What is it?
Checklists and task analysis make activities more manageable by breaking them into clear, actionable steps. A checklist provides a visual or written sequence to follow, while task analysis involves identifying the smaller steps needed to complete a larger or more complex task. Supports may use text, pictures, symbols, photos, or a combination, depending on the learner and activity.
How to use it?
Identify the steps needed to complete a task and present them in a clear sequence. Keep each step specific and easy to understand, and provide only as much detail as the learner needs. Checklists can be printed, displayed in the environment, or accessed digitally, and learners can check off or remove steps as they complete them. Whenever possible, involve learners in creating, using, and adjusting their own checklists so the support builds independence rather than becoming another adult-directed prompt.
Why use it?
Checklists and task analysis can reduce demands on memory, planning, organization, and executive functioning while making expectations more predictable. They can help learners get started, keep track of where they are in a task, recognize what comes next, and complete routines with less reliance on adult prompting. When available as a routine classroom support, they provide useful structure for a wide range of learners while allowing individuals to use the level of support that works for them.
