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Using Visual Schedule Planner for Bill Payment Reminders

8/23/2013

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Need Assistance Remembering to Pay Monthly Bills?

For some of our clients and loved ones, one of the most difficult things about living independently can be the multiple responsibilities that must be juggled...maintaining the home, cleaning up, paying bills, etc.

To help with this, try using Visual Schedule Planner to import in your loved one/client's bills, letting them know when they are due, how much is owed...any details that will assist them in being able to complete this task as independently as possible. You can even set up reminders to give them an audio prompt that the bill is due and must be paid. It would be a good idea to give as much time/leeway as possible when doing this, and even planning these reminders around pay days to avoid the "overwhelm factor" that can come with having more bills than your income will cover at the time. 

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Set a specific icon for each type of bill for easy reference. You can also set up reminders that will alert the individual when it is time to pay the bill. If it is possible to set up online bill pay, this may make the process faster and easier.
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You can get the individual in the habit of checking Week View to see whether any bills are due that week. If each bill is set for a specific date and time each month, it will make this referencing process much easier.
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Using a specific time of day for "bill paying" on due dates will help the individual get into the habit of checking to see when/if a bill is due on that particular day. In this example, the due date for the electric bill can easily be seen in Month View.
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Notes can also be added to track payment dates. This will avoid double paying, and will give the individual a written record of transactions in case a payment dispute arises.
Independence is a beautiful thing, no matter how you go about achieving it!
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Following Recipe Steps Using FTVS HD

8/19/2013

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For an easy, functional activity that encourages both family time and independent living skills, try using our First Then Visual Schedule HD app for recipes. 

To do this, find a simple recipe that is concrete and easy to follow, with minimal steps. Take pictures of each step and create a template for the individual to follow along with. At the end, you can either allow the food item itself to be the end reward, or you can choose another small token to encourage participation. 

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Create a schedule dedicated to the preparation and/or cooking of the recipe.
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Make sure the title is concrete and the corresponding photo represents the activity.
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Add as many items as you need to create steps that the individual can follow easily.
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Give the final step a motivating image, sound, or other "reward." In this case, the cookie itself would be the reinforcer, coupled with a preferred character.
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Once the schedule has the desired steps/appearance, enable timers and set them according to bake/cooling times, prep time, etc.
You can develop more complex recipe "schedules" as the individual learns to follow along with the steps and becomes more familiar with cooking tools. Happy eating!!!
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More Than A Feeling: Increasing Verbal Reporting and Receptive Recognition of Emotions Using My Choice Board

8/14/2013

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If you're working on self-awareness and emotional recognition/regulation, try using our My Choice Board app to allow the individual to express how they are feeling. This is beneficial in two ways - it helps increase the individual's ability to self-report feelings and moods while also giving you much-needed insight as to how they are feeling. 

Implementation is simple - You can either use images of the individual or find generic images (if the individual is good at generalizing) online to use. Once you have your choice board created with all of your desired images, allow the individual to choose from the field (which can be as large or small as you'd like). 

This can be incredibly effective for grumpy morning risers, individuals who have medical/pain issues, and pinpointing environmental triggers/stressors.
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Create a choice board with a title that reflects its purpose. Make sure to be as clear as possible, as the board itself will need to be slightly modified to suit this type of use.
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If you are working with an individual that has a tough time generalizing, try using your finger or a small piece of paper to cover the "I Want" graphic. Then, prompt the individual to choose from the field by asking "How do you feel?" Tailor the emotional complexity to the individual's level of understanding.
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Independent Study Simplified Using Visual Schedule Planner

7/24/2013

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Having a hard time getting your loved one/student to study independently?

Try using Visual Schedule Planner to "sandwich" study time between preferred activities. For example, if the individual has a project due at the end of the month, set a specific amount of time each day (or on specific days of the week) that are earmarked specifically for studying/research. To motivate the individual, try placing Study Time after a highly preferred activity (such as free time upon arrival home), and another motivating activity (like a snack, or TV time). 
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Set up a study time event for any days/times that will work well between two preferred activities.
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Make sure the two events on either side of the independent study time are motivating and enjoyable for the individual in order to ensure success.
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Using Week View can further highlight the frequency/duration of the event for the individual.
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Use Month View to view any day that the event occurs (or to see which days you may have available to add in more study time, if needed).

Placing a non-preferred activity between two motivating activities within a schedule can be extremely effective, especially for those individuals who respond well to "First/Then" concepts.

