What is a Po-key Smock?

Challenges with transitions and routines, such as toilet training, are common concerns for parents and caregivers of children with autism. These challenges can be attributed to the sensory sensitivities, communication difficulties, and need for predictability often associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Po-Key Smocks are worn visual support/schedule low-tech communication boards for specific routines, activities or periods of the day. 

Communication boards assist people who cannot talk or have speech that is difficult to understand. 

Visual supports/schedules are a recommended supportive strategy that may help in managing transitions and teaching basic routines, cultivating new skills, and promoting greater self-reliance in the completion of daily tasks, with aim to decrease their reliance on caregivers. They provide a visual representation of the sequence of activities or transitions, and they can include pictures, symbols, or written words. If the schedule is in a visible location (such as your shirt!), it allows the child to review it regularly, allowing them to anticipate and prepare for upcoming changes. Often, providing your child with choices can help them feel a sense of control, which can be particularly important during transitions.

Additional information on Visual Supports/Visual Schedules for Children with Autism can be found on the 'Raising Children Network' website: Visual schedules & supports: autism | Raising Children Network

 

Note: These Smocks are not intended to replace AAC strategies implemented by speech pathologists. If used as a AAC aide, your speech therapist should be consulted. The smocks are designed as a visual schedule with added benefit of providing some Aided AAC in the form of communication symbol boards accessed by pointing. It's important for caregivers, educators, and speech pathologists to work collaboratively with individuals using communication boards to ensure that the system meets their unique communication needs and evolves as their skills progress.