A Practical Tool to Strengthen Engagement and Extend Shared Play

The Sensory Social Routine Visual Support Cards are a professional tool designed to enhance engagement, understanding, and participation in Joint Activity Routines (JARs) for young children, especially those who benefit from visual learning supports. These cards provide a clear visual representation of sensory social routines and are intended to scaffold—not replace—the social interaction at the heart of the activity.

One common challenge with sensory-social JARs is that they can fizzle out quickly when children don’t understand the structure or know what’s coming next. Without a clear visual routines may feel unpredictable or confusing—leading to dysregulation or disengagement. These cards help lengthen and strengthen routines by providing clarity, helping the child stay engaged longer, and giving them a sense of predictability through structure.

Closing sensory-social JARs (e.g., no-object routines like chase, tickles, up/down) is critical because it teaches predictability, supports regulation (down-shifting arousal), and clarifies boundaries—the child learns when the fun ends and what happens next, which reduces protests and makes transitions smoother. Staff often struggle here because there’s nothing to put away (no visual “clean-up” cue), so the routine can fizzle or drift into off-task behavior. 

Each card is thoughtfully created to:

• Represent the Routine Visually: Illustrate the theme and structure of the SSR to help children anticipate what’s happening.
• Clarify the Purpose: Reinforce the goal of the game or activity in a way that is accessible and meaningful to the child.
• Support Predictability: Indicate how many times the activity will be repeated or when it will end—reducing uncertainty and promoting emotional regulation.
• Encourage Shared Intentionality: Support turn-taking, sequencing, and collaborative play by visually breaking down the structure of the interaction.
• Strengthen Closing Routines: Provide visual cues for winding down the activity or signaling “all done,” supporting transitions and decreasing frustration—especially helpful in activities that don’t involve objects (and therefore lack natural clean-up cues).

Visual supports aren’t just about helping children understand what’s happening—they also help them cope with what’s coming next. For children who struggle when a fun activity is about to end, these visuals can be used to count down the number of turns or repetitions remaining—helping them anticipate closure and feel more in control.

For children who want the activity to continue, the cards can also be used to count up—building momentum toward a target number of turns. This flexible use helps signal the passage of time, prep and prime transitions, and reduce emotional dysregulation around stopping. Whether counting down to “all done” or up to “one more time!”, these supports empower children with the predictability and structure they need to stay engaged and regulated within shared routines.

These are not props—they are temporary supports to build participation, reduce cognitive load, and enhance understanding. As the child becomes more familiar with the routine, these visuals should be faded systematically, allowing for more natural and spontaneous interaction. Ideal for therapists, educators, and caregivers, these cards are a flexible addition to your intervention toolkit—designed to help children see, understand, and join in the joy of shared social play.

For more creative social games and activities, check out the NEW BOOK

75 Social Games and Activities to Spark Engagement with Autistic Children.

For more resources, tips, and materials to help you help autistic children, please visit The NDBI Navigator

For professional development and training resources, please visit the

The NDBI Navigator