Guide & FAQ – FIRSTWORK

Building programs on the website

The website builder at firstworkapp.com/create lets BCBAs build and share programs without needing a tablet. The output is a Lesson Code that any RBT can paste into their device.

1
Press 'Share a program' on FirstWork's website
Go to firstworkapp.com/create and log in with your FirstWork account.

Building a program in the app

You can build a Preset directly on any device. Same result as the website builder — use whichever is more convenient for your workflow.

1
Open the correct Student Profile
Tap the student name at the top of the Dashboard to switch profiles if needed.
2
Go to Presets → "Create Preset"
Existing Presets are listed here. Tap the create button to start a new one.
3
Select your targets
Select from the modality dropdown (e.g., Receptive ID, Matching, FFC). Browse by category or search by name. Check targets to include them.
4
Configure session settings
Set field size (2–10), difficulty, number of trials, and error correction style. Tap the ? next to any setting for a plain-language explanation.
5
Save as Preset
Name it and save. It appears as a tile on the Dashboard for one-tap launching. Up to 6 Presets show as quick-launch tiles.
6
Share the Preset
Tap the three-dot menu on the Preset tile and press "Share Preset" to generate a Lesson Code. Send it to your team, or upload the lesson code into your data collection system.

Tip

You can import existing lesson codes here to quickly update programs you've already made.

Uploading custom targets

When a learner needs a target that isn't in FirstWork's built-in library, upload your own images to create it.

1
Tap "Add Goal" on the Student Profile Dashboard
This opens the custom upload flow for the active student.
2
Select an image from your camera roll
This becomes the correct-answer stimulus. Crop and position it, then tap Next.
3
Select distractors — minimum 12
These are the wrong-answer choices shown during trials. 12 or more ensures enough variety so wrong answers don't repeat too often.
4
Save and add to a Preset
The custom target now appears in your target list. Add it to any Preset to begin practicing.

Sharing limitation

Programs containing custom-uploaded targets cannot be shared via Lesson Code. They stay on the device where they were created.

Customizing distractors for existing targets

You can also replace the default distractor array for any built-in target.

1
In "Create Preset," find the target to modify
Browse or search for it in the target list.
2
Tap the pencil icon next to the target name
This opens the distractor editor for that specific target.
3
Select a custom distractor array (12 minimum)
Custom distractors activate when the program's difficulty is set to Custom.

Modalities (lesson types)

A modality is the type of learning activity for a target. FirstWork supports 16 modalities. The same target can be practiced across different modalities — mixing them supports generalization.

Matching

Receptive ID

Reading

Expressive

Intraverbals

Actions

Spatial Concepts

Counting

Arithmetic

Sound to Letter

Uploaded Matching

Uploaded Receptive

FFC

Sorting

Associations

Drag and Drop Sorting

Sharing a program (Lesson Code)

Programs are built at firstworkapp.com/create, then shared to staff via a Lesson Code. The recipient gets their own independent, editable copy that can be imported directly into the app or uploaded to your data collection system.

1
Open the correct Student Profile
Confirm you're in the right learner's profile before sharing.
2
Press "Share Preset"
Tap the three-dot menu on the Preset tile and press "Share Preset".
3
Select the presets to share and press "Share"
This copies the Lesson Code to your clipboard automatically.
4
Send the code to the recipient
Text, email, Slack — any method works. The recipient pastes it directly into the app on their tablet.

Important to know

The imported Preset is an independent copy. Updates to your original program don't sync automatically — reshare a new Lesson Code whenever you want staff to receive changes.

Importing a program (RBT)

When your BCBA sends a Lesson Code, here's how to load it onto your tablet in under a minute.

1
Open FirstWork and enter your PIN
Make sure you're fully logged in before proceeding.
2
Confirm you're on the correct Student Profile
This is the most critical step. The program saves under whichever student is currently active. Check the name at the top of the screen before going any further.
3
From the Student Profile home page, tap "Import Preset"
This is on the home screen of the Student Profile — not in general app settings.
4
Paste the Lesson Code
Paste exactly as your BCBA sent it. Lesson Codes are case-sensitive.
5
Preview and confirm
You'll see which targets are included and the modality. Tap Import to confirm.
6
The Preset appears on the Dashboard, ready to launch
Tap the tile to start a session immediately with all settings in place.

