Autism Morning Routines: One Mom's Visual Schedule Win. 🌱

Picture this:

It’s 6:30 AM, your child is still in bed, refusing to move.

You try to dress them — screaming, breakfast? Food on the floor.

By 7:15, you’re both in tears, and the school bus is pulling up.

Sound familiar?

That was my life every single day.

Leo would meltdown at every transition. From eating to brushing teeth to shoes — it was like he couldn’t see what came next. I felt like the worst mom.

I remember one morning in particular. Leo had thrown his bowl of oatmeal across the kitchen — again. The wall was streaked with orange mush, his little face red and crumpled, fists clenched so tight his knuckles were white. I was on my knees wiping the floor, mascara running, whispering “Why can’t I just get this right?” The bus honked outside. We missed it. Again.

I tried everything:

•  Timers → he’d hurl them across the room

•  Verbal countdowns → “Five more minutes!” only triggered panic

•  Sticker charts → he’d rip them off the wall, confused and frustrated

Nothing worked.

One night, after another 10-minute battle just to get shoes on, I collapsed on the couch with my phone. Scrolling through our Bloom parent support group, I saw a photo another mom posted:

A colorful board on the way out his room with pictures and Velcro.

“Mornings saved. 5 minutes to make. Zero meltdowns.”

I stared at it for a full minute. Then I looked over at Leo, lining up his toy trains in perfect silence — the only time he was calm all day.

I thought:

“What if Leo could see the plan instead of just hearing it?”

That weekend, I grabbed:

•  My phone (for photos)

•  A $3 whiteboard from the dollar store

•  Velcro dots from Amazon

I printed 3 simple pictures:

1.  Breakfast (Leo eating his favorite oat cereal with the blue spoon he loves)

2.  Toothbrush (his bright blue electric brush that spins and sings)

3.  Shoes (his red Vivo sneakers with the dinosaur print)

I still remember kneeling on the kitchen floor at 11 PM, cutting out the photos with shaky hands, praying this wouldn’t be another failed experiment.

A simple whiteboard with a “To Do” and “Done” column — Leo’s photos Velcroed in place.

Then I made this board:

•  Leo moves each card to “Done” after finishing.

•  When all 3 are done → his favorite wooden train comes out to play.

Day 1

I held my breath as Leo walked into the kitchen. He stopped. Stared at the board. Touched the "EAT" photo. Then — without a word — sat down and ate three bites.

I nearly cried into my coffee.

Day 3

No meltdown at toothbrush time. Instead, he tugged my sleeve, pointed to the board, and made the sign for “brush.” I handed him the card. He moved it to “Done” himself.

That night, I told my husband, “I think… it’s working.”

Day 7

I woke up to silence. No crying. No screaming.

I tiptoed to the kitchen — and there was Leo, already at the fridge, moving the "SHOES" card to “Done” with a proud little grin.

I sat on the floor and let him push his wooden engine around my legs while I finally — finally — drank a full cup of coffee. Warm.

He asks for his board now. Every morning, no screaming and no oatmeal on the walls.

And me? I’m not the worst mom anymore. I’m the mom who figured out how to help her son see the day.

If mornings feel like a battlefield in your home, try this. It’s not magic — it’s just giving our kids the clarity they need to bloom.

Your turn: What’s one small change that’s helped your routine? Drop it in the comments — let’s support each other on this journey. 🌱