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Tips and guides

Object Symbols for Preschool Student

Setting up an object symbol system with a preschool student with visual impairments and multiple disabilities

I have a student coming to PPCD (Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities) starting Monday. The OT, PT, and I got together and created a document of what symbol we wanted to use for each of the centers in the classroom and positional changes for the student. This student is in a wheelchair and positioning is vital for him, so we felt that the document with positions listed was vital to help the teacher in her planning for the student. After we created the document, we shared the information with the teacher and the speech teacher (actually several speech teachers as it was unclear who the student would have). We wanted these to be in place from day one, minute one. 

Materials

three cards with objects representing the activities
Object symbols for speech, OT, and PT
three cards with objects representing the activities
Object symbols for home, bathroom, and recess
three cards with objects representing the activities
Object symbols for puzzles, blocks and sensory
three cards with objects representing the activities
Object symbols for science, writing, and math
three cards with objects representing the activities
Object symbols for white center, circle, library
three cards with objects representing the activities
Object symbols for art, Little Room, lunch
three cards with objects representing the activities
Object symbol for fire drill
three cards with objects representing the activities
Object symbols for PT, O & M, and nurse

                    

We color coded the document to help the teacher know which symbols are activity, place, and people. Each of the service providers gave me information on what they wanted to use for their symbol, while keeping in mind what would make sense to the student. We chose to take the ‘dramatic play’ center off his schedule and use the Little Room in its place. Everyone on the team agreed. 

a document listing the activity, the symbol that represents it on a schedule, the position the student should be in, and any additional comments
Click above to download listing of activities, symbols, positions, and comments.

I took several of the cards to the child’s home, as I have been working with him for 2 years in the ECI program. He was able to explore a symbol and then I’d do the activity with him. When the alarm on my phone went off ten minutes later, he learned that the activity was finished and we’d move on to the “next center”. Once the OT came out with me and we used her symbol. Her coming out with me helped him to become more familiar with her (they’d already met at his play-based assessment) and helped the parent become more comfortable with knowing her son would be in good hands.

Collage of object symbols for preschool student with visual impairments and additional disabilities
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