What Are Activity Schedules?
An activity schedule is a set of pictures, words, or symbols that cues an individual to perform a sequence of behaviors. Unlike task analyses that break a single behavior into component steps, activity schedules sequence multiple distinct activities across a time period. The individual follows the schedule independently, moving from one activity to the next by referencing the visual guide.
Activity schedules were introduced in the applied behavior analysis literature by MacDuff, Krantz, and McClannahan (1993), who demonstrated their effectiveness in promoting independent engagement in leisure activities among children with autism. Since that seminal study, activity schedules have been used to promote independence in daily routines, academic work, vocational tasks, and community activities.
Types of Activity Schedules
Photographic Schedules
Photographic schedules use actual photographs of materials, activities, or locations to represent each step. They are appropriate for individuals who do not yet read text but can match photographs to real items and activities. Photographs should be clear, uncluttered, and taken from the individual's perspective whenever possible.
Written Schedules
Written schedules use text-based lists to cue each activity. They are appropriate for individuals who can read and comprehend written instructions. Written schedules can range from simple single-word cues to detailed multi-step instructions.
Digital Schedules
Digital activity schedules use tablets, smartphones, or other devices to display visual or auditory cues. They offer advantages such as portability, easy modification, and the ability to include video models or audio prompts. Research by Carlile, Reeve, Reeve, and DeBar (2013) demonstrated the effectiveness of tablet-based activity schedules for promoting independence.
Object Schedules
For individuals who do not yet respond to two-dimensional representations, object schedules use miniature objects or actual items associated with each activity. For example, a small cup might represent snack time, and a toy car might represent free play. Object schedules serve as a precursor to photographic schedules.
Designing an Activity Schedule
Selecting Activities
Choose activities the individual can already perform with minimal prompting. The purpose of the schedule is to promote independent sequencing and self-initiation, not to teach new skills. Each activity should be familiar and within the individual's current skill repertoire.
Determining the Format
Match the schedule format to the individual's current skills. Use object schedules for individuals who do not yet match pictures to real items, photographic schedules for individuals who can match but do not read, and written schedules for individuals who are literate.
Organizing the Schedule
Activity schedules can be organized in a binder (one picture per page), on a strip of Velcro on the wall, in a checklist format on a clipboard, or on a digital device. The format should allow the individual to clearly identify the current activity, mark completed activities (by turning a page, removing a picture, or checking a box), and transition to the next activity.
Teaching Schedule Following
- Physical prompting from behind: Stand behind the individual and use graduated guidance to physically prompt them to open the schedule, look at the first picture, go to the activity, complete it, return to the schedule, and turn to the next page. Prompting from behind is critical because it reduces the individual's dependence on the presence of a person in front of them providing cues.
- Systematically fade physical prompts: Reduce the physical guidance gradually, moving from hand-over-hand to light touch at the wrist, then elbow, then shoulder, then spatial proximity alone. The goal is for the individual to follow the entire schedule independently.
- Reinforce schedule completion: Place a highly preferred reinforcer at the end of the schedule so that completing all activities leads to a rewarding outcome. Over time, this reinforcement can be thinned.
Adding Variety and Complexity
Once the individual follows a basic schedule independently, increase complexity by adding choice pages where the individual selects between two or more activities, increasing the number of activities in the schedule, embedding social initiations within the schedule (e.g., a picture of a peer with a script to start a conversation), introducing schedules for different times of day or different settings, and incorporating novel activities periodically to promote flexibility.
Common Mistakes
- Including activities the individual cannot do independently: If an activity still requires significant prompting, it should not be included in the schedule until the skill is mastered.
- Prompting from the front: Facing the individual during schedule teaching creates dependence on the prompter's presence. Always prompt from behind.
- Giving verbal prompts: Verbal cues such as "check your schedule" or "what's next?" create prompt dependency. The schedule itself should be the discriminative stimulus, not the verbal cue.
- Not planning for generalization: Teach schedule following across multiple settings, with different materials, and with different schedule formats to promote generalized independence.
BCBA Exam Relevance
Activity schedules may appear on the BCBA exam in questions about promoting independence, reducing prompt dependency, antecedent-based interventions, and visual supports. Understand how to design schedules appropriate to the individual's skill level, the teaching procedures for establishing schedule following, and the strategies for fading adult proximity and prompts during implementation.