Establishing routines and promoting organisational skills at home can be beneficial for all children, and particularly so for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Whether it’s getting ready for school in the morning, managing homework, or preparing for bedtime, many children really benefit from having clear and consistent routines to support them. Routines bring consistency, predictability, comfort and calm within a world that can be quite overwhelming and confusing at times.
Small, consistent strategies can make a big difference. This article explores why routines are so important, why some children with SEND may find them difficult, and how you can support your child at home in a practical, compassionate way.
Why Routines Matter
For all children, routines provide a sense of order and predictability. For children with SEND, this can be especially beneficial. Having clear, visual and consistent routines helps with:
- Reducing Anxiety: Many children with SEND feel anxious when they don’t know what to expect. A consistent routine creates a safe framework where surprises are reduced, and they can feel more secure.
- Building Independence: When children know what comes next, they can begin to anticipate tasks and take ownership of parts of the routine.
- Supporting Transitions: Moving from one activity to another can be particularly challenging. A structured routine makes transitions smoother because children know what’s expected.
- Developing Life Skills: Organisational habits developed early on, like packing a school bag or following a bedtime routine, help to lay the foundations for independence throughout life.
- Creating Calm at Home: Predictable routines can help to reduce power struggles, emotional dysregulation, and stressful moments for the whole family.
Why Routines and Organisation Can Be Difficult
While routines sound straightforward, many children with SEND face specific barriers that make them hard to follow. Understanding these challenges is the first step in finding solutions.
- Executive Functioning Difficulties: Executive functioning is the brain’s ability to plan, organise, and manage tasks. Children with differences like ADHD or autism may struggle with these skills, making it hard for them to remember steps in a routine or to stay on track without support.
- Sensory Differences: For some children, sensory sensitivities make daily activities more challenging. A simple routine like brushing their teeth might be overwhelming due to the taste or texture of toothpaste, which can disrupt the whole sequence.
- Difficulty with Transitions: Moving from one activity to another, such as transitioning from a play activity to homework, can be very challenging. The sudden change can feel abrupt, leading to resistance or distress.
- Memory and Processing Differences: Some children may not be able to retain verbal instructions or may take longer to process that information. This makes routines harder to remember and follow independently.
- Emotional Regulation Challenges: Even with a well-planned routine, children may struggle to regulate their emotions when they feel rushed, pressured, or confused.
By recognising and understanding children’s unique differences and challenges, you can approach routines with empathy, adjusting expectations and putting in place the right support to overcome any barriers.
Top Tips for Creating Successful Routines at Home
Creating routines doesn’t have to mean rigid timetables or removing all flexibility. It’s about finding a balance between structure and your child’s individual needs. Here are some practical ways to support:
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Start Small and Build Gradually
Rather than overhauling your child’s whole day with lots of detailed routines, focus on one part of the daily routine that causes the most stress. It might be getting out the door in the morning or maybe settling down at bedtime. Break it down into manageable steps and practice consistently before establishing new routines.
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Use Visual Supports
Many children with SEND respond well to visual aids and cues. You could try:
- Visual Plans/Routines: Use pictures or symbols to represent each step of the routine, e.g., “wash face – brush teeth – put on pyjamas – bedtime story.” You can create a velcro board so that children can physically remove the actions as they complete them.
- Timers or Clocks: Visual countdowns help children understand how long they have for an activity, or how long they have left before moving to the next part of the routine. For example, the TTS Easi-Timer which provides a visual countdown using colours.
- Checklists: For older children, written checklists they can tick off encourage independence. Top tip – laminate these and use a whiteboard pen, so you can easily wipe the marks off for the next day. Alternatively, use Velcro pieces, to remove the stages as they go.
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Keep Routines Consistent
Consistency is key. Try to keep the order of steps the same each day, even if timings vary slightly. For example, always brushing teeth before putting on pyjamas signals to your child what is coming next, regardless of whether bedtime is at 7:30 or 8:00.
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Prepare for Transitions
Give your child notice before an upcoming change happens. Phrases like, “In 10 minutes, we’re going to tidy up the toys,” followed by a 5-minute reminder, can help children to prepare for the transition. Using a visual timer, such as an electronic or sand timer, can also help. Children know they need to move on when they see the time is up or hear the beep. This offers a neutral, non-negotiable cue and reduces the need for verbal demands which can often cause anxiety or tension, especially for those children who like to feel in control.