Most common mistake

Importing into the wrong Student Profile means all session data is attributed to the wrong learner and can't be moved. Always confirm the student name before tapping Import.

Logging in on a new device

Use your 6-digit Login Code to access your account on any device. No email or password required.

1
Open FirstWork on the new device
On a fresh install, the app downloads the curriculum first — about 200 MB, takes 1–2 minutes.
2
Go to Settings → Account Management → Access Pass
Tap the gear icon in the top right of the Dashboard to open Settings.
3
Tap "I already have a Login Code"
Enter your 6-digit code exactly as received — it is case-sensitive.
4
Done — your account syncs to the device
Student Profiles and programs are now accessible here.

Finding your Login Code

It was emailed when you signed up. You can also find it under Account Management on any device that's already logged in.

Launching and running a session

Once a program is loaded onto the tablet, sessions start in one tap. Here's what to expect during a live session.

1
Confirm the correct Student Profile is active
Check the learner's name at the top of the screen before anything else.
2
Tap the Preset tile to launch
The session starts immediately with all saved settings. No extra configuration needed.
3
Hand the device to the learner
The trial screen shows the question and answer choices. The learner taps their response directly on screen.
4
Every response is recorded automatically
Correct, prompted, and incorrect outcomes are logged with timestamps. No manual note-taking required.
5
End the session when done
Sessions end when the trial count completes, time runs out, or you tap End Session in the toolbar.

Correct response

Success chime plays. Next trial loads after the configured delay.

Incorrect response

Error correction runs per program settings. Trial may repeat or advance.

RBT expectations

Don't change program settings unless directed by your BCBA. If something seems off mid-session, flag it to your supervisor rather than adjusting settings yourself.

Instructor mode

For targets where the learner responds verbally or gesturally — rather than tapping the screen — Instructor Mode switches scoring to the RBT.

1
Enable in Global Settings
Instructor Mode is enabled as a device-wide setting under App Settings.
2
The learner responds normally to the question
The question appears on screen as usual. The learner responds verbally or gesturally.
3
The RBT scores each response
Three buttons appear: Correct, Prompted, and Incorrect. Tap the appropriate outcome after each response.

Why Prompted is tracked separately

Prompted responses are not counted as correct — they're recorded as their own outcome. This lets BCBAs measure prompt dependence over time, not just overall accuracy. Always score Prompted accurately rather than rounding up to Correct.

Focus mode & reward system

Focus Mode restricts access to fun apps during sessions. The optional reward timer grants timed access between lessons as a digital reinforcer.

Focus mode only

Block fun apps during lessons. Deliver reinforcement however your team normally would.

Focus + reward time

Block during lessons, then automatically grant a timed block of app access after each lesson completes.

1
In Settings, select the apps to restrict
Uses the device's built-in Screen Time feature. Select which apps are blocked while a session is active.
2
Those apps are inaccessible during lessons
The learner cannot open games, videos, or other distractors while a session is running.
3
(Optional) Configure reward time
Set Lessons per session to 2 or more so gaps exist between lessons. Set Reward time in minutes. Between lessons, the learner gets that amount of time on their preferred apps automatically.

Pacing & feedback settings

These settings control timing and feedback around each trial. Configure in Preset settings for a specific program, or in App Settings to set defaults for new programs. Program settings always override defaults.

Setting	What it does	When to use it
Delay after correct	How long the correct tile stays highlighted before the next question loads.	Increase for learners who need more processing time, or to slow a rushed pace.
Delay after incorrect	Pause before error correction or the next attempt begins.	Adjust to give the learner time to reset after an error.
Correct-answer chime	Plays a success sound when the learner answers correctly.	Turn off if the learner is noise-sensitive or if the sound disrupts flow.
Field reduces after correct	Reduces the number of answer choices after each successful trial.	Use to shape discrimination and maintain momentum in early acquisition.

