Now and next

Also called Now/next board, First-then board, Now and then board, First/then

Two pictures on a strip: what's happening, and what comes after. It answers the question every anxious person is silently asking.

What it is

A now and next board is a strip with two spaces. In the first goes a picture of what is happening now; in the second, what happens straight after. NOW: maths. NEXT: outside. NOW: hair wash. NEXT: television. That's the whole device, and it's probably the most used visual support in British special education.

It works because it answers "what's happening and when does it end?", which is the question behind a great deal of distress. A person who can't ask it, or can't hold the spoken answer in mind, gets the answer on a card that stays put.

Who it can help

Autistic children and adults, people with a learning disability, children with developmental language disorder, people with dementia, and anyone who is anxious about transitions or can't process a spoken sequence. It's used from nursery to adult care.

It's not for bribery, though it gets used that way. "First tidy up, then iPad" is a contract, not a timetable, and a board that only ever shows a chore followed by a reward stops being trusted as information. And a person who copes fine with a full visual timetable doesn't need the two-step version.

How it works

The strip is shown, the two pictures are named, and the board goes where the person can see it. When "now" finishes, its picture is removed or turned over, "next" slides into "now", and a new "next" goes up. The person sees time move.

Pictures can be photos, symbols or written words, whatever the person understands. Some people need the real object instead (objects of reference on a strip). For a person who is also learning symbols, the same symbol set on the board and on their communication system does double duty.

Kept honest, it builds trust: what the board says will happen, happens. That trust is what lets you later use it for the hard transitions, such as NOW: dentist, NEXT: home.

Getting started

Make one today. A strip of card, two squares of hook-and-loop tape, and pictures from your phone or a free symbol set. Laminate it if you can.

Use it for the ordinary day first, not just the difficult moments. Breakfast then school. Bath then story. The person needs to see it being right thirty times before they'll believe it when it's telling them something they don't like.

Say the words as you point: "Now bath. Next story." Keep it to those four words.

Where to get help

The National Autistic Society explains visual supports, including now and next boards, for families and professionals. Widgit sells symbol software that many schools use to make them, and ARASAAC provides free symbols. A speech and language therapist or the school's SENCO can help you pick the right picture type for the person.