# Visual schedules, First-Then boards and calm spaces for the classroom and playroom

> A visual schedule uses objects, photos, symbols or words to show children what happens in the day and in what order, and a First-Then board shows just two steps. In a playroom or classroom, post a group schedule, give any child who needs one their own schedule or board, and teach them to use it every day. Add communication support, sensory changes and a calm space the child chooses and can always leave.

- Canonical page: https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/guides/visual-schedules-in-the-classroom
- Publisher: Rocks Make Pebbles (https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca)
- Topic: For child care and schools
- Applies to: Canada
- Last updated: October 1, 2026. Checked against sources: October 1, 2026
- Professional review: Not yet reviewed (waiting for review by a speech-language pathologist (registered with a provincial college), registered occupational therapist and kindergarten teacher)
- Drafted with the help of AI tools and checked against the sources listed below. Editorial policy: https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/editorial-policy

## Key points

- Post a group visual schedule, and give any child who needs one their own schedule or First-Then board.
- Use pictures the child understands, and the same pictures and words as home.
- A warning alone often doesn't help at transitions. Always show what comes next.
- Keep the child's AAC or picture board with them all day, and have every adult model on it.
- A calm space is somewhere the child chooses and can always leave. It is never a punishment, and never confinement or isolation.

## What visual supports does a playroom or classroom need?

In a playroom, kindergarten or primary classroom, start with a group schedule, then add individual supports for the children who need them. [Visual supports](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#visual-supports) show information as objects, pictures or words that stay put after speech has gone. Ontario's free 2007 guide for educators, Effective Educational Practices for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, still has practical ideas, though the ministry says it "may not reflect current ministry policies or practices" ([Ontario Ministry of Education](https://www.ontario.ca/page/effective-educational-practices-students-autism-spectrum-disorders)).

These are the main kinds ([AFIRM](https://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/Visual-Supports-Brief-Packet-Sam-AFIRM-Team-Updated-2024.pdf); [NCAEP 2020](https://ncaep.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/EBP-Report-2020.pdf)):

| Support | What it is | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Group [visual schedule](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#visual-schedule) | The day in pictures and words, for the whole group | Arrival, circle, after recess |
| Individual schedule | A child's own strip, kept close or carried | Fewer steps, or the child's own pictures |
| [First-Then board](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#first-then-board) | What happens first, and what comes next | Hard changes, new activities |
| Work system | What to do, how much, when it is finished, what is next | Table tasks, independent play |
| Visual instructions | The steps of a task in pictures | Handwashing, dressing for outdoors |
| [Choice board](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#choice-board) | A few pictures to point to | Play, snack, calming choices |
| [Visual timer](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#visual-timer) | Shows time passing | Waiting, turns, endings |

A First-Then board (some people call it a Now and Next board) is often the easiest place to start.

### Objects, photos or symbols?

Use pictures the child understands straight away. Ontario's guide ranks visual supports from real objects, through photos and symbols, to printed words, and warns that symbols a child can't yet understand "will cause frustrations for both the student and the teacher" ([Ontario Ministry of Education](https://www.ontario.ca/page/effective-educational-practices-students-autism-spectrum-disorders)). In a study of [minimally speaking](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#minimally-speaking) autistic children, colour photographs worked better than black-and-white line drawings ([Hartley and Allen 2015](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24916452/)). Write the word under each picture, so every adult says the same thing.

> **Try this:** Photograph your own room: the carpet, snack table, cubbies and washroom door. Give the family copies to use at home.

### Introducing them and using them every day

Ask the family what pictures and words they use. Ontario's guide says a home schedule is easier to use if it "follows a format similar to the one used at school" ([Ontario Ministry of Education](https://www.ontario.ca/page/effective-educational-practices-students-autism-spectrum-disorders)).

1. **Go through the schedule** at the start of the day, pointing to each picture and saying one or two words.
2. **Go back to it at every change.** AFIRM suggests standing behind the child as you prompt, so they look at the schedule, not at you ([AFIRM](https://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/Visual-Supports-Brief-Packet-Sam-AFIRM-Team-Updated-2024.pdf)).
3. **Give the child a job,** such as posting each finished picture in a "finished" pocket.
4. **Teach it, then fade your help.** A review of 31 studies rated picture schedules an evidence-based practice, "especially when used in combination with systematic instructional procedures": adults taught children to use them step by step ([Knight, Sartini and Spriggs 2015](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2201-z)).
5. **Keep it true.** When plans change, change the schedule and show the child.

