First-Then Board vs Visual Schedule vs Token Board: Which One to Use?

Last updated: October 12, 2026

A First-Then board shows one task and what comes after it. A visual schedule shows many steps of the day in order. A token board shows how many times a child must do well to earn a reward. They answer three different questions, so the right one depends on what is hard for your child.

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What is the difference between the three tools?

The difference is what the child sees. A First-Then board answers “what now, and what do I get?”, a visual schedule answers “what happens today?”, and a token board answers “how much more until my reward?”.

	First-Then board	Visual schedule	Token board
What it shows	One task and the reward after it	The steps of a routine or a day, in order	Tokens earned so far, and the reward at the end
Steps shown	2 (or 3 with a Next card)	About 4 to 10, sometimes the whole day	Not steps: usually 3 to 10 tokens
When to use it	To start a task the child does not want to do, and for changes from one activity to another	For routines with many steps, and for a child who worries about what comes later	For longer work, or to practise one behaviour many times
Typical age	Toddlers and older	Preschool age and older, or when First-Then is easy	About 3 to 4 years and older, when the child can wait for a reward
The reward comes	Right after one task	Often there is no reward; the plan itself helps	After the last token
Time to set up	A few seconds	Some minutes for each routine	A minute, plus choosing the reward

The ages are a rule of thumb, not a rule. What your child can do matters more than the age.

When should I use a First-Then board?

Use a First-Then board when one task is the problem, right now. It is the smallest and fastest of the three tools.

Your child does not want to start: shoes, teeth, homework.
It is hard to stop one activity and move to another.
Your child is young, or pictures are new to them.
A longer plan is too much to look at.

It uses the Premack principle: a thing the child likes to do becomes the reason to do the thing they like less. You can read more in the guides for autism and toddlers.

When should I use a visual schedule?

Use a visual schedule when the problem is not one task but the whole routine, or not knowing what the day will bring.

The morning or the evening has many steps, and you repeat each one many times.
Your child asks again and again what happens later.
Changes in the plan are hard, and you want to show them before they happen.
You want your child to do the routine with less help from you.

A visual schedule is a visual support, like the First-Then board, only longer. Visual supports are one of the 28 evidence-based practices in the 2020 review by the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice (see Sources). For a full picture schedule on iPhone, iPad and Mac we make Visual Schedule.

When should I use a token board?

Use a token board when your child can already wait a little, and the task is too long for one reward.

Homework with ten questions: one token for each two questions.
A therapy session with many short tries.
One behaviour you want to see more often, such as asking with words.

The child earns a token each time, and gets the reward when the board is full. In the same 2020 review, reinforcement is one of the evidence-based practices, and it includes token systems. A token board is harder to understand than First-Then, because the reward comes later. Our app for this is Token Board.

Can I use them together?

Yes. They do different jobs, so they work well side by side.

Schedule + First-Then: the schedule shows the morning, and the First-Then board helps with the one hard step in it.
First-Then + tokens: “First five tokens, then tablet.” The token board sits on the First card.
Schedule + tokens: one token for each finished step of the routine.

Add one tool at a time. Two new tools on the same day are confusing.

Which one should I start with?

Start with a First-Then board in most cases. It takes seconds to make, and it teaches the idea that all three tools need: pictures tell you what will happen, and the promise is kept.

Start with a visual schedule only if your child already understands pictures well and the main problem is a long routine.

How do I know it is time to move on?

Move on when the tool you use has become easy and a new kind of problem shows up.

From First-Then to First-Then-Next: your child follows two cards calmly most of the time.
From First-Then-Next to a visual schedule: three cards are easy, and your child wants to know what comes later.
To a token board: your child can wait for a reward, and the tasks are getting longer.

You do not have to give up the First-Then board. Many families keep it for the hard moments of the day, next to a schedule.

Sources

Steinbrenner, J. R., Hume, K., Odom, S. L., Morin, K. L., Nowell, S. W., Tomaszewski, B., Szendrey, S., McIntyre, N. S., Yücesoy-Özkan, S., & Savage, M. N. (2020). Evidence-based practices for children, youth, and young adults with autism. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice Review Team. Report (PDF)
Sam, A., & AFIRM Team (updated 2024). Visual Supports: EBP brief packet. Autism Focused Intervention Resources & Modules (AFIRM), UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. Brief packet (PDF)
Premack, D. (1959). Toward empirical behavior laws: I. Positive reinforcement. Psychological Review, 66(4), 219–233. doi.org/10.1037/h0040891

This page is general information from the makers of First Then Board. It is not medical or therapy advice. Every child is different: if your child has a therapist or a teacher, ask them what fits your child.

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