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Summary: This book explores what happens when people ignore rules and routines. It helps students understand the importance of structure and the consequences of their choices.

Discussion Questions:

Why do you think we have rules and routines at school?

How does your behavior affect other people in the classroom?

What are some choices you can make that help our class be safe and calm

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Summary: This book teaches students about self-regulation and making appropriate choices with voice levels in different settings. It connects to structure by teaching clear behavior expectations.
Discussion Questions:

Why is it important to think about how loud our voice is?

How does structure (like voice levels) help everyone learn?

What are some situations where you would choose a quiet voice?

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Decibella and Her 6-Inch Voice by Julia Cook

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Summary: This classroom tour shows how one special education teacher uses structure, visuals, and flexible zones to meet diverse student needs. It's a helpful example of how choice and structure can support independence and reduce behaviors in a real-life classroom.

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Special Education Classroom Organization with Kristin | Full SPED Ahead

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Summary: This video shares practical strategies for offering student choice while maintaining structure. It's especially useful for teachers working with diverse learners who need clear boundaries and consistent options.

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AE Live 19.2 - Choices, Choices, Choices: Strategies for Student Choice in the Classroom

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Summary: This article explains five student-centered strategies to offer choice (such as letting students select topics or create inquiry questions) while still guiding them with structure. It's ideal for balancing independence and order in the classroom.

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5 Ways to Give Your Students More Voice and Choice

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Summary: This practice guide outlines proactive, research-based strategies for supporting student social, emotional, and behavioral needs in classrooms—including consistency, structure, and choice-based supports. It was revised in April 2025, making it a current and reliable reference for building a positive, responsive learning environment.

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This practice guide is an updated version of Supporting and Responding to Student Behavior (Office of Special Education Programs, 2015). "Supporting and Responding" summarizes evidence-based, positive, and proactive practices that support and respond to students' social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) needs in classrooms and similar teaching and learning environments (e.g., small-group activity).

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Center on PBIS | Resource: Supporting and Responding to Students' Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Needs: Evidence-Based Practices for Educators

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PDF: This practice guide is an updated version of Supporting and Responding to Student Behavior (Office of Special Education Programs, 2015). "Supporting and Responding" summarizes evidence-based, positive, and proactive practices that support and respond to students' social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) needs in classrooms and similar teaching and learning environments (e.g., small-group activity).

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Summary: This excerpt offers 14 actionable strategies to create structured, supportive classrooms for students with autism—covering routines, visuals, seating, social skills, and behavior expectations. These techniques support both structure and choice by helping teachers build predictable environments where students can thrive.

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Autism in the classroom: Strategies for success | Autism Speaks

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This excerpt from the School Community Tool Kit offers strategies for teachers to help support students with autism so they get the best education possible.

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1. What is your topic, and why did you choose it?

My topic is Creating a Positive Learning Environment Through Choice and Structure. I chose it because in a special education classroom, my students benefit from routines and also feel empowered when they can make small choices throughout the day. This balance helps reduce behavior issues and builds confidence.

2. Why is this topic important to teach?

This topic is important because students with disabilities often struggle with unpredictability. Structure gives them security, and offering choice gives them voice. Together, these create a calm, respectful classroom.

3. How would you teach this topic in your future classroom?

I would use visual schedules, voice level charts, choice boards, and clear routines. I’d also model and role-play what different routines look like and reinforce positive behavior with praise and reflection. Choices would be built into the day, like letting students pick their writing tool or where they sit for independent work.

4. What are 3 questions or concerns you have about teaching this topic?

How do I give meaningful choices without overwhelming students?

What do I do if a student refuses to follow the structure even with visuals?

How do I stay flexible when the schedule or routine has to change unexpectedly?

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Objective:
Students will demonstrate understanding of a topic by selecting and completing activities from a choice board, fostering autonomy and engagement within a structured format.

Description: Teachers provide a graphic organizer with multiple activity choices (usually 6–9). Students select how they want to learn or demonstrate understanding. This builds student ownership and respects structure by clearly defining expectations and options.

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Choice boards have become pretty popular during the pandemic due to virtual schooling/instruction and teachers finding new, creative ways…

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Objective: Students will create and use personalized visual schedule cards to plan and follow daily classroom routines, promoting independence and supporting executive functioning through clear structure.

Description: Students create their own visual schedule cards and plan daily routines. This reinforces structure, visual support, and predictability—key for special ed learners—while allowing them to make personal choices in their routine planning.

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VariQuest Visual and Kinesthetic Learning Suite

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[Lesson Plan] Visual Schedule Cards for Special Education

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Promote real-world skill-building and social-emotional learning with this visual schedule cards lesson plan for special education and primary students

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Objective:
Students will follow a structured “first–then” schedule using visual prompts, reinforcing task completion and appropriate behavior by pairing non-preferred tasks with preferred choices.

Description: Teachers use “First–Then” boards to support compliance and transitions using a preferred activity. This balances structure (knowing what's expected) with motivational choice (what happens next). Great for middle schoolers needing clear, structured supports.

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First-then schedules are some of the simplest types of visual supports that we use with students with autism spectrum disorder and other special needs. Simply put, it just presents what we need to do now (first) and what we will do next (then). It can be done with pictures, objects, in writing, or using apps. We typically use them in different ways depending on the student.

First-Then in Behavioral Support

Sometimes we use them for behavior supports, such as when we think (or know) that an individual doesn't want to do something we want them to do. In that case, we present the thing we want them to do in the "first" and the thing they want to do in the "then." The idea is to show them a preferred activity or a possible reinforcer to motivate them to complete the thing they don't want to do. We often will use this type of first-then schedule on a board like the one below.

