Guides · AutismDock
Practical autism guides
Communication, routines, emotional regulation and printable materials, explained for families and professionals.
Communication
AAC devices for autism
Dedicated devices vs. tablet apps, costs and how to choose.
Printable PECS cards
Free PDF card packs plus a matching digital board.
Speech therapy apps
Short daily practice with visual supports and natural voice.
Autism communication board
Core-word board with natural voice, digital and printable.
Nonverbal autism communication
Practical ways to communicate without relying on speech.
PECS phases 1-6
What each phase asks and when to move on.
Echolalia in autism
What repeated speech means and how to build on it.
Gestalt language processing
The six NLA stages and how to support each one.
Social story examples
Copy-ready stories for haircuts, dentist and school.
Speech delay vs autism
What separates a late talker from autistic communication.
Eye contact
Why forcing it backfires and what to build instead.
Routines and structure
Visual schedule for autism
Build predictable days with visual routine strips.
Social stories for autism
Prepare new situations with personalised visual stories.
Token board for autism
Digital and printable reward charts that fade out over time.
First-then board
Two pictures: what happens now and what happens next.
Visual timer
Silent colour countdown that makes time concrete.
Morning routine chart
Visual checklist that replaces constant verbal prompts.
Choice board
Two to six visual options that give real control.
Transition strategies
Warnings, timers and bridges between activities.
Bedtime routine
Same visual steps every night for calmer sleep.
Potty training steps
Visual toileting chain with timed prompts.
School routine chart
Classroom visual schedule shared with home.
Printable visual schedule
Free PDF strips for morning, evening and school.
School anxiety
Predictability, break cards and a shared home-school plan.
Daily schedule template
Free editable day plan from morning to bedtime.
Reward chart
Clear targets, immediate reinforcement and a fade-out plan.
Regulation and wellbeing
Emotional regulation activities
Feelings charts, calm thermometer and breathing routines.
Meltdown vs tantrum
How to tell them apart and what actually helps.
Calm down corner
How to set up a calm space at home or in class.
Feelings chart
Faces, colours and a 5-level intensity thermometer.
Emotion cards
Printable feelings cards plus an intensity scale.
Sensory activities
Calming and alerting input planned as a sensory diet.
Sensory toys
Choose by input, not packaging — plus free digital tools.
Stimming explained
Why stims regulate and when to offer a safer substitute.
Sleep problems
Visual bedtime routines and sensory wind-down that work.
Calming strategies
What helps before, during and after overload.
Sensory overload signs
Catch the early signals before the meltdown.
Resources
Signs of autism in toddlers
Early signs by age and what to do next.
Autism apps for kids
What to look for and how AutismDock compares.
Free autism printables
Schedules, cards, charts and SOS cards in PDF.
Social skills activities
Turn-taking, emotion reading and social stories.
Visual supports
Every visual support in one place, on screen and printable.
Behavior chart & ABC log
Track triggers and share clear data with your therapist.
Picky eating
Sensory food selectivity and low-pressure exposure.
IEP meeting tips
Bring data, request specific supports, get them written in.
Elopement & wandering
Prevention plan plus an SOS card ready in one tap.
Toe walking
Sensory causes, red flags and when to see a physio.
Parent burnout
Signs of caregiver burnout and how to cut daily load.
Play skills activities
Turn-taking and imitation built from the child's interests.
Hyperlexia
Early decoding, later comprehension — and how to build it.
Dental visits
Desensitization, social stories and the 'happy visit' strategy.
Haircut tips
Practice at home, photo stories and a visible end.
Travel guide
Rehearse airports, hotels and broken routines.
Birthday parties
Redesign the celebration around your child.
Water safety
Swimming lessons and wandering prevention that save lives.
Supporting siblings
Honest explanations, protected time, all feelings OK.
Homeschooling
Visual structure at home, interest-led learning.
Bullying prevention
Teach recognition, build reporting channels, document.
Screen time
Scheduled windows, visual endings — AAC is not screen time.
Medical visits
Preparation protocol for doctors, needles and hospitals.