Using activity schedules to promote varied application use in children with autism
An in-iPad activity schedule quickly breaks rigid app looping and widens play in kids with autism.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Three kids with autism kept opening the same iPad apps over and over.
The team built a simple schedule inside the tablet. It told the child which app to touch next.
They used an ABAB design. Schedule on, schedule off, schedule on again.
What they found
When the schedule was on, the kids used many different apps.
When it was off, they went back to looping the same one.
Turning the schedule back on brought the variety back for all three kids.
How this fits with other research
Akers et al. (2016) used printed photos on the playground and got the same boost in play variety. Brodhead simply swapped the photos for an iPad screen.
Torres et al. (2018) used video schedules on iPads for exercise routines with teens. The device and schedule idea match, but the goal changed from play to fitness.
Dong et al. (2025) moved the schedule to a phone and taught grocery checkout. Each study keeps the schedule bones, but the skill keeps growing with the learner’s age.
Why it matters
If a child on your caseman gets stuck in app loops, drop a three-picture schedule into the tablet. No extra devices, no print cards to lose. You can make it tonight and see broader play tomorrow.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Open the kid’s favorite iPad, snap three screenshots of different apps, line them up in a free schedule app, and prompt the child to tap each one in order.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
We evaluated the effects of an activity schedule embedded within an iPad on varied play across applications. After establishing a pattern of repetitive gameplay, we taught three children with autism to follow the activity schedule using physical guidance. All participants increased their varied play to four applications per session and demonstrated independent and accurate activity schedule usage. The activity schedule was removed, and responding decreased to baseline levels, demonstrating the activity schedule's control over varied responding. The activity schedule was reintroduced and participant responding maintained when engaging with novel applications.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2018 · doi:10.1002/jaba.435