Environmental Predictability

Module 4: Environmental Predictability

Environmental Predictability can utilize visuals, verbals, and tangible items to help increase knowledge of what is going to happen. 

An evidence-based behavior management strategy that makes use of the environment and establishing routines is called Environmental Predictability. When students are able to predict the events within the school day or during instructional periods, they are more likely to be engaged and to be compliant, and less likely to demonstrate challenging behavior (Kern & Clemens, 2007). Establishing consistent and sequential routines is crucial in helping to bring a sense of predictability to the classroom or during times of instruction (Wong et al., 2015).  

One way to promote a predictable environment is to incorporate visual activity schedules (VAS).  VAS are a set of pictures, images, or drawings that convey a specific sequence of events or activities (Knight et al., 2015). This evidenced-based strategy of increasing environmental predictability (Wong et al., 2015) provides students with a sense of trust and security through their being able to predict, or know, the events that are going to occur immediately and in the near future (Macdonald et al., 2018). The VAS tends to be more effective than other directives because it is more concrete in representation and easily stored in a student’s memory (Frey & Fisher, 2010). VAS, as with many other ways to increase environmental predictability, can be used at the individual, small group, and class-wide level. Therefore, it is important for students to be able to understand and manipulate the VAS in order for the schedule to be most effective. 

Another way to increase environmental predictability is to incorporate visual boundaries in the classroom. This can be done through floor tape, desk tape, and the arrangement of classroom furniture (Fittipaldi-Wert & Mowling, 2009). Incorporating boundaries in this way helps to eliminate confusion and lets the students know what is expected in each specific area of the classroom or learning space. Another tool that can help make the environment more predictable for students is through the use of a visual timer.  A visual timer is a clock that can be manipulated by a teacher so that students are visually able to see time decreasing as time passes. This clock, a visual timer, informs students of how much time is left before the next activity or task starts, eliminating the anticipation of “when” the next transition will occur (Ben-Avie et al., 2014). Visual timers are available in multiple sizes, accessed through free websites, or can be accessed through purchased applications for phones and computers.  

Steps for Implementation 

First, the teacher will want to consider which tool to use to increase the environmental predictability within his or her classroom or teaching area. For instance, a teacher may decide to utilize a visual timer to show how much time remains during a lesson. The teacher will ask him or herself does this tool (e.g., visual timer) help to increase the predictability of the environment for my students? 

Next, the teacher will consider explaining to the students how the tool to increase environmental predictability will be used. In the example of the visual timer, the teacher can show it to the students and explain that the red part of the clock indicates how much time remains until the activity or learning task will be completed. The teacher will ask him or herself is this tool or strategy being used visually within my teaching? 

Third, the teacher will consider if the use of the tool reduced the abstract for the students and did it make the concept or direction more concrete for the students. This example of using the visual timer makes more concrete the amount of time that remains for the students to engage in a learning task or activity.  The red part of the visual timer getting smaller displays for the students how much time remains until the conclusion of the activity. 

The fourth and last step for increasing environmental predictability is to evaluate if the tool or strategy used focused on the expectations, routines, or relationships within the classroom or instruction. In this case, the use of a visual timer as a tool to increase environmental predictability focused on all three!  The teacher is able to communicate expectations for how long students will work on an activity, the students recognize that there is a routine that is being carried out within a set amount of time, and a mutual respect is developed as students recognize and respect the amount of time the teacher is providing for the learning task or activity to occur during instruction. 

Why is this strategy so important – specifically for use with students with disabilities? 

Increasing environmental predictability in the learning environment helps students feel secure, and to increase their self regulation, because they know the expectations that are set before them (Kern & Clemens, 2007). This is particularly important for students with disabilities who may struggle with self regulation.  Additionally, students are able to free up their working memory so they can apply their cognitive skills to learning if the environment holds a lot of predictability for the students (Peijnenborgh et al, 2015). This is beneficial for students with disabilities who may struggle with learning and retaining information.   

Another benefit to increasing environmental predictability is that the students will not have to expend as much effort in remembering the predictable aspects of what happens within their classrooms or learning areas. Through talking about expectations and practicing routines, students will know what to do to effectively prepare for their next learning task or activity in the classroom or during instruction which may also assist students with disabilities who struggle with transitions or changes to the routines (Hayes et al., 2010). 

Students with disabilities may feel as if they are unable to learn when facing sensory overload, may withdraw socially, or experience feelings of fear and anxiety when environmental predictability is not utilized within their classrooms or teaching spaces (Favre et al., 2015). Teachers can reduce sensory clutter and use more meaningful visuals to assist the students with disabilities who may benefit from the “less is more” mentality to setting up the environment.