Why Your Child Struggles with Sequencing Skills and How to Fix It.

Ever feel like your kid’s brain is running 8 browser tabs at once and none of them are in order?

If your child struggles with sequencing, you’re not alone. Sequencing is one of those sneaky foundational skills that hides in plain sight, until it’s not working. Then suddenly your kid can’t retell a story, follow directions, or finish anything without leaving a trail of chaos behind.

A row of colorful toy figures stands side by side, as if part of sequencing pictures. A red and black toy helicopter is blurred in the background.

And schools? They’re not exactly handing out guides for how to teach this stuff. Let’s dive into what sequencing skills are, how they show up in everyday life, and what you can actually do about it.

What Are Sequencing Skills?

Sequencing is the ability to understand and arrange events in a logical order. It’s part memory, part comprehension, part executive functioning magic.

Think of it as your brain’s “to-do list” app. Except instead of just remembering tasks, it puts them in the right order.

Without sequencing skills, kids struggle with:

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  • Telling a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end
  • Following multi-step directions (“Brush your teeth, THEN put on your shoes” = meltdown)
  • Organizing ideas in writing or conversation
  • Understanding cause and effect (“If I throw this toy, it might break” is not connecting)

Real-World Examples from Real Moms

  • My son can memorize movie lines, but can’t retell what happened in the book we just read. It’s all scrambled!
  • We’re constantly late because my daughter cannot remember what order to do things in the morning. She’ll put on socks, start brushing her teeth, then go back to get dressed.
  • His IEP says he struggles with writing. But the real issue? He can’t figure out what comes first, next, or last in a sentence.

Sound familiar?

What You Can Do: Sequencing Skills Action Plan

How to Teach Sequencing at Home

  1. Use Visuals – Picture cards or comic strips with steps to complete a task (like brushing teeth or making a sandwich).
  2. Toys & Games: There are numerous toys and games that “secretly” teach sequencing skills. Look at this list of Best Toys for Autistic Kids.
  3. Story Retell Games – Read a short story and ask: What happened first? Next? Last?
  4. Daily Routine Charts – Break down tasks like morning routines or bedtime into steps with images.
  5. Cooking Together – Recipes are natural sequencing gold. “What’s the first step?” “What comes after we mix?”
  6. Backward Chaining – Start with the last step completed and work backward to teach the earlier steps.
  7. Use Sequencing Words – First, next, then, last. Use them like your life depends on it. (Because your morning routine does.)

What to Ask for in the IEP

  1. IEP Goal: “Given a 3-step task, [Student] will correctly sequence the steps in order with 80% accuracy in 4/5 trials.” View the entire library of IEP goals for Executive Function Skills.
  2. Accommodations: View the entire library of executive functioning accommodations.
  3. Instructional Support: Direct instruction in sequencing skills (not just hoping they figure it out)
  4. Progress Monitoring: Use data such samples of writing, storytelling, or completed tasks to measure growth; consider the mini course I offer: How to Understand IEP Progress Monitoring, for Parents.

Don’t Just Wait for the School, Start Now

Even if sequencing isn’t on the IEP (yet), you can start supporting it today. A little structure goes a long way. And if your gut is telling you that your child is struggling with something deeper than just being “forgetful,” trust it.

How to Teach Executive Function Skills at Home