Is this first-then board maker free?

Yes. There is no account and no email. Make as many boards as you like and print them at home, at school or in your practice.

What age is a first-then board for?

Any age at which pictures help. Many families start between two and five, often as the first visual support before a longer schedule.

What if my child will not do the "first" task?

Make the first task smaller until your child can succeed, for example one shoe instead of two. Keep the "then" the same, and avoid giving it before the first task is done.

What is a now and next board?

A now and next board is the UK name for a first-then board: "now" shows the current task, "next" what comes straight after. It is used in SEN schools, nurseries and by speech and language therapists. In Australia, speech pathologists and NDIS-funded therapists use both names. Type Now and Next as the headings here and print on A4.

How do I make a reusable first-then board?

Turn on the page of cut-out cards, print it with the board and laminate both. Put Velcro on each half of the board and on the back of the cards, and make cards for the tasks and rewards you use most.

What is the difference between this maker and the first-then board printable?

This maker builds a board with your own two pictures, photos and headings. The first-then board printable is a ready-made PDF with a first-then board, a first-next-then board and 24 picture cards. Use the maker when your child needs a picture the pack does not have.

Where do the pictures come from?

The pictures are free to print and use at home, at school or at work. You can also use your own photos.

Visual supports

Free first-then board maker (and now and next board)

A first-then board shows two pictures: what your child does first, and what they get to do right after. Pick the two pictures or add your own photos, change the headings if you like and download a PDF to print and laminate. No account and no email needed.

No account or email
Print-ready PDF and PNG
Ready to laminate

Start building

Build it

First

Heading

Then

Heading

Layout

Paper

Add a page of cut-out cardsLaminate them and stick them on with Velcro.

Preview

Your board is saved in this browser.

Prefer a ready-made set? Download the first-then board printable with picture cards

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How to make a first-then board

To make a first-then board, pick a picture for the task your child does first and a picture for what comes right after, choose the layout and print the PDF. Change the headings to "now" and "next" if that is what your child hears at school. Prefer a ready-made board? Get the free first-then board printable.

Pick the “first” picture: a short task your child can finish today, such as shoes on, one puzzle or wash hands. Use your own photo if your child knows it better.
Pick the “then” picture: something your child wants right now, such as the playground, bubbles or a favorite toy.
Keep the headings as First and Then, or type Now and Next, or any words your child already hears.
Choose side by side for a table or clipboard, or one above the other for a door or wall, and pick US Letter or A4.
Turn on the page of cut-out cards, then download the PDF or PNG, print and laminate it, and add Velcro so you can swap the cards.
Show the board, touch each picture and say "First shoes, then playground." Give the "then" as soon as the first task is done.

What is a first-then board?

A first-then board is a two-picture visual support: the left side shows a task the child does first, the right side shows what comes straight after, usually something the child wants. "First shoes, then playground." A first-then board is the smallest visual schedule there is, and often the first visual support that clicks for a young autistic child.

It helps because it makes the end of the hard part visible. Your child does not have to hold your words in mind or trust that the fun part will come: it is right there in the picture.

How do you use a first-then board?

Use a first-then board by showing it before the task, touching each picture and saying only the key words: "First shoes, then playground." Keep the first task short enough to finish today, and give the "then" the moment it is done. Keeping that promise every time is what makes the board work.

Make the "first" task short and doable today: put on shoes, sit at the table for one puzzle, wash hands.
Make the "then" something your child wants right now, not something they wanted yesterday.
Show the board, touch each picture and say just the words: "First shoes, then playground."
As soon as the first task is done, point to "then" and give it straight away.
If your child refuses, wait, show the board again and repeat the same words once. If your child is upset, pause and make the first task easier. Avoid adding new promises or bigger rewards on the spot.
Once first-then is easy, add a third picture and you have a visual schedule. The visual schedule maker takes it from there.
When your child can wait for a reward across several tasks, move on to the token board maker.

First-then board or now and next board?

A now and next board is the same support as a first-then board with different headings. "Now and next" is the usual wording in UK schools and nurseries, "first and then" in the US. Use the words your child already hears at school or in therapy, because consistent words matter more than which words.

The side-by-side layout fits a table or a clipboard. The top-to-bottom layout suits a door or a wall, and reads like the start of a schedule.

For children who are starting to request with pictures, the same cards can go in a PECS-style picture exchange book, so the reward on the "then" side is also something your child can ask for.

Drinks, meals, the toilet, comfort and a break are never something your child has to earn. If your child is upset or in pain, stop and help first, then make the task smaller.

A first-then board with a task card and a reward card

Free download3 PDFs

Get the free first-then board pack

A first-then board with picture cards, token boards and whole-day schedule cards, ready to print.

Cite this page

Citation (APA style)

SuperChild. (2026). Free first-then board maker (and now and next board). Retrieved from https://superchild.ai/free-tools/first-then-board-maker

Link for your website

<a href="https://superchild.ai/free-tools/first-then-board-maker">Free first-then board maker (and now and next board)</a> (SuperChild)

First shoes, then playground

A three-year-old drops to the floor every time it is time to leave the house. His mom keeps a laminated first-then board by the front door, with the shoes card under "first" and the playground card under "then".

She shows him the board and says "First shoes, then playground." When the second shoe is on, she points to the playground and they go. After a few weeks, he looks for the board himself when she picks up her keys.

For BCBAs, RBTs, teachers and speech therapists

A first-then board is a quick way to pair a demand with a reinforcer that a caregiver can run the same way you do. Make one per client in the session, with a photo of the actual reinforcer, and send it home with the plan.

Common questions

Is this first-then board maker free?: Yes. There is no account and no email. Make as many boards as you like and print them at home, at school or in your practice.
What age is a first-then board for?: Any age at which pictures help. Many families start between two and five, often as the first visual support before a longer schedule.
What if my child will not do the "first" task?: Make the first task smaller until your child can succeed, for example one shoe instead of two. Keep the "then" the same, and avoid giving it before the first task is done.
What is a now and next board?: A now and next board is the UK name for a first-then board: "now" shows the current task, "next" what comes straight after. It is used in SEN schools, nurseries and by speech and language therapists. In Australia, speech pathologists and NDIS-funded therapists use both names. Type Now and Next as the headings here and print on A4.
How do I make a reusable first-then board?: Turn on the page of cut-out cards, print it with the board and laminate both. Put Velcro on each half of the board and on the back of the cards, and make cards for the tasks and rewards you use most.
What is the difference between this maker and the first-then board printable?: This maker builds a board with your own two pictures, photos and headings. The first-then board printable is a ready-made PDF with a first-then board, a first-next-then board and 24 picture cards. Use the maker when your child needs a picture the pack does not have.
Where do the pictures come from?: The pictures are free to print and use at home, at school or at work. You can also use your own photos.

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