Visual schedules and first-then boards

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A visual schedule shows a student what is happening and in what order, using objects, photos, symbols or words. A first-then board is a two-step version: first a task, then something the student wants. Both cut down on uncertainty and help with transitions. Choose the format the student understands, teach it directly, and write it into the IEP as an accommodation or support.

Spoken directions disappear the moment they are said. A visual schedule stays put, so the student can check it as often as needed. For many autistic students, and for students with language or attention needs, that one change can reduce "What's next?" questions, refusals at transitions and meltdowns over surprises.

This page follows one fictional student through setting up both tools, then covers formats, teaching, fading and the IEP. For goals that build on these tools, see IEP goals for transitions between activities and IEP goals for autism.

A scenario: Ivy's first month with a schedule

Ivy is a fictional 6-year-old autistic kindergartner who speaks in short phrases. Her teacher counted her transitions for one week.

September 8 to 12 (baseline). Ivy had 14 transitions a day. She needed physical guidance in 10 of 14 and dropped to the floor in an average of 4 each day. Most drops happened when leaving the sensory table or going to math.

September 15. The team chose a photo schedule because Ivy matched photos to objects easily but did not yet read symbols reliably. They made a vertical strip of 6 photos for the morning and 6 for the afternoon, with a "finished" pocket at the bottom. For math, they added a first-then board: "First math (3 problems), then sensory table (3 minutes)."

September 15 to 19 (teaching). An adult stood behind Ivy, not in front, and used a light touch to guide her to the schedule at each transition. She pulled the photo, carried it to the new area and matched it to the same photo there. The adult did not talk during the routine, so Ivy would attend to the schedule rather than the adult.

September 22 to 26. Physical guidance was faded to a point. Ivy checked the schedule on her own in 6 of 14 transitions. Floor drops fell to an average of 2 a day.

October 6 to 10. Ivy checked the schedule independently in 11 of 14 transitions and dropped to the floor about once every 2 days. Math refusals stopped once the first-then board was in place. The team began adding symbols beside each photo. These numbers are illustrations, not benchmarks.

What a visual schedule is

A visual schedule is a sequence of activities shown in a way the student can understand. It can show a whole day, half a day, or just the steps of one activity, such as handwashing. The visual schedule glossary entry has a short definition.

A first-then board is the shortest form: two boxes, "first" and "then." The first box holds a task the student needs to do; the second holds something the student wants. It is useful for students who are not ready for a longer schedule, or for one hard part of the day.

Choosing the right format

Pick the format the student already understands, not the one that looks most grown-up. Move to a more abstract format only once the student uses the current one well.

Format	What it looks like	Good for
Object schedule	A real object for each activity (a spoon for lunch)	Students who do not yet match pictures
Photo schedule	Photos of the real places and materials	Students who match photos to objects
Symbol schedule	Line drawings or picture symbols	Students who understand symbols
Written schedule	Words or a checklist	Readers
Digital schedule	An app or phone calendar	Older students, discreet use
Mini-schedule	3 to 5 steps of one activity	Multi-step routines, such as art or cooking
First-then board	Two steps: a task, then a reward	Early learners or one hard task

Also decide on direction (top to bottom or left to right), length (2 to 3 items or a full day) and how the student marks an item done (pull it off, flip it, cross it out).

How to teach a schedule

A schedule taped to the wall is not the same as a schedule the student uses. Teach it like any other skill.

Use it at every transition. Consistency matters more than design.
Prompt from behind. Guide the student to the schedule with the least help needed, and fade it quickly. The prompt hierarchy entry explains the levels.
Keep talking to a minimum during the routine, so the schedule, not the adult, is the cue.
Show changes on the schedule. Use a "change" symbol or a blank card to show that something different is happening.
Honor the first-then deal. If the board says "then sensory table," the student gets it after the task. If the promise is broken, the board stops working.

Fading and growing the schedule

The goal is not to remove the schedule. Adults use calendars and to-do lists for life. The goal is to move toward a format the student manages alone and that fits the setting. That might mean moving from photos to symbols to words, from an adult carrying it to the student carrying it, or from a wall strip to a phone. Grow the length too: first-then boards can become 3-step strips, then half-day schedules.

Where visual supports go in the IEP

The team decides how to document a visual schedule, and practice differs by state and district.

Option	When teams use it	What to write	State or district variation
Accommodation	The schedule supports access to the school day	"Visual schedule at every transition, photo format"	Some forms list it under classroom accommodations, others under supports
Supplementary aids and services	Support in general education settings^[3]	Who provides it, where and how often	Wording and placement vary by form
Assistive technology	A device or app the student needs	The device, training and who maintains it	Teams must consider AT for every student^[4]; AT definitions in forms vary
Goal	The student is learning to use the schedule on their own	Condition, behavior, criterion	Same federal rules; goal format varies
Behavior plan	The schedule is an antecedent support in a BIP	The step in the plan	Plan templates vary

Many IEPs list the schedule as an accommodation and add a goal for using it independently. That way the support is guaranteed and the skill is measured.

For families: using schedules at home

The same tools work at home. A morning routine strip on the bathroom mirror, a first-then board for homework, or a weekend calendar on the fridge can reduce arguments. Ask the school for copies of the pictures they use, so the symbols match. A few minutes of practice when your child is calm helps more than introducing it during a hard moment.

Evidence behind visual supports

Visual supports are among the evidence-based practices identified for autistic children and youth in a large review of intervention studies.^[1] The IRIS Center's autism module covers how visual supports and predictable routines help autistic students in class.^[2] AFIRM's visual supports module covers how to plan, use and monitor them.^[5]

For goal wording, see IEP goals for autism, the school transitions goals and the social emotional IEP goals. Classroom supports that pair well are in autism accommodations in the classroom.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a visual schedule and a first-then board?

A visual schedule shows a sequence of activities, from a few steps to a whole day. A first-then board is the shortest version, with just two steps: first a task, then something the student wants. Many students start with a first-then board and move to a longer schedule.

Should a visual schedule be faded out?

Usually it changes form rather than disappearing. Adults rely on calendars and lists. Aim for a format the student can manage alone and that fits the setting, such as words or a phone, rather than removing support altogether.

Can a visual schedule be written into an IEP?

Yes. Teams often list it as an accommodation or supplementary aid, sometimes as assistive technology, and add a goal for using it independently. How it is written depends on your state's forms and the team's decision.

What if my child ignores the schedule?

Check that the format matches what your child understands, that it is used at every transition, and that adults guide your child to it without too much talking. If first-then promises are not kept, the board loses its meaning.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Autism (2020), National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice, UNC Chapel Hill
Autism (Part 1): An Overview for Educators, IRIS Center, Vanderbilt University
34 CFR §300.42: Supplementary aids and services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.324: Development, review, and revision of IEP, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Visual Supports (AFIRM Module), AFIRM, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, UNC Chapel Hill

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.