Free [visual schedule](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/printables/visual-schedule), [First-Then board](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/printables/first-then-board) and [calm choices board](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/printables/calm-choices-board) printables fit letter-size paper. ConnectABILITY's Visuals Engine, run by Community Living Toronto, also builds printable schedules, First/Then boards and choice boards ([ConnectABILITY](https://connectability.ca/visuals-engine/)).

## How can I make transitions easier?

Pair every warning with what comes next. In a study of toddlers, a 2-minute warning alone didn't help them move to the next activity ([Cote et al. 2005](https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2005.143-04)). A 2026 review of 19 experiments in people with developmental disabilities found that, where tested, "Advance notice alone was not effective" at reducing challenging behaviour at transitions; in one study it made things worse ([Kim et al. 2026](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13053881/)).

- **Show the next picture with the warning:** "Blocks almost finished. Then snack."
- **Use timers with care.** Put the next picture beside the timer, and choose a silent one if the child dislikes beeps.
- **Make the next thing worth moving to,** or let the child carry something with them.
- **Let the child save what they are doing:** a photo of the tower, or a "later" shelf.
- **Go to the child** rather than calling across the room.

In a small study, pictures helped two autistic boys start the next activity sooner ([Dettmer et al. 2000](https://doi.org/10.1177/108835760001500307)).

## How do I support a child's communication in a busy room?

Make sure the child can communicate all day, everywhere, with every adult using the same system. [AAC](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#aac) (augmentative and alternative communication) means signs, pictures, picture boards or a device that speaks. The Canadian Paediatric Society advises using AAC "to help minimally verbal children communicate at home or in school" ([Canadian Paediatric Society](https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/asd-post-diagnostic-management)), and Speech-Language & Audiology Canada says there are no "pre-requisites" for AAC ([SAC, 2024](https://www.sac-oac.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SAC-Info-Sheet-AAC-EN-Digital.pdf)).

- **Every adult models.** Point to symbols on the child's board or device as you talk, or sign key words, without asking the child to copy. A review of 28 studies found this, called [aided language modelling](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#aided-language-modelling), "highly effective" ([O'Neill, Light and Pope 2018](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29931287/)). Yet a 2025 review of 34 studies found AAC in schools was "often implemented outside the classroom" ([Alfaro-Urrutia and Pérez-Godoy 2025](https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251333834)), so show every [ECE](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#ece), [EA](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#ea) and lunch supervisor how.
- **The board or device goes where the child goes,** including snack, the washroom, recess and outings. The Communication Bill of Rights says people should have access to their AAC "at all times" ([Communication Bill of Rights](https://www.asha.org/njc/communication-bill-of-rights/)).
- **Say it once, then wait.** The Hanen Centre in Toronto suggests waiting "up to 10 seconds" for a child to start an interaction ([Hanen Centre](https://www.hanen.org/information-tips/waiting-the-key-to-supporting-your-childs-communication)).
- **Use fewer words, and say what to do:** "Feet on the floor" rather than "Don't climb on that".
- **Treat echoes as communication.** [Echolalia](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#echolalia), repeating words or phrases, often has a purpose: one study found seven functions for immediate echoes ([Prizant and Duchan 1981](https://doi.org/10.1044/jshd.4603.241)). Hanen notes that with "a lot of questions and commands", children who echo tend to repeat words without understanding them ([Hanen Centre](https://www.hanen.org/information-tips/helping-children-who-use-echolalia)). Comment more, and quiz less.

## Which sensory changes help in a group setting?

Do a quick audit, then make the easy changes. Many autistic children have [sensory processing differences](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#sensory-processing-differences), and the Canadian Paediatric Society lists physical surroundings, "e.g., lighting or noise levels", among the factors that raise the risk of challenging behaviour ([Canadian Paediatric Society](https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/asd-post-diagnostic-management)). Sit where the child sits, at their height, at a busy time, and check:

- **Noise:** echo, buzzing lights, fans, hand dryers, music left on. In a 2021 meta-analysis of interview and questionnaire studies, about 41% of autistic people currently had hyperacusis, where everyday sounds feel too loud ([Williams et al. 2021](https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000001005)).
- **Light:** flicker, glare and very bright areas.
- **Displays:** busy walls near the schedule and work areas.
- **Smells:** cleaning products, air fresheners, lunches.
- **Crowding and seating:** cubbies, lineups, the carpet at circle, and where the child sits.

