Visual supports at home and in the community for individuals with autism spectrum disorders: A scoping review.

Rutherford et al. (2020) mapped every paper they could find on visual supports used at home or in the community for people with autism. They pulled 34 studies plus parent interviews and sorted the tools into four buckets: schedules, cues, boundaries, and social narratives. They also flagged six practice themes like caregiver training and need for consistency.

The review shows lots of different visual tools, but most reports come from clinics or schools, not real-life home settings. Studies use unlike methods, so you cannot line them up for a clean yes-or-no verdict. The big gap: we know little about what happens when families use visuals during grocery runs, bedtime, or playground time without a researcher watching.

Grahame et al. (2015) already called visual activity schedules an evidence-based practice, but their proof came mostly from tightly run sessions, not loose family routines. Marion’s map now widens the lens and says the home piece is still thin.

Mouzakes et al. (2025) looked only at schedule studies and reached a gloomy take: not enough clean data to say schedules alone fix transitions. That sounds like a clash with Victoria’s thumbs-up. The gap is method: Victoria counted any well-run single-case series; Mouzakes asked for trials that isolate the schedule from other prompts. Both fit inside Marion’s bigger tent.

Lam et al. (2025) adds tooth-brushing to the picture. Their 2025 meta-analysis found tiny gains when families used visual stories or apps for oral care, but the evidence was shaky. Marion’s themes match: visuals can help, only if you train the parent and keep the plan steady.

If you coach families, pick one visual that fits their daily flow, teach them how to hand it over, and write a simple consistency plan. Do not ship a stack of schedules and hope for magic. Track one routine (bedtime, supermarket, tooth-brushing) and tweak the tool until the learner owns it. Marion’s map tells us the field is wide open for real-world data—your case notes could be the next piece of solid home evidence.