In this case we are using the first-then board to prevent problem behavior based on the Premack principle. The premack principle states that a low probability behavior can be reinforced by a high probability behavior. For instance, it's a low probability

We use them proactively (before a problem) and when a student refuses to complete a task. Ideally it is best to use them proactively avoid having adding the preferred activity (then) in when there is a problem. Doing this could inadvertently reinforce the negative behavior (because it creates a reinforcement opportunity out of a problem).

Organizing Behavioral Supports for Travel in School

In the picture above, the first-then board is used to show a student that sitting in his PE class will result in a reward from his token board. The first then board is part of the set of tools his staff use and they keep their tools in a zip up canvas notebook (e.g., Trapper Keeper) so they are readily at hand. The student has a full day schedule on the front of the notebook and the first-then is used when a problem is anticipated. This organization system worked well because his daily activity schedules, the set of pictures to use for his first-then board, his token boards and tokens, and his schedule board (on the front of the notebook) as well as his data sheets were all handy in the notebook that he took with him to different classes.

First-Then Using the Premack Principle

A first-then board can be a powerful tool to help a student complete a task they often resist. In this case, for example, early learners may not like to clean up after play time in a preschool. So we schedule snack time after play. And we can present it on the schedule with a first then board. We can show students the first activity (cleaning up) will be followed by the next activity (snack). This uses the Premack principle of behavior analysis. In short, the Premack principle states that high-probability behaviors can serve as a reinforcer for low probability behaviors. So snack, a high probability of compliance activity, reinforces cleaning up, a low probability of compliance activity.

First-Then as a Daily Schedule

In pictures on the left, the student is using the first-then schedule as his schedule for the day. In the top picture, you see a binder with first work then pack up. For this student, we started working with him using a full-day schedule that was on the wall. In working with him for a day, we realized that he was struggling with the number of transitions this created for him. So, checking his schedule became an antecedent for problem behaviors. Each time he had to go to the wall, check the schedule, go to the check-in board and put on the visual. It was difficult for him to understand the process.

The second day we worked with him, we used this first-then schedule. The schedule itself was on the outside of a notebook. The events of his day were on sheets inside the notebook in order. This allowed the staff working with him to quickly switch out the visuals for each transition. We started with the scheduled activity being followed by a reinforcer (e.g., first work with teacher, then play dough). Over time he was able to manage the schedule with just the events of the day. And eventually he was able to go into the notebook and change his own schedule. This greatly increased his independence throughout the day.

When we first gave him the notebook, the look of comprehension that came over his face was amazing to see. It seemed as if he was saying, "Oh! Now I get it!" His behavior was significantly better using this schedule than the first one we tried. The picture below is a similar situation and you can see how we stored the schedule on the wall. This student was not able to independently manage his schedule. He did best when only shown 2 pictures at a time rather than a full-day schedule.

Caution with Daily Schedules

A word of caution, however. Don't start an entire class on first-then notebook schedules at the same time when they haven't been taught to use them. We tried that one time and were constantly looking for the schedules because the students weren't independent at keeping track of them. In short, it was disaster. The next day we broke it down and just started with 2 of the students. Then we added more as the first ones became independent. You can also use first-then boards to show students what will happen after a desired activity. Helping students to know what is coming next sometimes helps them to make the transition more easily.

First-Then Doesn't Have to be Pretty

Most students using a first-then schedule will need picture or symbol cards depicting the daily activities or the steps and reinforcers for the first-next routines. However, some students just require the structure and are readers. In that case you can use the on-the-fly option. You can just draw it out on paper, post-its or dry erase board and use writing if the student can read. Just make sure that the student is able to clearly comprehend what is written.

Implementing the First-Then Chart

When presenting the first-then schedule, as with most visual tools, try to minimize your verbal directions. Typically the teacher would give the verbal instruction one time. Then the teacher points to visuals to direct the student. The use of the nonverbal redirection reduces language overwhelming the student, can help ease anxieties, and also allows you to fade the prompts from the system more quickly than using verbal prompts. Sometimes you will need to wait the student out. Just continue to point to the visuals and wait. Depending on the situation, if the student is going to respond, they typically will do so in a few minutes. If not, then you may need to look for other options for dealing with potential challenging behaviors. But for many students, the visual first-next board can be an important first step in understanding classroom structure and following routines.

Organizing First-Then in the Classroom

Because first then boards are easy to use and typically get a quick response, I tend to put one out on every table, especially at the beginning of the school year. You want to make sure you have lots of visual supports around whenever there are changes or transitions within the year.

In addition , make sure to have a number of activity visuals available with the boards for the second activity (the preferred activities). These might come off a choice board or you might use a "make a choice" visual as an option that they can choose from a choice board. That might save you having to have a ton of visuals around.

Looking to get started with first-then boards? Simply download the boards, laminate it, and put velcro on it to hold the pictures.

SIGN UP FOR FREE TIPS EACH WEEK IN YOUR INBOX AND GRAB A FREE SET OF FIRST-THEN BOARDS FROM THE RESOURCE LIBRARY

This is part of an ongoing series of posts on different types and uses for visual schedules. You can check out the visual schedule series here.

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Visual Schedule Series: First-Then Schedules (Freebie!!) - Autism Classroom Resources

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First-then visuals are great methods for helping students with communication needs to understand the order of activities. Includes a free first-then board.