Visual Timers

As a parent of a child with Autism, I am always looking for tools that will help my son manage in a world that can so easily overwhelm him. One of my biggest challenges has been helping him learn patience and the concept of time. The Visual Timer has been one of the best solutions I have found to address this problem. You set the timer by turning a dial to the desired number of minutes. The time you set shows up in red and as time counts down, the red goes away. There are several versions to choose from, including one for the computer, one that has an audible“beep” at the end of the timer and one without a beep.

My son is a visual learner, so having time he can “see” has been crucial to his understanding of time and patience. We use the Visual Timer at home and at School, and have experienced fewer non-compliant episodes when transitioning because he can see when it is time to switch and prepare for it, even when it is to a non-preferred activity. I suggested this product to the teacher of an inclusion program he was part of and she said that not only did it help my son, but it helped the rest of the class as well.