Getting dressed visual schedule: free printable steps

How to use it

1. Lay the clothes out in the same order as the pictures, at least at first.
2. Point to one picture at a time. “Underwear.” Wait until it’s on before you point to the next.
3. Cover or turn over finished steps, so only what’s left is in view.
4. Help with the hard part only. Pull the sock over the heel, and let the person pull it up. Do a little less each week.
5. Finish with what comes next. Coat on means outside, breakfast or the bus.

Start from the end

One way to teach a sequence is to start with the last step. You do everything except the coat zip, and the person does the zip, so they are the one who finishes. When that’s easy, they do the last two steps, and so on, backwards. The pictures stay the same the whole time.

Dressing for the day

The clothes cards on page 2 let the schedule follow the weather and the day: shorts and sandals in summer, a sweater, a warm hat and mittens in winter, a dress or a skirt for a party. Pick the cards the night before, put them in order on the schedule on page 3, and lay the clothes out to match.

Steps on the schedule

• underwear
• pants
• shirt
• socks
• shoes
• coat

The cards add long sleeves, shorts, dress, skirt, sweater, hoodie, cap, warm hat, mittens, sandals, boots and raincoat, plus two blank cards.

Making it work

• Hang the schedule in the bedroom at the person’s eye level, near where they get dressed.
• If a drawing doesn’t look like their clothes, glue a photo of their own coat or boots onto a blank card.
• Getting dressed is one step on the morning routine chart; this schedule breaks that step down.
• An occupational therapist can help with buttons, zips and shoelaces.