In-Clinic to Home: Closing the Generalization Gap
4 min read
Vizy Timer
Therapy Session Work Time that a child can see the end of.
Fifteen minutes into the session and the work has stopped. Not because the target is too hard, but because the child has no way of knowing whether this is nearly over or barely started.
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 timer helps with therapy session work time
Work blocks that a child can see the end of produce more repetitions than blocks that simply continue until an adult decides otherwise. A visible timer converts an open demand into a bounded one, which is easier to enter and easier to sustain.
You will recognize this if
- Compliance drops sharply partway through rather than gradually.
- The child asks how many more repeatedly.
- Work restarts easily after a break but stalls when the block runs long.
The setup
How to set it up for therapy session work time
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 Set a work block short enough that it reliably completes
- 2 Show the timer to the child at the start of every block
- 3 Pair each block with a visible break that follows it
- 4 Keep the block length consistent within a session
- 5 Let the child start the timer as part of the routine
- 6 End on time even when the child is engaged, and note it for next session
The mistake most families make
Extending a productive block is tempting and it costs you the next one, because the child learns that engagement extends the demand.
In the app
Built into the routine, not bolted onto it.
The Vizy Timer lives inside the same routine your child already follows, so therapy session work time 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 therapy session work time comes around.
$6.99/month after the free trial · Cancel anytime · Also at app.vizyplan.com
Common questions
About therapy session work time
Does a timer undermine natural reinforcement?
It does not have to. The timer defines the block while the reinforcement stays attached to the behavior, and most children respond to both.
Should the family use the same timer at home?
Wherever possible, yes. A support that looks and behaves the same in both settings transfers far more easily than one that has to be relearned.
What block length works best?
The one that finishes. Start below current tolerance, establish the pattern, then extend deliberately rather than opportunistically.
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.
