher desks, unwanted shelves, student desks – whatever! You need a lot of furniture in order to provide physical structure in your class.
Here is my classroom’s layout:
Here is how we use the classroom:
If these are hard to see – you can download both diagrams as PDFs: Room Layout Diagrams.
Classroom Schedules
You need loads of schedules for your class. I have schedules coming out of my ears. You need a student detailed schedule, an adult detailed schedule, and schedules for your students. You should have a schedule for each child in your classroom. Just do it. Don’t argue. Even if you “think” they “know” what they should do. Assumptions like that will cause a big headache later. If your boss never gave you a schedule with your days off or holidays etc. – you’d be pissed. You want to know what is happening and when. So do our kids. I did a very thorough post on how to pick the appropriate type of schedule for each student last summer.
Work/Break Color Coded PECS Schedule – iPads are high powered reinforcer for this student so we build it right into his schedule. This clearly shows that after his work tasks – he gets iPad. The color coding adds to discrimination. Purchase here.
Color Coded PECS Schedule:
Paper Visual Schedule: (student uses dry erase marker to cross off each task) Purchase schedule pieces here.
Paper Written Schedule for Whole Week:
Paper Written Schedule for the Week with Times:
First/Then Picture Schedule: We used this last year for a kiddo in my class who really struggle with picture discrimination. I will be recreating this in another classroom this year but wanted to be sure to share it too!
- Planning for the Fall: Part 4 and 5 – Visually Structured Tasks and Routines - January 30, 2026
- Using TAH Curriculum for Homeschooling from a Homeschooling Parent - September 10, 2022
- Using The Autism Helper Curriculum for Homeschool - August 8, 2022
4 Responses
I have a structured classroom with grades 2 through 6 with 6 kids total at the moment. I also have schedules and I agree they are a must. I have cross off schedules for those students who can read and then various types of picture schedules that go from 2 in square icons with small words to much smaller picture cards that start to phase out the pictures and rely more on the words. I have worked in another room as an aide before getting my own room. In that room we had an inexperienced teacher that did not have schedules in place. We went two weeks like that and it was a nightmare! Schedules can be a time consuming task but one that is so necessary. Thank you for all the examples i use very similar ones!
I’m at a new school and had only a week to get set up. Kids started this week and I am scrambling to get a good schedule set up and figure everything out. I cannot wait until tomorrow afternoon where I can really hash out every detail and be ready to go Monday. I agree even if you think the child or adult knows the schedule have one anyway.
Great examples of types of schedule! Thanks for sharing! And yes – it would be absolute nightmare to have no schedules. Good luck in the coming school year!
I so understand how you feel! I am always chomping at the bit to get it all rolling! Good luck this year!