A functional guide for BCBAs and technicians
FirstWork is used in three steps: build programs, run them on a tablet, and review progress after sessions. This guide focuses on the shortest path to successful implementation and trustworthy data.
Brief overview
FirstWork is a tablet-based lesson delivery application designed for ABA and special education teams to run individualized teaching programs (most commonly DTT-style instruction) without printing and laminating materials.
- BCBAs and clinical leaders who build and manage programs
- Technicians/RBTs, paras, and educators who deliver those programs on a tablet with learners
- Teams who want consistent lesson delivery and automatic, reliable session data
- A BCBA creates programs (“Presets”) in the app or on the website (www.firstworkapp.com/create/)
- Programs are shared to staff using a copy/paste Lesson Code
- A technician launches the program with the learner on a tablet and runs sessions
- Progress and trial data are recorded automatically and reviewed by the BCBA
Log into your FirstWork account on a device (Login Code)
When you sign up, you’ll receive a 6-digit Login Code (case sensitive). Use this to log into your account on any device.
Open FirstWork.
Go to Settings.
In Account Management, tap Access Pass.
Tap I already have a login code.
Enter your 6-digit Login Code exactly as shown.
You’re now logged in on that device.
Setup in minutes
The fastest path to implementation: get a Program into the correct Student Profile, launch it, then review progress.
Open FirstWork and enter your PIN.
Select or create a Student Profile. Programs are saved inside the student.
Create a Preset (Program) or import a shared Program using a Lesson Code.
Launch the Program from the student’s Presets list and run the session. Progress is recorded automatically when the click is registered.
View Progress after the session for a high-level snapshot (targets and programs) over a date range.
- Confirm the correct Student Profile before importing or launching.
- Run the assigned Program without changing settings unless directed.
- Progress is recorded automatically when the click is registered.
Terms
These terms are used consistently in this guide.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Preset | Program (a saved teaching setup you can launch) |
| Target | An individual skill/item being taught; each target has its own data sheet and graph |
| Lesson Code | Copy/paste code used to import a shared Program |
| Student Profile | The learner container where Programs are saved on the tablet |
| Modality | Lesson type (Matching, Receptive ID, Expressive, FFC, etc.) |
| Probe mode | Whether a trial was delivered in probing mode (recorded per trial) |
1) Build programs (BCBA)
Build Programs in the app or on the website. The output is the same: a Preset (Program) that can be launched inside a Student Profile.
Open the correct Student Profile.
Go to Presets and choose Create Preset.
Select Modality, Category, and Targets.
Set field size, lesson structure, and teaching supports for this Program.
Save Preset.
- Create programs at www.firstworkapp.com/create/
- Use Share Preset to generate a Lesson Code
- Technicians import the Lesson Code into the correct Student Profile
Custom targets and modifications
FirstWork includes a large target library, but you can also upload your own targets and customize distractor arrays for existing targets.
Press ‘Add Goal’ on your student profile dashboard
Select an image from your camera roll
Press Next and select your distractors (minimum 12)
Add this target into any of your preset programs to use it
*FirstWork programs including custom targets are not sharable*
Press ‘Create preset’
Find the target you want to modify, then press the Pencil Icon
Select a custom distractor array (minimum 12 options)
If you launch a program on the Custom difficultyFirstWork will use the custom distractors you selected for this target.
Ways you can customize programs
Program settings let you control pacing, prompting, probe logic, and how stimuli are presented. These settings are typically configured while building a Preset and can be adjusted per Program.
- Use customization to match the learner’s current instructional needs (teaching vs probing vs maintenance).
- Use timing and presentation controls to reduce early responding and keep trials clean.
- Program-specific settings override Student Profile defaults (see “Defaults vs program” below).
Pacing and feedback
- Delay after a correct answer: adjust the pause before the next trial begins.
- Delay after an incorrect answer: adjust the pause before error correction / next attempt.
- Correct-answer chime: adjust the sound that plays after a correct response.