Then offer:

- **Ear defenders or noise-reducing headphones** for loud times, if the child wants them. Two small studies of school-age autistic children were promising ([Pfeiffer et al. 2019](https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2019.00065); [Zanin et al. 2024](https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13164786)).
- **Seating choices,** such as the edge of the group, a cushion or standing, for comfort. A 2025 review found alternative seating did not improve attention ([Piller et al. 2025](https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2025.1720179)).
- **Planned movement breaks** before still or hard activities, not only after distress. Exercise and movement is one of 28 practices a large US review rated evidence-based ([NCAEP 2020](https://ncaep.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/EBP-Report-2020.pdf)).

Never use a sensory item as a reward or take it away as a punishment. In Ontario, [Special Needs Resourcing](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#special-needs-resourcing) can buy equipment for a child in licensed child care, and equipment specific to one child "may follow the child to school" ([Ontario funding guidelines, 2025](https://efis.fma.csc.gov.on.ca/faab/Child%20Care/2025/EN/Chapters/Chapter3.1_EN.pdf)).

## How do I set up a calm space that is safe and allowed?

A calm space is a quiet spot the child chooses to go to, and can always leave, with an adult nearby. It is never a punishment, and never a place where a child is shut in or left alone.

1. **Put it in the room,** in view of staff, away from doors and traffic, with soft light and bare walls.
2. **Stock it for this child:** a cushion, a blanket, headphones, a book about a favourite topic, a calm choices board.
3. **Teach it when the child is calm.** Visit together, and add a "break" picture to their board so they can ask to go.
4. **Let the child choose to go and to come back.** Stay close and say little: lending your calm is called [co-regulation](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#co-regulation).
5. **Never use it as time-out,** and never block the way out.

We found no studies of calm corners, so watch how each child uses one. Licensed child care rules forbid confining or isolating children:

> **Provinces and territories:** As of October 2026, Alberta bans "any form of physical restraint, confinement or isolation" in child care ([AR 143/2008, Schedule 1, s. 3](https://kings-printer.alberta.ca/documents/Regs/2008_143.pdf)). B.C. bans "separation, without supervision by a responsible adult, from other children", and confinement except as authorized in a care plan ([B.C. Reg. 332/2007, s. 52](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/332_2007)). Ontario bans "confining the child in an area or room without adult supervision" except in emergencies ([O. Reg. 137/15, s. 48](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/150137)).

Ontario's College of Early Childhood Educators lists "Singling out, isolating or shaming a child in front of others" among interactions that "violate the standards of the profession or may be considered to be acts of professional misconduct" ([College of ECE, 2017](https://www.college-ece.ca/en/Documents/Practice_Guideline_Supporting_Positive_Interactions_with_Children.pdf)). Schools have separate provincial and school board rules on restraint and seclusion: see [meltdowns, biting and big feelings in child care and kindergarten](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/guides/meltdowns-in-child-care-and-school).

> **Get help now:** If you believe a child is being harmed, for example shut in a room alone or held down as a punishment, follow your child protection policy and your duty to report to child protection services. Call 911 if anyone is in immediate danger.

## Checklist: is your playroom or classroom autism-friendly?

Use it with your team each fall, and when a new child joins.

| Area | What to check |
|---|---|
| Group schedule | Pictures and words at eye level, used every day |
| Individual supports | A First-Then board or schedule for each child who needs one |
| Home and setting | The same pictures and words; changes shared both ways |
| Transitions | Every warning paired with what comes next |
| Communication | AAC, board or signs within reach everywhere; every adult models |
| Instructions | Short, specific, said once, with time to respond |
| Senses | Echo, buzzing, flicker, glare, busy walls and strong scents checked; ear defenders on hand |
| Crowding and seating | Room at cubbies and circle; a choice of seats |
| Movement | Breaks planned before still activities |
| Calm space | In view, open, chosen by the child, never a punishment |
| The plan | Supports written into the child's plan and shared with all staff |

## What does the research say?

Visual structure and AAC have the strongest support. Several popular sensory products and programs have little or none.

