Frequently Asked Questions
See below a list of our most frequently asked questions. If you don't find the answer, please contact us and we'll get back to you shortly.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HARD COPY OR A PDF VERSION?
If you order a hard copy of a product it will arrive ready to use. Some of our products will have been printed directly onto plastic tiles, others will have been printed and laminated using matt laminate - see the product description on each product page for clarification. If your item comes with a board there will be velcro attached to join the symbols to the board.
If you order a PDF version you will receive an electronic version of your symbols which you can then download, print and recreate as many times as you like. Standard products will be available to instantly download; personalised products will be emailed to you once they have been made. Please note that when ordering a PDF version you will not receive anything through the post.
ARE THESE PECS?
No - in that no images themselves are PECS. PECs refers to an alternative communication system - the Picture Exchange Communication System, made by the fantastic Pyramid Educational Consultants. It teaches functional communication through a specific protocol.
Having said that, Pyramid Educational Consultants will teach you that you can use any picture in the PECS system as long as it is clear what the images are. So yes, you can use our pictures in a PECS system. You can find out more about PECs at their website. If you haven't been on one of their courses then do - they're fantastic!
WHICH VISUALS SHOULD I CHOOSE FOR MY PERSONALISED RESOURCE?
The best way to decide which symbols to choose is to begin by thinking through a typical day. Depending on the user's needs you may need to list the symbols in more or less detail. For example, one person may only need get dressed, breakfast, clean teeth etc, whilst another may need get dressed broken down into individual steps before moving on to the next task.
Once you have thought about the day start to think of any extra activities such as swimming, football etc. Then think of who else's house your child may go to e.g. Nanny's house, Lucy's house, or play with Freddie. It may help to write ideas down as you go through a typical week. Some people like to have symbols showing the days of the week to display at the top of the timetable. It is also useful to have an extra symbols that cover something that is a one off, for example a question mark or a star.
WHAT WORDING SHOULD I USE IN MY VISUALS?
Any people with language or communication difficulties will benefit from having words kept to a minimum. This will also help the aesthetics of the symbols. For example, rather than 'go to school' just put 'school'. It is also important to make the wording like an instruction. So, for example, rather than put 'cleaning teeth', put 'clean teeth'. A typical visual timetable might have the following symbols: toilet, get dressed, breakfast, clean teeth, school, Nanny's house, home, swimming, play, tea, bath, story, bed etc...
ARE THESE ONLY FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS?
Nope! Whilst there is no doubt that visual symbols are vital for some individuals with additional needs, they can and are used by everyone. Each of us in the Create Visual Aids team uses them with our own children! Visuals can reduce anxiety, increase positive behaviour, help with everyday tasks such as the morning routine and boost learning.
CAN THESE BE USED BY ADULTS AS WELL AS CHILDREN?
Yes! Our characters, The Beanies, are intended to be age neutral except for pictures where there obviously needs to be adults and children. Since we make personalised resources here at Create Visual Aids, we will make the symbols as close to perfect as we can for the user.
WHICH WAY ROUND DO YOU HAVE THE HOOK AND LOOP?
Great question! All of our products here at Create Visual Aids use VELCRO® Brand hook and loop. We put the:
hook (rough side) on any type of board such as the backing boards or Now and Next boards
loop (soft side) on all of the visual cards themselves.
If you would prefer to have your product the other way round to match your existing visuals that is absolutely fine, however please contact us BEFORE ordering just to check that someone is available to do this for you sooner rather than later.
WHAT MATERIALS ARE YOUR PRODUCTS MADE OF?
We have two main materials here at Create Visual Aids. The backing boards and Now and Next boards are made of 3mm thick foamex meaning they are sturdy but light, and can be attached to a wall easily with sticky tac.
Our visuals are made of polypropylene which is a thin plastic. We choose this because it is so durable. The material won't tear, can be cleaned, is water resistant and doesn't crease easily. A4 sheets such as the feelings charts are also made of this material.
All of our visuals are matt rather than gloss so as to avoid glare and have rounded corners so as not to hurt any eyes if thrown!
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO RECEIVE MY ORDER?
The delivery time will depend on whether you have ordered a hard copy or a PDF version, and whether the product is a bespoke one or a standard one. Please see below for delivery times:
Standard PDF documents - will be instantly available to download after purchase.
Bespoke PDF documents will be emailed to you within 2 working days of us receiving your personalisation choices.
Standard Hard Copies will be dispatched within 3 working days of ordering.
Bespoke Hard Copies - we will email you a draft version of your visuals within 3 working days (usually sooner). Your visuals will be sent to print the Monday following your approval, and dispatched the following Friday.
HOW MUCH ARE YOUR DELIVERY CHARGES?
Our delivery charges are as follows:
Shipping within the UK:
Orders £0 - £10: £2.99
Orders £10.01 - £49.99: £3.99
Orders over £50: FREE
Shipping to the rest of the world:
Europe: £12
USA, Mexico and Canada: £15
Australia: £20