In-session adjustments

You can change pacing settings during a live session using the Session Adjustment Toolbar — without stopping or exiting. Useful when the learner's state shifts and you need a quick change to maintain instructional control.

Prompts & error correction

FirstWork automates error correction so it's delivered consistently on every trial. You configure how prompts appear and when hints activate.

Setting	What it does
Border prompt — On	After an incorrect response, a green border highlights the correct answer before the error-correction trial. The highlight disappears on reset so the next attempt is a clean screen.
Border prompt — No-No-Show	Hidden on the first two attempts, shown on the third. Reduces prompt dependency for more advanced learners.
Time-based hint	After a set delay with no response, the correct answer is highlighted. Supports attending without immediately giving away the answer.
Reduce field after incorrect	FirstWork will remove answer options that are incorrectly selected, narrowing the field toward the correct choice.
Shuffle	FirstWork will shuffle all answer options between attempts.
Hide response options	FirstWork will only display answer options after the entire auditory prompt has been played for a trial to prevent overly quick responses.
Advance on first incorrect	Session moves to the next trial after the first wrong answer — no error correction loop. Used primarily for probing.

Probing & assessment

Probe mode runs clean baseline or maintenance checks while still capturing full trial-level data alongside your teaching data.

Probe mode on

Trials run without teaching supports. Data is flagged as probe for direct comparison against teaching trials in charts.

Advance on first incorrect

Session moves forward after the first wrong answer with no error correction. Keeps probe sets fast and clean.

Stimulus & SD controls

Control how stimuli are presented and how SDs are delivered during trials.

Setting	What it does
Adjust SD	Select a specific SD or let SDs vary across trials. Variability supports generalization to natural language.
Hide response options until SD completes	Answer tiles don't appear until the audio SD finishes. Prevents early responding before the learner hears the full instruction.
Speaker speed	Sets how fast audio SDs are delivered — slow, medium, or fast. Adjust to the learner's receptive processing speed.
Identical match-to-sample	The correct answer tile shows the exact same image as the target stimulus. Toggle for pure MTS programs.
Shuffle	Randomizes question order across trials so the learner cannot predict the sequence and respond by position.

Reviewing progress

Data is organized at three levels. Start at the high level and drill down as needed — the detail is always there.

1
High level — View Progress (daily summary)
Tap the Today's Progress card on the Dashboard. Set a date range. See overall accuracy broken down by Target, Preset, and Visual Schedule. Best for end-of-session check-ins and supervision meetings.
2
Target detail — Goal History Chart
Each target has its own accuracy graph over time. Phase markers — vertical dashes on the chart — appear automatically whenever a Preset's settings change. No manual logging needed.
3
Trial detail — Full Trial Data
Press "Edit Data" in the goal history chart for any goal or program to access every individual trial as a sortable row. Includes prompt type, SD delivered, probe mode flag, latency, and hint status. Mis-recorded outcomes can be corrected directly from this view.

About phase markers

Every time you change a Preset's settings and run a new session, a phase marker is recorded automatically. You can see exactly when clinical parameters changed and whether learner performance shifted in response — without keeping a separate log.

Exporting all data

Press "Generate Report" to export all data from a student profile as a CSV. Each row is one trial, including target name, date, modality, SD given, probe mode, prompt type, outcome, latency, and error correction details.

Exporting data (CSV)

Use "Generate Report" to export every recorded trial as a row in a spreadsheet. Open in Excel or Google Sheets for further analysis.

1
Go to the student's detailed data view
From the Dashboard: tap Today's Progress, then Show Detailed Data.
2
Press "Generate Report"
Select the date range you want to include in the export.
3
Open in your spreadsheet tool
Each row is one trial. Columns include: target name, date, modality, SD given, probe mode, prompt type, outcome, latency, and error correction details.

Outcome labels in the CSV

Responses export as Correct, Incorrect, or Prompted. Prompt type is a separate column: Instructor, App: Hint, App: Model + Repeat, App: Repeat, or None.

How to use FirstWork