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Effective Visual and Communication Supports: Creating for Classroom and Community

Effective Visual and Communication Supports: Creating for Classroom and Community

Author(s): Victoria Nicholson

Edition: 1

Copyright: 2025

Pages: 148

Edition: 1

Copyright: 2025

Pages: 148

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ISBN 9798385136513

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Visual supports are a best practice and well used strategy for all individuals but especially in the field of Intellectual and Developmental Disability. Knowing what supports to use and when to use them is critical to success and skill development. 

Effective Visual and Communication Supports: Creating for Classroom and Community gives readers the background on the most popular visuals supports, clarify what they are comprised of and why we use each support. This text provides the foundation of visual supports and an introduction and examples from programs specifically developed for creation of these supports. Options for creation and modes of delivery are further explored and demonstrated with real world best practice visuals with full colour examples from both community and school environments. These examples will give you both ideas and options for creation. Additionally, it will highlight the requirements and ideas for both making and using visual supports with ease.

Chapter 1  Visual Supports    1

Chapter 2  Communication    21

Chapter 3  Augmentative and Alternative Communication    29

Chapter 4  Expressive Communication    41

Chapter 5  Key Visual 1: Scheduling    69

Chapter 6  Key Visual 2: Providing Choice    89

Chapter 7  Additional Receptive Supports to Use and Consider    99

Chapter 8  Visual Supports as Best Practices

References    139

Victoria Nicholson

Working in post-secondary instruction since 2012, Victoria holds regular faculty appointments at both Kwantlen Polytechnic and Vancouver Island University as both an instructor / professor and has been both the dept chair and coordinator . She holds a Batchelor's Degree in Child and Youth Care ( UVIC), A post Graduate Diploma in Significant Disabilities and Challenging Conditions ( St. Andrews) and a Master’s Degree focusing on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (University of Kent) , her research thesis assessed participant outcomes from behaviour support training. Previously working as a behaviour consultant for 16 years with programs, agencies and schools throughout the province of British Columbia Canada she supported teams and families with children, youth and adults with behaviour supports and increasing their quality of life. She believes that all individuals have the right to a high quality of life and is willing to look outside the box to make it happen. She especially enjoys supporting learning and skill development in the use and development of visual supports. She has presented internationally on PBS , Developmental disabilities and community inclusion. 

Presentations:

  • Assessing visual supports creation and use in classroom settings by Para-professionals/Education assistants (Clearwater FL, DADD , 2025)
  • Assessing outcomes for participants from face to Positive Behaviour support training. (Hawaii International Conference on Education January 2020; D.A.D.D Florida January 2020, APBS Miami March 2020)
  • Small towns Big challenges, Successful P.B.S implementation in rural communities (Washington D.C.; APBS 2019)
  • A pillar of P.B.S. Todd Risley’s “get a life” 20 years strong (San Diego APBS 2018)
  • Police, PBS and community-based interventions: strategies that work with high-risk offenders (Denver ABPS Presentation 2017)
  • Meeting of the Minds- PBS and RCMP collaborations (APBS presentation March 2016 San Francisco)
  • Technology in PBS: Delivering Staff Training and Supports in Community Programs (APBSChicago March 2014)
  • From Crisis to Capacity TASH conference Washington DC Dec 2014
  • Varied Approaches in PBS Implementation: Going Beyond Traditional Methodology (APBS San Diego March 2013)
  • Natural Supports, Collaborative Teams and PBS: Lessons from the Field (APBS Atlanta March 2012) 

Scholarly Work

  • What makes an outstanding EA-; Best practices in the field the role of an education assistant, 2019
  • Effective Visual Communication Supports- Creating for classroom and Community - 2025
  • Master’s Thesis • Assessing Participant outcomes from face-to-face capacity training in Positive behaviour Support 2021

Visual supports are a best practice and well used strategy for all individuals but especially in the field of Intellectual and Developmental Disability. Knowing what supports to use and when to use them is critical to success and skill development. 

Effective Visual and Communication Supports: Creating for Classroom and Community gives readers the background on the most popular visuals supports, clarify what they are comprised of and why we use each support. This text provides the foundation of visual supports and an introduction and examples from programs specifically developed for creation of these supports. Options for creation and modes of delivery are further explored and demonstrated with real world best practice visuals with full colour examples from both community and school environments. These examples will give you both ideas and options for creation. Additionally, it will highlight the requirements and ideas for both making and using visual supports with ease.

Chapter 1  Visual Supports    1

Chapter 2  Communication    21

Chapter 3  Augmentative and Alternative Communication    29

Chapter 4  Expressive Communication    41

Chapter 5  Key Visual 1: Scheduling    69

Chapter 6  Key Visual 2: Providing Choice    89

Chapter 7  Additional Receptive Supports to Use and Consider    99

Chapter 8  Visual Supports as Best Practices

References    139

Victoria Nicholson
Victoria Nicholson

Working in post-secondary instruction since 2012, Victoria holds regular faculty appointments at both Kwantlen Polytechnic and Vancouver Island University as both an instructor / professor and has been both the dept chair and coordinator . She holds a Batchelor's Degree in Child and Youth Care ( UVIC), A post Graduate Diploma in Significant Disabilities and Challenging Conditions ( St. Andrews) and a Master’s Degree focusing on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (University of Kent) , her research thesis assessed participant outcomes from behaviour support training. Previously working as a behaviour consultant for 16 years with programs, agencies and schools throughout the province of British Columbia Canada she supported teams and families with children, youth and adults with behaviour supports and increasing their quality of life. She believes that all individuals have the right to a high quality of life and is willing to look outside the box to make it happen. She especially enjoys supporting learning and skill development in the use and development of visual supports. She has presented internationally on PBS , Developmental disabilities and community inclusion. 

Presentations:

  • Assessing visual supports creation and use in classroom settings by Para-professionals/Education assistants (Clearwater FL, DADD , 2025)
  • Assessing outcomes for participants from face to Positive Behaviour support training. (Hawaii International Conference on Education January 2020; D.A.D.D Florida January 2020, APBS Miami March 2020)
  • Small towns Big challenges, Successful P.B.S implementation in rural communities (Washington D.C.; APBS 2019)
  • A pillar of P.B.S. Todd Risley’s “get a life” 20 years strong (San Diego APBS 2018)
  • Police, PBS and community-based interventions: strategies that work with high-risk offenders (Denver ABPS Presentation 2017)
  • Meeting of the Minds- PBS and RCMP collaborations (APBS presentation March 2016 San Francisco)
  • Technology in PBS: Delivering Staff Training and Supports in Community Programs (APBSChicago March 2014)
  • From Crisis to Capacity TASH conference Washington DC Dec 2014
  • Varied Approaches in PBS Implementation: Going Beyond Traditional Methodology (APBS San Diego March 2013)
  • Natural Supports, Collaborative Teams and PBS: Lessons from the Field (APBS Atlanta March 2012) 

Scholarly Work

  • What makes an outstanding EA-; Best practices in the field the role of an education assistant, 2019
  • Effective Visual Communication Supports- Creating for classroom and Community - 2025
  • Master’s Thesis • Assessing Participant outcomes from face-to-face capacity training in Positive behaviour Support 2021