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Some Assembly Required: Using FTVS HD to Follow Instructions

7/21/2013

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Helping individuals to follow written instructions:

Take a picture of each step in the instructions with your device (if your device has a camera function, older devices do not). You can then use each image in sequence as "steps" in your schedule, paired with an audio prompt like "Insert Part A into Part B." Adding video will further enhance the experience, as it may help the individual work through a particularly challenging part of the instructions. 
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You can either choose to use real pictures of the items, or take individual pictures of the assembly instructions.
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Numbering steps in the instructions will help the individual with sequencing.
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Attach a video for further modeling of the assembly.

If one step may be more complex/difficult than another, you can also use the app to break that one step up into a couple (or multiple) steps for the individual, to adapt the instructions to their level of capability or understanding, perhaps using the same photo of the step itself, but giving further instruction. 
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To further break the task down, use a separate schedule to create individual steps within a particularly tough/involved step.
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You can also use the separate schedule to create a list of needed items that can easily be displayed in checklist format.
This works with everything from furniture instructions (for older individuals) to Lego/other toy assembly, model planes/cars, and anything else that may come with instructions that may not always be so easy for the individuals we love, work with, and care for to navigate. 

Any tme you can set your loved one/client/student up for success and create a feeling of independence and accomplishment is a WIN!

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Creating Chore Charts Using FTVS HD

7/18/2013

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Encouraging completion of chores/household tasks:

Looking for a creative way to encourage your loved one/client to complete chores at home, or even maximize efficiency in a vocational setting? Try using First Then Visual Schedule to provide a motivating and concrete set of instructions for completion. Here's how!

For individuals who are good at generalizing, you can create one master "chore list," with images that correspond to the required task. Audio prompts can be added, and videos of the individual completing the task can also be attached to further personlize the schedule. At the end of the chore list, try adding a motivator (a token, monetary amount for older individuals, or a preferred item/video) to signal that the chores are all completed and they can have their reward. 


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Create a daily responsibilities list/chore board with a list of all tasks to be accomplished.
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For added incentive, use the most preferred presentation method and have a tangible, measurable reward.

For those who may need more prompting to complete tasks, try breaking each chore/task down into multiple, easy-to-follow steps. an example of this would be an individual who has a difficult time cleaning their room, or keeping it organized. You can create a schedule solely for "Clean Your Room," and break down that task into each step required to fully complete the chore...keeping in mind those "fine details" that some individuals may miss. The schedule can then be further adapted to their level of understanding/individual capabilities. 
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For individuals needing more assistance with executive functioning skills, breaking down chore charts into individual tasks can be extremely effective.
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If the individual is easily distracted or frequently off-task, you can add a timer function to any (or all) steps that require extra prompting.
This can be a great way to show the connection between task completion and "payment," which not only promotes a good work ethic, but also sets the individual up for success in keeping their environment clean and organized and potential future success within a job-type setting.
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Potty Training/Prompting Using FTVS HD

7/17/2013

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Potty Training/Prompting Tip:

Make toilet training/toilet reminders fun by using our First Then Visual Schedule app as a reinforcement tool. Take a picture of a toilet or other symbol and another of a highly preferred object (food, fidget, activity, etc.) Use the split screen mode to display them, and turn the labels on in the Settings menu (remember, these label names can be customized in FTVS HD). This will show the user that they must first use the toilet before they can have/do the preferred photo, working toward future toileting independence! Since it's fully portable, you can take it with you on public outings and long trips, making generalization to public toileting facilities much easier.
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Create a two-step schedule for your toileting reinforcement First/Then chart.
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In User Mode, view the chart in Split Screen View.
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Add a choice board to the reward/reinforcement step with a variety of preferred/highly motivating choices.
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When the choice is made, the chosen reinforcer will flip around and become the second step in the schedule.
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You can change the "First" and "Then" labels to reflect your preferred wording/language. You can access this feature in the Settings Menu.
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Timed Prompt Steps as "Place Holders"

7/8/2013

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Do you need to add in a timed prompt/break between steps in your schedule using First Then Visual Schedule HD? 

Try adding a "holding step" between regular steps in your existing schedule, then attaching a timer for the length of time that you desire for the prompting step. You can add in an audio prompt of your choice (voice, etc.) to "alert" the user and remind them to stay on task.

When your schedule plays out, they will have an extra "step" in between regular schedule items to bring them back to the task at hand. This is effective for those individuals may need a small break between steps to redirect them to their schedule.

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Choose an existing schedule to add place holder steps, when extra prompting to complete tasks is desired.
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Place holder steps can have any title or image you desire. Whatever works to motivate the individual to move to the next step in the schedule.
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Once your place holder image and sound have been saved, switch to User Mode and enable timers using the Options Tray.
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Place holder steps only need to be long enough to prompt the individual to move to the next step. Make sure to consider this when recording your audio.
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