| Support | Evidence | What was found |
|---|---|---|
| Visual schedules and work systems | Strong | 65 studies of visual supports ([NCAEP 2020](https://ncaep.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/EBP-Report-2020.pdf)); structured teaching, including work systems, improved independent task completion across 14 school studies ([Zhou et al. 2024](https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.13234)) |
| AAC | Strong | 44 studies in the same review |
| Modelling AAC in class | Moderate | "Highly effective" across 28 studies, but schools often use AAC outside the classroom |
| Movement breaks | Moderate | Better attention and social-emotional functioning across 13 exercise studies ([Bremer et al. 2016](https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361315616002)) |
| Ear defenders, headphones | Limited | Two small studies, promising |
| Alternative seating | Limited | Small, mixed studies; no gain in attention in a 2025 review |
| [Social narratives](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#social-narrative) | Limited | "cannot be considered an evidence-based practice for young children" ([Wahman et al. 2022](https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1325683.pdf)) |
| Weighted vests | None | "cannot be recommended" ([Stephenson and Carter 2009](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0605-3)) |
| Fidget toys | None | No studies with autistic children; two tiny studies in children with attention difficulties disagree ([Aspiranti and Hulac 2022](https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00588-2); [Croley et al. 2023](https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-022-00734-4)) |
| Sensory diets | None | One study; NCAEP says its listing is not "an endorsement" |
| Zones of Regulation | None | "does not meet the standards for an evidence-based practice" ([Mason, Leaf and Gerhardt 2024](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00224669231170202)) |
| Calm corners | None | No studies found |

If your program uses weighted vests, fidgets or the Zones of Regulation, no one is to blame. Watch whether each helps this child, and put most effort into the supports with stronger evidence.

> **Evidence check:** In the NCAEP review's 2012 to 2017 studies, research staff delivered the support in 52% and educators in 20%. Almost 80% used one-on-one sessions ([NCAEP 2020](https://ncaep.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/EBP-Report-2020.pdf)). Expect to adapt for a group, and ask for coaching in your room.

## Where can staff and families get more help?

Ask early. Most help costs families nothing, and much of it needs no diagnosis.

- **Your resource consultant or inclusion program.** Ontario's Special Needs Resourcing supports licensed child care "at no additional cost to families / caregivers" ([Ontario funding guidelines, 2025](https://efis.fma.csc.gov.on.ca/faab/Child%20Care/2025/EN/Chapters/Chapter3.1_EN.pdf)). In B.C., "A diagnosis is not required" to refer a child to [Supported Child Development](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#supported-child-development), and the province offers free, self-paced inclusion training ([B.C. government](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/caring-for-young-children/information-for-partners-providers/inclusive-child-care)). Alberta's Inclusive Child Care Program offers short-term support "for up to 6 months" ([Government of Alberta](https://www.alberta.ca/inclusive-child-care-program)).
- **A [speech-language pathologist](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#s-lp)** for pictures and AAC, and an [occupational therapist](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#occupational-therapist) for sensory needs and seating, with the family's consent.
- **At school:** the [special education resource teacher](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/glossary#sert) (SERT in Ontario) or resource teacher, and school board special education staff. In B.C., school staff reach POPARD's consultation, training and assessment services through their district's POPARD contact ([POPARD](https://autismoutreach.ca/services/)). For children in Ontario's entry to school program, "Families and educators can access consultation services" in the first 6 months at school ([Government of Ontario](https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-autism-program-entry-school-program)).
- **For families:** [Autism Ontario](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/where-to-get-help#autism-ontario), [ACT](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/where-to-get-help#act-autism-community-training) in B.C., [Autism Society Alberta](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/where-to-get-help#autism-society-alberta), [Autism Canada](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/where-to-get-help#autism-canada) and [211](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/where-to-get-help#211-canada).

If the family wants something to read, our parent guides on [visual schedules](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/guides/visual-schedules), [First-Then boards](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/guides/first-then-boards), [feelings and calming](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/guides/feelings-and-calming) and [whether an autistic child will talk](https://rocksmakepebbles.com/ca/guides/will-my-autistic-child-talk) use the same approach.

## Questions staff ask

### Do we need a diagnosis before we use visual supports with a child?

No. Visual schedules and First-Then boards are low-cost and help many children, autistic or not, so you can start now. Some inclusion help doesn't need a diagnosis either: in B.C., families and child care providers can refer a child to Supported Child Development without one. Talk with the family first, and use the same pictures and words as home.

