Children with ASD express anxiety or nervousness in many of the same ways as typically developing children do. We often see separation anxiety, for example, when children must part with trusted parents or caregivers to go to school (Woods, 2012). This experience can be a recurrent excessive distress when the child is anticipating or experiencing separation from their parents. Behaviours caused by this anxiety can include property destruction, attempts to escape, fidgeting and anxiety. These behaviours can also cause the child to associate school with the negative experiences, which may impede on the individuals ability to function in this setting.

Sam often exhibits issues before school such as, refusing to leave car to come into school, wanting parents to stay in classroom, or being stressed by late arrival. The common reasons for this distressing behaviour are from anxiety of the unknown or unpredictability of the day, overwhelmed by sensory input (noisy, busy, overwhelming, and excessive movement), communication difficulties (wanting parents to communicate for them), and coping with changing tasks (Queensland Government, Department of Education and Training, 2013). This experience of a morning can have a negative impact on Sam’s ability to function throughout the school day, as well as the emotional wellbeing of the parent. 

Individuals with an ASD sometimes have difficulties with sequential processing (i.e., learning the order of events). These difficulties with sequential processing may results in individuals becoming anxious or overwhelmed in certain situations, which in turn may lead to problem behaviors. Sam continually finds the school drops off in the morning session overwhelming and distressing due to this lack of sequential processing.  In contrast, Sam obtains strengths in visual processing. As a result of this strength, the use of visual schedules can help the individual better understand expectations, thus reducing the likelihood of negative behaviours.

Knot and Dunlop (2007) assert that visual timetables provide structure and help children with an ASD to see what is going to happen, when. This reduces uncertainty and anxiety and helps them to focus instead on learning. The main cause for anxiety and distress for Sam during the morning is the change in setting and the uncertainty of what is going to happen in the school day. Creating a visual timetable with Sam is an effective strategy to provide Sam with an outline of exactly what is going to happen each day. The timetable has been constructed with Velcro backings to allow Sam to work with the teacher to manipulate the timetable together, and talk about each event and change during that day. The timetable (exhibited in the artefact) has been broken down into nine stages, including the lunch breaks. Each afternoon, the teacher must set aside time to work with Sam on the timetable and prepare him for the next day. This can reduce the unpredictability for Sam when he arrives at school in the morning as he is aware and prepared of what the day entails.