Now / Next board

1. Under Your board, tap the cards in order: what's happening now, then what comes next. Write your own if a card is missing.
2. Show the board. When the Now card is finished, tap Done: the Next card moves up.
3. Use Timer for this to add a visual timer to the Now card, or Full screen to show it on a tablet.

Your board stays on this device, so it's still there tomorrow. Clear it any time.

A Now and Next board is the simplest kind of visual timetable. UK autism guidance describes it as a way to help a child understand what is happening and what comes next, which can help reduce anxiety (Royal Borough of Greenwich (opens in a new tab)). The National Autistic Society suggests a clear timetable and timers that count down to transitions to help move from one activity to the next (NAS (opens in a new tab)).

In a small pilot with 29 families, a home programme of visual supports, including now/next boards, was followed by better parent-reported quality of life. There was no comparison group, so it's promising rather than proven (Rutherford et al., 2023 (opens in a new tab)).

• Before gaming ends: "Now: gaming. Next: dinner."
• For a morning or bedtime routine, one step at a time.
• On a day that's different from usual, so the change isn't a surprise.