### Should an autistic child have their own visual schedule as well as the class schedule?

Often, yes. The group schedule helps everyone, but a child who finds changes hard may need their own, with fewer steps and pictures they understand, kept where they can see and touch it. Start with a First-Then board or a short strip, teach the child to check it at each change, and fade your help as they learn. Some children only need the group schedule.

### Is a calm-down corner the same as a time-out?

No. A time-out is a consequence an adult chooses. A calm space is somewhere the child chooses to go to feel better and can always leave, with an adult nearby. Never send a child there as a punishment or leave them alone there. Licensed child care rules in Ontario and B.C. ban separating or confining a child without adult supervision, and Alberta bans any confinement or isolation.

### Can we take away a child's AAC device or picture board if they are playing with it?

No. A child's way of communicating should stay with them all day, including at circle, snack, recess and on outings, so they can always tell you what they need. Never use it as a reward or take it away as a punishment. If the sound is a problem, ask the child's speech-language pathologist about the volume, a case or a strap, and model a few words on it yourself.

### Do weighted vests or fidget toys help autistic children concentrate?

The research doesn't support them. A review of weighted vest studies concluded they cannot be recommended, and we found no study of fidget toys with autistic children. If a child or family wants to try one, ask an occupational therapist, keep simple before-and-after notes, and stop if it isn't helping. Never use any sensory item as a reward or take it away as a punishment.

### Where can we get free visual schedule printables for the classroom?

This site has free visual schedule, First-Then board and calm choices board printables on letter-size paper. ConnectABILITY's Visuals Engine, run by Community Living Toronto, builds printable schedules, First/Then boards and choice boards from picture templates. Ask the family which pictures and words they use at home, so the child sees the same ones in both places.

