First Then Visual Schedule HD Review: A Small Company's Big Mission

First Then Visual Schedule HD review covering iOS availability, real pricing, five viewing modes, and honest limitations from real user reviews.

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Good Karma Applications describes itself simply as a little company with a big mission, and after researching their work for this review, that description holds up. Unlike the venture backed AAC companies covered elsewhere on this site, Good Karma builds low cost, focused apps specifically for autism, ADD, ADHD, Down syndrome, and communication delays, under the tagline Exceptional Apps for Exceptional People.

One parent's own words, shared in an App Store review, capture what this app is actually for better than any marketing copy could: after years of relying on cumbersome paper PECS cards, their five year old son with autism was finally able to ditch them entirely, navigating his daily activities independently through this single, portable app on an iPod.

The Story Behind First Then Visual Schedule HD

Good Karma Applications built its first First Then Visual Schedule app around a deceptively simple behavioral support concept: showing a person what they need to do first, and what comes after, using paired images rather than verbal instruction alone. The original app proved popular enough that the company expanded it into First Then Visual Schedule HD, a significantly more capable version supporting First Then boards, full visual schedules, task analyses, social stories, choice boards, and video models, all within one universal app that works across any iOS device. Good Karma has continued building out a small but focused product line beyond this app, including Scene Speak and Visual Schedule Planner, all aimed at the same core mission.

Platform Clarification

Apple App Store: Search "First Then Visual Schedule HD," published by Good Karma Applications, Inc. A simpler, lower cost original version, "First Then Visual Schedule," is also available separately at $9.99, while the HD version with expanded features is priced higher.

Google Play Store: Not available. Good Karma Applications' First Then products are iOS only, with no Android version.

What First Then Visual Schedule HD Actually Does

The app lets a caregiver build visual supports using a person's own photos from five different image sources, paired with sound, organized into First Then boards, full day schedules, task analyses that break a single activity into smaller visual steps, social stories, choice boards, and video models. A built in timer can be set for an entire schedule or for individual steps within it, adding a time awareness element some children benefit from alongside the visual structure itself.

Key Features in Full Detail

Five Distinct Viewing Modes

Users can view a single image at a time, useful specifically for users with lower vision, see two images in a classic First Then format, scroll through a full checklist, drag and drop images between columns as steps are completed, or drag images from a strip into an envelope, giving genuine flexibility to match a specific child's preferred interaction style.

Task Analysis Support

Beyond simple First Then prompting, the HD version can break a single complex activity, like getting dressed or brushing teeth, into a full sequence of smaller visual steps, useful for building independence with multi-step routines.

Customizable With Personal Photos and Sound

Boards can be built entirely from a family's own photos rather than generic stock imagery, pulled from five different image sources within the app.

Editable Templates Included

Rather than starting from a blank schedule every time, existing templates included with the app can be copied and adjusted, saving setup time for common routines.

Editing Lock for Classroom and Home Use

Completed schedules can be locked to prevent a child from accidentally altering the board, a practical feature specifically praised by users managing shared devices in classroom settings.

Print and Email Sharing

Schedules can be printed directly or shared via email, letting a physical paper copy travel alongside a child even in settings where a device is not available, though the app's own listing notes only one choice board can be emailed at a time and videos cannot be emailed at all.

Pricing — Complete and Honest

The original First Then Visual Schedule app is priced at $9.99. The more capable HD version, which includes task analyses, social stories, choice boards, and video models in addition to core scheduling, is priced higher, with users reporting having paid over $20 for it. Given how directly this pricing affects a genuinely budget conscious audience, we would recommend checking the current exact price on the App Store listing before purchasing, since Good Karma has adjusted pricing over the life of the product.

Who First Then Visual Schedule HD Is Built For

Young Children New to Visual Scheduling

The simple, direct First Then format remains one of the most stripped down, easy to understand starting points in this entire visual schedule category, particularly for a child just beginning to use structured visual prompting.

Families Replacing Paper PECS Systems

Multiple users specifically describe this app as letting them retire cumbersome physical PECS card systems, consolidating what used to require a physical binder into a single portable device.

Classrooms and Therapy Settings Needing Locked, Shared Devices

The editing lock feature makes this a practical choice for a shared classroom iPad used across multiple students throughout the day without risk of accidental changes.

First Then Visual Schedule HD vs Choiceworks — The Practical Comparison

Both apps address routine and behavioral support, but their scope differs meaningfully.

Choiceworks, covered elsewhere on this site, includes dedicated waiting and emotional regulation boards alongside scheduling, runs on both iOS and Android, and receives more consistent, larger scale ongoing development as part of a Webby Award winning product line.

First Then Visual Schedule HD offers more flexible viewing modes and deeper task analysis and social story building tools within a single app, but is iOS only and comes from a considerably smaller development team, with some users reporting stability issues after iOS updates.

For families wanting broader emotional regulation tools alongside scheduling and cross platform flexibility, Choiceworks is the stronger overall choice. For families specifically wanting flexible viewing modes and integrated task analysis or social story creation in one app, First Then Visual Schedule HD offers real depth Choiceworks does not directly replicate.

Honest Limitations

Multiple users have reported the app crashing or closing unexpectedly after iOS updates. At least one App Store reviewer described paying over $20 for the app only to have it stop functioning correctly after updating to a newer iOS version, a real risk for a small development team maintaining an app against Apple's regular platform changes.

No Android version exists, consistent with several other apps in this category, ruling it out for Android-only households.

Some users have found the interface for adding a step in between existing steps unintuitive, requiring workarounds rather than a straightforward insertion process.

As a smaller company product, update frequency and long term support carry more uncertainty than apps backed by larger, more established accessibility companies, and prospective buyers should check recent App Store reviews for current stability before purchasing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is First Then Visual Schedule HD available on Android? No, it is iOS only, with no Android version.

What is the difference between First Then Visual Schedule and the HD version? The original app, priced at $9.99, offers core First Then and scheduling functionality. The HD version adds task analyses, social stories, choice boards, and video models at a higher price.

Has this app had reliability issues? Some users have reported crashes or functionality problems following iOS updates, which is worth checking current App Store reviews for before purchasing.

Can I use my own family photos in this app? Yes, boards can be built using photos from five different image sources within the app.

Is there a way to prevent a child from changing their own schedule? Yes, completed schedules can be locked to prevent accidental edits, useful for shared classroom or home devices.

Who makes First Then Visual Schedule HD? Good Karma Applications, Inc., a small company focused specifically on affordable apps for autism, ADD, ADHD, Down syndrome, and communication delays.

What This Means for Users in Pakistan and Across Asia

The iOS only requirement remains the primary barrier for Android-only households in Pakistan and South Asia, consistent with several apps in this category. For families with access to an iPad, First Then Visual Schedule HD's fully customizable, build it yourself photo and audio approach means no built in local language or cultural content gap exists the way it does with some AAC apps, since every board is built entirely from a family's own material.

A Closing Thought

A small company describing its own work as a big mission could easily read as marketing language, but reading through years of App Store reviews from parents describing retired PECS binders and children navigating their own days independently for the first time, it is hard not to take Good Karma Applications at their word.