Free First-Then board printables

A First-Then board is the smallest visual contingency there is: one demand on the left, one reward on the right, and nothing else on the page to argue about. It is used every day in autism classrooms, early intervention rooms and at home, because a child who cannot hold a spoken instruction will often follow two pictures. These seven boards are blank on purpose. You add the pictures, so the same sheet works for a photo of the math tray, a commercial symbol card, or a word written in marker.

What's in this set

1. First-Then board, side by side: two 82 by 118 mm picture areas labeled FIRST and THEN with an arrow between them, a "first ___, then ___" sentence line, and short boxes to note whether the child chose the reward and what time the board was finished.
2. First-Then board, portrait: the same board stacked upright, a 118 mm wide FIRST box above a matching THEN box with a down arrow between, sized to laminate and hang on a wall, a hook or a lanyard.
3. First, Then, Next strip: two three-box strips on one page with 68 mm picture boxes and arrows, for a child who can hold two steps plus the activity that follows.
4. First-Then with a choice of two rewards: one tall work box on the left and two stacked reward boxes on the right with "or" between them, so the child picks what they are working for.
5. Write-in First-Then board: three ruled lines under FIRST I WILL and three under THEN I CAN for a child who reads, plus four numbered "first ___ then ___" deals for the rest of the day.
6. Four First-Then cards: four pocket boards on one page, each with a name line, two 41 mm picture boxes with an arrow, and a line for the words, to cut out and carry.
7. Blank 2-inch symbol squares: nine empty 51 mm squares with a writing line under each, which is the size every picture box in this set is built for.

None of these sheets has an answer key, because there are no right answers on a board. The child's job is to do the first thing and then collect the second.

Frequently asked questions

What age is a First-Then board for?

Any age where spoken instructions are not enough on their own. It is most common with children aged 2 to 8, and with older students who have an intellectual disability or who are learning to tolerate non-preferred work.

What pictures should I use?

Whatever the child already recognizes. Photos of your own room work best for beginners; line drawings and commercial symbol cards work once a child can match a picture to an object. The blank 2-inch squares in this set are sized for all three.

How is this different from a visual schedule?

A schedule shows the whole session or day. A First-Then board shows two things, and that is the point: it is for the moment when a longer schedule is too much information.

Do I need to laminate them?

Not to start. Print, try it for a week, and laminate the board that worked. The portrait board and the four cards are the ones worth laminating, with a Velcro dot in the middle of each picture box.

Can I use these in my classroom?

Yes. Everything here is free for non-commercial educational use and can be photocopied for your room. Please link to this page rather than re-uploading the files.

More life skills printables

Once a First-Then board is working, a reward chart printable or a sticker chart printable stretches the same deal across a day or a week. For the routine itself, the chore chart printable breaks a job into steps the FIRST box can point at, and the cutting practice worksheets give a beginner something useful to do while the boards are being made.