## Sources

1. [Effective Educational Practices for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Resource Guide (2007)](https://www.ontario.ca/page/effective-educational-practices-students-autism-spectrum-disorders), Government of Ontario, Ministry of Education, October 3, 2025
2. [Visual Supports: EBP brief packet, 2024 update (Sam and AFIRM Team)](https://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/Visual-Supports-Brief-Packet-Sam-AFIRM-Team-Updated-2024.pdf), AFIRM, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2024
3. [Iconicity influences how effectively minimally verbal children with autism and ability-matched typically developing children use pictures as symbols in a search task (Hartley and Allen)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24916452/), Autism (via PubMed), July 2015
4. [Evaluating visual activity schedules as evidence-based practice for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (Knight, Sartini and Spriggs)](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2201-z), Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2015
5. [Visuals Engine](https://connectability.ca/visuals-engine/), ConnectABILITY (Community Living Toronto)
6. [The effects of antecedent interventions and extinction on toddlers' compliance during transitions (Cote, Thompson and McKerchar)](https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2005.143-04), Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2005
7. [Interventions for transition-related challenging behavior in individuals with disabilities: a targeted research synthesis and meta-analysis (Kim et al.)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13053881/), Behavior Modification (via PubMed Central), 2026
8. [The use of visual supports to facilitate transitions of students with autism (Dettmer, Simpson, Myles and Ganz)](https://doi.org/10.1177/108835760001500307), Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, August 2000
9. [Post-diagnostic management and follow-up care for autism spectrum disorder (Ip, Zwaigenbaum and Brian)](https://cps.ca/en/documents/position/asd-post-diagnostic-management), Canadian Paediatric Society, October 24, 2019
10. [Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) information sheet](https://www.sac-oac.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SAC-Info-Sheet-AAC-EN-Digital.pdf), Speech-Language & Audiology Canada, October 2024
11. [Effects of interventions that include aided augmentative and alternative communication input on the communication of individuals with complex communication needs: a meta-analysis (O'Neill, Light and Pope)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29931287/), Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research (via PubMed), 2018
12. [Curricular integration of augmentative and alternative communication for students on the autism spectrum in inclusive-oriented schools: a scoping review (Alfaro-Urrutia and Pérez-Godoy)](https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251333834), Autism, 2025
13. [Communication Bill of Rights](https://www.asha.org/njc/communication-bill-of-rights/), National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons With Severe Disabilities (ASHA)
14. [Waiting: the key to supporting your child's communication](https://www.hanen.org/information-tips/waiting-the-key-to-supporting-your-childs-communication), The Hanen Centre
15. [Helping children who use echolalia](https://www.hanen.org/information-tips/helping-children-who-use-echolalia), The Hanen Centre
16. [The functions of immediate echolalia in autistic children (Prizant and Duchan)](https://doi.org/10.1044/jshd.4603.241), Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 1981
17. [Prevalence of decreased sound tolerance (hyperacusis) in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: a meta-analysis (Williams, Suzman and Woynaroski)](https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000001005), Ear and Hearing, 2021
18. [Effectiveness of noise-attenuating headphones on physiological responses for children with autism spectrum disorders (Pfeiffer et al.)](https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2019.00065), Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 2019
19. [Effectiveness of noise cancelling earbuds in reducing hearing and auditory attention deficits in children with autism (Zanin, Tomlin and Rance)](https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13164786), Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2024
20. [Systematic review of sensory-based interventions for children and youth, 2015 to 2024 (Piller et al.)](https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2025.1720179), Frontiers in Pediatrics, 2025
21. [Evidence-based practices for children, youth, and young adults with autism (NCAEP report, Steinbrenner et al.)](https://ncaep.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/EBP-Report-2020.pdf), National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice, University of North Carolina, 2020
22. [Ontario Child Care and Early Years Funding Guidelines, Chapter 3, Division 1: Local Priorities Guideline (s. 7.4, Special Needs Resourcing)](https://efis.fma.csc.gov.on.ca/faab/Child%20Care/2025/EN/Chapters/Chapter3.1_EN.pdf), Government of Ontario, Ministry of Education, November 2025
23. [O. Reg. 137/15: General, under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014 (version from July 1, 2026)](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/150137), Government of Ontario, e-Laws, July 1, 2026
24. [Child Care Licensing Regulation, B.C. Reg. 332/2007 (current to September 22, 2026)](https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/332_2007), Government of British Columbia, BC Laws, September 22, 2026
25. [Early Learning and Child Care Regulation, Alberta Regulation 143/2008 (current as of September 30, 2025)](https://kings-printer.alberta.ca/documents/Regs/2008_143.pdf), Alberta King's Printer, September 30, 2025
26. [Practice Guideline: Supporting Positive Interactions with Children](https://www.college-ece.ca/en/Documents/Practice_Guideline_Supporting_Positive_Interactions_with_Children.pdf), College of Early Childhood Educators (Ontario), June 2017
27. [The use of TEACCH in schools to improve the ability of children with autism to complete tasks independently: a single-case meta-analysis (Zhou et al.)](https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.13234), Child: Care, Health and Development, 2024
28. [A systematic review of the behavioural outcomes following exercise interventions for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder (Bremer, Crozier and Lloyd)](https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361315616002), Autism, 2016
29. [Examining the effects of Social Stories on challenging behavior and prosocial skills in young children: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Wahman et al.)](https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1325683.pdf), Topics in Early Childhood Special Education (via ERIC), 2022
30. [The use of weighted vests with children with autism spectrum disorders and other disabilities (Stephenson and Carter)](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0605-3), Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2009
31. [Using fidget spinners to improve on-task classroom behavior for students with ADHD (Aspiranti and Hulac)](https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00588-2), Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2022
32. [The effect of the Fidget Cube on classroom behavior among students with perceived attention difficulties (Croley et al.)](https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-022-00734-4), Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2023
33. [A research review of the Zones of Regulation program (Mason, Leaf and Gerhardt)](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00224669231170202), The Journal of Special Education, 2024
34. [Inclusive child care (Supported Child Development and free training)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/family-social-supports/caring-for-young-children/information-for-partners-providers/inclusive-child-care), Government of British Columbia, April 2, 2026
35. [Inclusive Child Care Program](https://www.alberta.ca/inclusive-child-care-program), Government of Alberta, July 30, 2026
36. [POPARD: Provincial Outreach Program for Autism and Related Disorders](https://autismoutreach.ca/services/), POPARD (Autism Outreach), hosted by Delta School District 37
37. [Ontario Autism Program: entry to school program](https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-autism-program-entry-school-program), Government of Ontario, September 29, 2026

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Our guides give general information for families in Canada. They are not medical, legal or financial advice. If you are worried about your child's health, contact your family doctor or pediatrician, or your provincial or territorial health line (8-1-1 in most places). In an emergency, call 911.