- Field reduces after a correct answer: optionally reduce the field after success to shape discrimination and maintain momentum.
Prompts, highlighting, and time-based hints
- Border Prompt (On): after an incorrect selection, the correct answer is highlighted in green.
- The highlight is shown after the response and before the subsequent error-correction trial.
- The highlight disappears when the trial resets, so the next attempt is a fresh screen.
- Time-based hints: set hints so that after a defined delay (e.g., 3 seconds) the correct answer is highlighted.
- Hint after delay: can be used to support attending and reduce long latency without immediately prompting.
Probing and assessment shortcuts
- Probe mode: run clean probe trials while still capturing full trial data.
- Advance on first incorrect: a probing option to move forward after the first incorrect response for easy probe sets.
Stimulus presentation and SD controls
- Adjust SD: select a specific SD or have SDs mix and vary across trials.
- Hide response options until SD is complete: prevents early responding while the SD is being delivered.
- Speaker speed (receptive programs): adjust how fast the speaker talks.
- Identical match-to-sample: toggle identical MTS on or off when building matching programs.
In-session adjustments
- Session adjustment toolbar: modify programs while they are happening without exiting the session.
- Use this when you need quick, in-the-moment changes (e.g., pacing, supports, trial flow) while keeping the session moving.
3) Run on tablet (RBT workflow)
Once a Program is inside a Student Profile, sessions are run by launching the Program from the Presets list.
Open the correct Student Profile.
Go to Presets.
Tap Launch on the assigned Program.
Progress is recorded automatically when the click is registered.
Focus Mode and Reward System
FirstWork can restrict selected “fun apps” during lessons and (optionally) grant time on those apps as a reward between lessons.
- A way to prevent “fun apps” from being accessed during teaching.
- An optional reward timer that can grant access to those apps between lessons.
- When a learner is using an iPad for instruction, games/videos can compete with instructional control.
- Focus Mode reduces interruptions and supports smoother session flow.
- Focus Mode only (no digital reward): restrict selected fun apps during lessons, reinforce however your team typically reinforces.
- Focus Mode + reward time: restrict during lessons, then grant a timed reward between lessons.
- Step 1: In FirstWork settings, select the apps you want to restrict.
- Step 2: During lessons, those apps will be restricted so the learner can’t access them.
- Step 3 (optional): If you want to grant time on fun apps after lessons:
-
- Set Lessons per session to 2 or more (so there are gaps between lessons).
- Set Reward time (in minutes) to determine how long the learner can access fun apps in those gaps.
4) Review progress (BCBA)
Review is available at three levels: a high-level snapshot, target-level detail, and trial-level detail.
High-level view (fast)
- Best for end-of-session review and supervision check-ins.
Target detail (trend)
- Use this for trends, prompt dependency, and probe vs teaching comparisons.
Trial detail (audit)
- Includes prompts, latency, attempts, SD, probe mode, reinforcement, and teaching supports.
Data captured
Every Target has its own data sheet and graph. FirstWork also records trial-level data automatically on each registered click.
- Was responding independent vs prompted?
- Was it delivered in probe mode or not?
- Are errors happening on first attempts or during error correction?
- Is latency improving over time?
- Did reinforcement type correlate with changes in responding?
| Category | Fields recorded per trial |
|---|---|
| Performance | Correct/Incorrect, Prompt used, Latency, Attempts (error correction trial number) |
| Context | Date, Session, Modality, Target, SD given, Probe mode |
| Error correction and supports | Trial note (editable), Border prompt setting (On / No-No-Show / Off), Hint shown after delay |
| Reinforcement | Reinforcement (off-app or time on fun apps), Time on fun apps (when used) |
Defaults vs program settings
Settings selected in a Student Profile apply as defaults for new Programs. Program-specific settings always take priority.
| Where you set it | What it affects |
|---|---|
| Settings (inside a Student Profile) | Default values when creating new Programs |
| Program settings | Overrides defaults for that specific Program |
Export CSV (Generate Report)
Use Generate Report to export a CSV containing all captured data (trial-level fields included).
