Most of us learn well by means of visual information. We watch movies, we interact on our screens and we enjoy meeting people face to face too. Some of my autistic children though (especially at a very young age) could become overwhelmed by too much visual stimulation. For some people, visual information can be stressful and feel too demanding.
This was especially true for my dyslexic kids. They often had more success recalling words for example that they could see and ‘jump’ out (hopscotch style) rather than write out. For my younger autistic children, we used simple photo stories to help them predict what might happen in an unknown place or experience. We had to make sure that the information they were receiving visually was helpful to them and not too much for them to handle. Striking that balance was tough at times but was a rewarding point to get to.
For my neurodivergent children, learning visually was a more accurate and interesting mode of engagement. They could at times become confused by written or spoken instructions. Showing them HOW (often via means of video) was incredibly helpful for them.
I love that Outschool embraces this knowledge! Using a live format for classes means the chances of my kiddo being engaged is very high. It also means that if my child feels overwhelmed and needs to switch their camera off, they can still participate. In the Outschool Groups that my kids have participated in, the layout is bright and inviting, making their experiences reading and writing on the group posts a really fun experience.
My son loves that the Outschool website is easy to navigate and very well set out. Buttons, colours and headings are used well so that the learner can add posts and photos to their group.
For our son, being able to publish his post and see the photo of his Lego creation was a great learning incentive. It is also building confidence and independence in his learning. Again, Outschool seems to really ‘get’ that there are different types of learners and nails it for those more visually inclined out there.
Tip: Make the most of visual learning by using different media like whiteboards, laser boards, computers, coloured cards, stickers, posters with illustrations rather than just words. Use mind maps for brainstorming ideas, highlighters to help make headings and important information stand out and comic books or other forms of visual written media.
Here are 3 Outschool Classes your Visual Learner may really connect well with:
