Using Routines

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
Updated May 27, 2024
​Students with complex needs learn best through natural environments and routines and a functional curriculum that is activity-based. Create supportive learning environments for students with complex needs, focusing on functional skills, independence, and engagement. Through the use of routines, you can create inclusive and supportive learning environments that promote skill development, independence, engagement, and well-being for students with complex needs.

  • Natural Environments and Routines: Students learn best through natural environments and routines. Functional, activity-based curricula help students develop skills necessary for active participation in their home and community. Emphasis on independent living skills and social skills prepares students for care facilities or home care after graduation.
  • Age-Neutral Instruction: Avoiding age-inappropriate toys and materials, instead opting for age-neutral or switch-activated materials, ensures that instruction remains relevant and engaging for students.
  • Use of Routines: Routines help students anticipate activities, facilitate communication, and provide opportunities for modeling and reinforcing vocabulary. Once routines are established, students can generalize skills to new situations.
  • Meeting Sensory Needs: Flexibility in instruction is essential to meet students' sensory needs. Adapting instruction to accommodate sensory preferences, such as allowing a student to work in a therapy swing while engaging in learning activities, ensures a supportive and conducive learning environment.

Prepare for Work Routines

  • Water Play Routine. ​Prepare a basin with warm water. Increase visual interest by using a metal basin. Place submersible LED lights in the basin. Place the basin on a black waterproof tablecloth in case there is any splashing or spills and to reduce visual clutter. Encourage the student to attend to the water place hands in the water. Consider providing soap (bar or liquid) and wash your hands in the water by lathering with soap. Finish by jointly drying hands on a hand towel. If the student has no usable vision, place tactually interesting items in the basin for the student to locate.
  • Lotion Routine. (*Avoid using lotion if the student has a skin rash or open sores or if the student has skin allergies) Present a bottle of unscented lotion that has a wide reflective, glitter, or color ribbon the student attends placed around it against a black background. Direct light toward the bottle to draw the student’s attention to it. Once the student looks at it, tell them it is lotion time. Place a dollop of lotion in your hand and gently present it to the student’s fingertips. Encourage the student to touch and interact with the lotion. Gently massage the student’s hands.
  • ​Essential Oil Choice Routine. Present the student with two different essential oil choices. Observe the student’s response and place the desired oil in a dollop of the lotion and massage into the student’s hand to continue the massage routine. Extend the activity by providing a recorded switch that says “more please”. Stop the massage and prompt the student to request more.

ECC Instruction

The ecc
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compensatory skills
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