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Family organization and routines

First-then board

A two-part picture board showing a child the task to do now (first) and the activity that follows (then), often something they enjoy.

What It Means

A first-then board is a simple visual support split into two sections, labeled First and Then, each holding a picture. The First side shows the task a child needs to do now and the Then side shows what comes right after, usually something they like. Guidance from Vanderbilt University describes it as a way to show a short sequence and make a less-liked task easier to finish.

Try It: Work Through a First-Then Board

Pick a pair, then press the button when the first task is finished. The card flips the way a real one would.

First

Wash hair

Then

Play in the bath

Point and say it: "First this, then that."

How It Sounds at Home

  • "First shoes, then park."
  • "Look at your board, what's first?"
  • "You did the first one, now it's bath play time."

The Breakdown

How to make one

  1. Take a small board or a stiff piece of card and draw a line down the middle.
  2. Label the left side First and the right side Then.
  3. Find pictures for the activities you use most: photos, printed pictures or drawings.
  4. Stick a small piece of Velcro on the back of each picture so you can swap them, as Vanderbilt's handout suggests.

How to use it

  1. Place the task your child needs to do on the First side.
  2. On the Then side, add something they enjoy. Vanderbilt's guidance notes a preferred activity there makes finishing the first one more likely.
  3. Point and say it in first/then words, such as "First wash your hair, then play in the bath."
  4. When the first task is finished, turn its picture over to show it's done, then move straight to the Then activity.

Short version to try today. Fold a sheet of paper in half, draw the next task on the left and a favorite activity on the right, and point to each as you say "first" and "then."

Good to Know

Vanderbilt's IRIS Center notes that children with autismAutism spectrumAutism spectrum disorder: a developmental disability affecting social communication and interaction, with restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. See more often find others' words and nonverbal cues hard to follow and benefit from visual cues, which is where a first-then board helps. Once your child is used to two steps, a visual scheduleVisual scheduleA row of pictures or photos showing, in order, what happens next in a child's day or routine, so they can see what's coming. See more can show a longer sequence. If transitions are a daily struggle or you have concerns about your child's development, talk with your pediatrician or your child's teacher or therapist.

FAQ

What is a first-then board used for?

Showing a child, in pictures, the task to do now and what comes right after it. It helps with short sequences and with moving from a preferred activity to a less-liked one.

What should go on the "then" side?

Something your child enjoys. Vanderbilt's guidance says a preferred activity or item on the Then side makes it more likely your child finishes the First task.

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

A first-then board shows two steps. A visual schedule shows a longer series of activities or routine steps in order, and your child moves or flips each picture as they finish.

Do It in Buhata

Tasks and Household Space

Keep the adults' list of each day's first-then pairs as Tasks in your Household Space in Buhata, so whoever is home uses the same pictures and the same promise.

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Related Terms and Categories

  • Visual schedule

    A row of pictures or photos showing, in order, what happens next in a child's day or routine, so they can see what's coming.

  • Visual timer

    A timer that shows time running out as a shrinking colored area or a row of markers, so a child can see how long is left before a change.

  • Routine chart

    A chart, often with pictures, listing the steps of one routine in order, such as getting ready for school or bed, that a child checks off as they go.

  • Kids morning routine

    The same short list of steps a child follows each school or child care morning, such as dressing, breakfast, brushing teeth and grabbing a backpack.

  • Family routines

    The regular, predictable ways a household handles the repeating parts of the day, such as mornings, meals, homework, chores and bedtime.

  • Connection before correction

    A parenting idea from Jane Nelsen's Positive Discipline: calm and reconnect with an upset child first, then deal with the behavior together.

Family organization and routines

Sources

Vanderbilt University, "Using a First-Then Visual"; Vanderbilt University IRIS Center, "Early Childhood: Focused Interventions"; National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations, "Helping Children Transition Between Activities"

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