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Break Tasks into Smaller Steps
What feels like one step to us may feel like several to a child. For example, “Get ready for school” might actually involve 10 different actions: putting on uniform, socks, shoes, brushing teeth, packing bag, etc. Write down or use visual prompts to break down and show each step so your child knows exactly what to do. Sometimes even the smaller tasks such as ‘get dressed’ can benefit from learning the routine, e.g. pants on before trousers.
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Build in Some Flexibility
While consistency is important, it’s also valuable to teach children that routines can adapt. If something changes, like going on holiday or having a doctor’s appointment, prepare them in advance and explain the new routine clearly, using visuals if possible. Looking for pictures of the place can be helpful and creating a new ‘holiday routine’ together can offer some security.
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Create Routines Together
Involve your child in creating routines. Ask them what order they’d like to do things in or let them choose a visual symbol for each step. They could even draw the stages themselves, so they have personal meaning. This gives them ownership and makes them more likely to engage.
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Keep encouraging
Praise and encouragement help children feel proud of their progress. Focus on effort as well as outcomes to build confidence, for example “I love how you remembered to pack your book bag today”.
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Model Organisational Skills
Children learn by watching. Share aloud what you’re doing: “I’m making a list of what I need before I go shopping so I don’t forget.” This shows your child that being organised is a skill everyone uses and that everyone needs to practise.
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Adapt to Your Child’s Age and Needs
As children grow, we may need to tweak and adapt our plans. Younger children may prefer picture cards or songs. Whereas older children might like digital tools such as calendar apps or reminders on a phone. Some children also might prefer tactile aids like Velcro charts or laminated checklists they can physically tick off or move (just like us, some will be ‘to do list’ fans).
Supporting Organisation Beyond Daily Routines
Organisation isn’t just about morning and bedtime routines. It can also include managing belongings, schoolwork, and responsibilities. Here are some tips:
- Create ‘Homes’ for Items: Have a consistent place for shoes, school bags, or homework folders. Label baskets or hooks with words or pictures.
- Pack the Night Before: Encourage your child to prepare their school bag or PE kit in the evening when there’s less time pressure.
- Simplify Choices: Too many options can overwhelm children. Limit clothing choices to two or three outfits or keep school supplies in one box to choose from.
- Use Colour-Coding: Assign colours for days of the week or activities e.g. things for Monday in a red folder, Tuesday is blue etc.
- Teach Time Management and Awareness: Use visual timers, alarms, or timetables to help children understand how long tasks take.
When Things Don’t Go to Plan
Even with the best planning, routines don’t always run smoothly. And remember, that is ok. Some days will just feel more chaotic than others. When this happens:
- Stay Calm: Your child may already be feeling overwhelmed. A calm tone helps reduce tension.
- Acknowledge Feelings: Show empathy, for example “I know it’s hard to stop playing when you’re having fun.”
- Review and Adjust: If a routine consistently causes stress, take a look at what isn’t working. You might want to break it down further, change the order, or use different supports.
- Celebrate Small Wins: Even if not everything goes to plan, celebrate what has worked! Small bits of success are still progress in the right direction.
Looking After Yourself as a Parent
Creating routines and supporting organisation takes energy and patience. Remember:
- It’s ok if your routines aren’t perfect. Progress is more important than perfection.
- Reach out for support from schools, professionals working with your child or local SEND groups. You are not alone and there will be lots of tips, experiences and advice to share.
- Celebrate your own efforts as well as your child’s. You are both building important skills together.
Final Thoughts
For children with SEND, routines and organisational skills are not just about getting through the day, they are essential tools for building independence, reducing anxiety, and creating calmer family life. While these skills may take more time and support to develop, every step forward is meaningful.
By starting small, using visual aids, being consistent, and celebrating progress, you can help your child gain confidence in managing daily tasks. And along the way, you’ll discover that routines don’t just benefit your child, they bring greater peace and predictability for the whole family.
This article has been written by TTS in-house expert, Catherine Jewkes
Catherine is a former teacher, senior leader and qualified SENCo, having taught across many different year groups from Nursery to Year 6. She has also worked for a Local Authority leading and supporting a locality of over 70 mainstream and specialist settings from nurseries through to colleges, helping to develop and implement provision for their learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
