Today, special education teacher Sara-Kate Cruz will be sharing a step by step tutorial on how to utilize the app First, Then Visual Schedule! Sara-Kate uses this app with her class for daily schedules or long response chains (i.e. brushing teeth, activity schedules, unpacking schedule, etc).

To create a schedule: 

Click the settings icon in the bottom right and make sure that “edit mode” is selected. It’s a good idea to also put a password in place so that a student cannot accidentally access edit mode and make changes or delete a schedule you have created. Click the plus sign in the top right to create a new schedule. Choose “create new”. Type the title of the schedule at the top of the screen. To begin adding steps, click the plus sign in the top left of the app

You can now follow the prompts to start customizing the steps in the schedule:

• Enter the title of the step under “enter description” (i.e. for brushes teeth, “get materials”)
• Next click the question mark to add a picture (TIP: if you want to be able to use pictures more than once, take them before you open the application.. If you take a picture while you are creating the schedule, it won’t save to the image library)
• You can choose to add your own pictures or search the app’s library for stock images

Once you have added the picture for the step, you can add sounds.

• You can choose to record your own sound or choose a stock sound from the library (I almost always record my own sound)
• You can also choose not to record a sound if you don’t need one (i.e. if you are trying to teach it without verbal prompts or fading your prompts out)

To edit the order of the steps in the sequence:

• Click the edit button in the top right hand corner (you should see a red minus sign appear)
• You can choose to delete steps or rearrange their order while in edit mode

Make sure you turn edit mode OFF when you are finished or your students could accidentally delete or edit schedules!