Are visual rules only for younger children?

No. Many teenagers and adults with learning disabilities use visual rules. The aim is accessibility, not age.

Where can I get printable picture symbols?

Photosymbols, Widgit, Boardmaker, and Mencap all publish symbols. Our downloads section includes a free printable visual rules sheet.

Can I use photos of my own family?

Yes — personalised photos often work even better. Pictures of trusted adults, the home device, and familiar apps make rules feel real.

Visual and Picture-Based Online Safety Rules

Picture-based online safety rules for non-readers and emerging readers — printable cards, AAC-compatible symbols, and how to use them well.

Overview

Text-heavy online safety rules are inaccessible to many children — younger children, children with learning disabilities, emerging readers, and AAC users. Visual rules — pictures, symbols, simple icons — make safety information accessible to the same child a verbal rule would lose.

This guide explains how to build, choose, and use visual rules well, with examples you can print and use today.

Starting from strengths

Visual learners often grasp and retain picture-based rules better than text-based ones. A clear visual rule, repeated calmly, often reaches a child more effectively than any conversation.

Common challenges and what helps

Generic symbol sets are not relevant to your child's actual apps

Where helpful, use screenshots of your child's actual apps in the visual rules. Familiar visuals stick.

Rules feel too abstract — 'stay safe' is hard to picture

Translate every rule into a specific picture-action. Not 'be careful', but 'show grown-up the screen', with a picture of doing that.

Visual rules ignored after a few days

Move the visual rules closer to the device, not the fridge. Refresh them seasonally. Make adding to them a fun activity, not a punishment.

Practical steps

•Pick five rules — no more — for your printable visual card.
•Use clear, single-action symbols for each rule.
•Place the card next to the device, not in a drawer.
•Read the card together at the start of each device use, for the first week.
•Review and update the rules every term or after any incident.
•Consider Photosymbols or Mencap visual sets for accessibility.
•Make a copy for the child's bag, school, or carer.

Conversation starters

Phrases that help

Can you point to the rule about asking grown-ups first?
Shall we add a new picture for this new app?
Which rule do you think is the most important?
What rule do you wish we had on here?
Want to make a copy for your bag?

Working with school

Share your visual rules with school, especially if your child uses devices in the classroom. Many schools welcome consistency between home and school visual supports. Photosymbols, Widgit, and Boardmaker sets are widely used in UK schools.

Signs to take seriously

!Child suddenly hiding or refusing to look at the rules card.
!Rules card disappearing or being torn up after a new contact appears.
!Child saying 'that rule is not real' or 'we do not need that one any more'.
!An adult or older child telling your child to ignore the rules.

When to escalate

Visual rules are not a substitute for safeguarding. If your child has been pressured, contacted by an unknown adult, or asked for images, report to CEOP at ceop.police.uk and call 101 (999 for immediate danger). The NSPCC (0808 800 5000) can support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last reviewed: 2026-05-16 · This page is educational guidance, not a substitute for clinical advice, safeguarding professionals, or emergency services.

This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.