- Supervision packets
- Clinic-level analytics
- External graphing/reporting
- Internal research or fidelity review
What Can FirstWork Do for ABA Professionals?
FirstWork simplifies your workflow by reducing the need for manual DTT material creation, allowing you to spend more time with clients and less time on prep work.
FirstWork includes built-in data collection tools that allow you to track client progress directly within the app. This feature helps streamline reporting and ensure accurate, up-to-date information for treatment decisions.
Absolutely! You can use the platform to share lesson programs and monitor progress, making it ideal for collaboration, even remotely!
FirstWork covers a wide range of Discrete Trial Training (DTT) based programs. Our resources are designed to be versatile and adaptable so you can customize lessons to meet the needs of your learners.
Absolutely! FirstWork is easy to use and collaborate with. It’s a great continued learning tool for many families who would like to increase learning opportunities at home. You can easily share programs with families that they can access on their device making it highly transferable into the home context.
Pricing
FirstWork is free to download and use through the App Store! Over 500 targets are always available, and, when you first download the app you start with access to the ~10,000 targets in the app. Download here.
Organization can also access FirstWork through a pilot to explore the app. Start a pilot here.
Yes, FirstWork offers discounts for larger organizations and long-term subscribers. You can contact our sales team for more information on group rates and enterprise pricing here.
Yes, during the free trial, you have access to all of FirstWork’s features, so you can explore everything the platform has to offer before committing to a subscription.
Absolutely. You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time, depending on your changing needs. FirstWork allows for flexible subscription management.
If you subscribe through the App Store you will have access on the device you subscribed using. Each device can support an unlimited number of ‘student profiles’ so you can work with many learners using one login.
If you want to work with many learners using a single device then we suggest you subscribe through the App Store. If you want to set up multiple devices at the same time we suggest you sign-up as an organization for better account management and group login capabilities.
There are a number of ways to provide FirstWork access to families as a continued learning tool. Please contact us so we can find the best option for you! (info@firstworkapp.com)
Customization Options
Access/Usage Questions
Yes, FirstWork offers easy import options to transfer data and lesson plans across devices so you can access your programs and progress reports whenever and wherever you need them.
When you download FirstWork on iOS or Android you will automatically have full access to the app for one week!
Yes, when you sign up as an organization FirstWork supports multi-user access, making it ideal for teams.
Yes, FirstWork is available on iOS and Android phones and tablets!.
How it works
FirstWork has a ‘parental control’ style feature that makes it possible for you to limit fun apps during learning lessons. Simply select all of the fun/distracting apps like YouTube or games during the setup process. While FirstWork is asking questions all of those apps will be restricted.
This minimizes distractions and keeps the learning on track!
FirstWork has a number of video guides that can show you how it all comes together. We suggest you start by watching this walkthrough video:
After a lesson is completed you can grant a digital reward: time on fun apps like YouTube or games! You can set the amount of reward time before the lesson, for instance, you might earn 5 minutes of reward time after completing a lesson. Once the lesson is completed fun apps will be made available for 5 minutes.
When the time is up FirstWork can restrict the fun apps again requesting that the learner completes another lesson to regain access! It’s a powerful motivational engine because it leverages rewards kids already know and love.
FirstWork digitizes DTT from setup all the way to reinforcement. It has a best-in-class library of teaching images, incredible amounts of customization, easy lesson sharing, data tracking, and report generation capabilities. The app can do it all!
Uniquely, FirstWork also has a powerful reinforcement feature that makes the app much more engaging than cards for many learners. FirstWork makes it possible to earn existing digital rewards like time on YouTube. Instead of giving learners contrived rewards like a digital sticker or silly video they can access the experiences they already know and love.
It’s a seamless experience that speeds up DTT and provides a strong motivational component for learners making the app particularly apt for cross-context use, including in the home context for continued learning.
