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Vizy Countdown
Counting Down to a Pet Arriving with the responsibilities visible too.
The puppy comes in three weeks and your child has asked about it approximately nine hundred times. They have also not once asked what will actually change.
Free 7-day trial · No email or credit card to start · Built by an autism dad and a licensed SLP
Why it works here
Why a visual countdown helps with counting down to a pet arriving
A new animal changes the noise, the routine, and the rules of the house, and the excitement usually crowds out any preparation. Counting down with the practical changes attached means the arrival day is the start of something known rather than a surprise reorganization.
You will recognize this if
- Your child talks about the pet constantly and about the logistics never.
- They have strong expectations of what the animal will be like.
- Nobody has discussed what changes in the daily routine.
The setup
How to set it up for counting down to a pet arriving
Takes about five minutes. Use it as written, or keep only the steps your family needs. A short setup that gets used beats a complete one that gets abandoned in week two.
- 1 Attach one preparation task to each countdown day
- 2 Show where the animal will sleep, eat, and be, in your actual home
- 3 Name which of your child's routines change and how
- 4 Be explicit that a new animal will be frightened and may not want contact at first
- 5 Put your child's specific responsibility on the countdown as a repeating step
- 6 Show the first week after arrival so the settling period is expected
The mistake most families make
Letting expectations build unchecked sets up a hard first week, because a new animal is usually scared and unavailable rather than immediately affectionate.
In the app
Built into the routine, not bolted onto it.
The Vizy Countdown lives inside the same routine your child already follows, so counting down to a pet arriving is a step with a visible length rather than a separate tool somebody has to remember to open.
- Attach it to any step in any routine
- Works for pre-readers, gestalt language processors, and AAC users
- Same setup at home, at school, and in therapy
Set this up for your child.
Five minutes to build, and your child sees it every time counting down to a pet arriving comes around.
$6.99/month after the free trial · Cancel anytime · Also at app.vizyplan.com
Common questions
About counting down to a pet arriving
How do I manage unrealistic expectations?
Describe the first week honestly, including that the animal will hide and may not want to be touched. Naming it in advance prevents it reading as rejection.
Should my child have pet responsibilities?
One small consistent task attached to an existing routine works well. A full care rota rarely survives past the second week.
What if the noise is difficult?
Plan for it in advance rather than discovering it. A dog barking is a genuine sensory issue and worth having a plan for before the animal arrives.
VizyPlan supports routines and communication at home and school. It is not a medical device and does not diagnose or treat any condition. Talk to your child's care team about clinical questions.
