Everyone has their own natural strengths and their own natural weaknesses.

The task of organising, planning and sequencing is a weakness that is shared by many people. Further to the auditory processing (i.e. correctly interpreting what you have heard) and auditory memory (i.e. remembering what you have heard) can be other challenges, meaning that which is heard is either interpreted differently or forgotten.

This chart can be used as a template, a guide to organisation, planning and sequencing for any task to be completed or period of time that requires a structure.

At Fabic we say that most tasks are similar to a thirty centimetre ruler. They have a clear start (i.e. 0cm) and a clear completion point (i.e. 30cm). To get from 0cm to 30cm is often a step by step process which typically requires organisation, planning and sequencing. This chart offers a framework for the completion of a task and the mapping of a time line, especially when we are struggling to bring structure and organisation to a particular task.

For example:

0cm_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 30cm

In pyjamas – In day clothes

Hungry – Have food to eat

Assignment not started – Assignment complete

Book not started – Book complete

8am – 8.10am

8am – 9.00am

8am – 5.00pm

Monday – Friday

January – December

To complete the chart

1. Write the 30cm, the completion point for the task (e.g. 500 word assignment on music) or the time (e.g. 5pm Friday) in the big circle in the middle.
2. 0cm is the start point, typically the beginning of a task or now.
3. In no particular order, identify each of the individual steps required to get from 0cm to 30cm. Write them in the smaller circles that branch out from the big circle in the middle
4. Add order by putting a number from 1 to 10 next to each step in the smaller circles in the sequence, one that will best support getting from 0cm to 30cm.
5. Write this order as steps 1 to 10 in the left column of the table on the right.

Once completed, this chart provides a visual step by step recipe to complete a particular task or structure a period of time. It will help ease the way and prepare for some of the commonly identified weaknesses of planning and sequencing, auditory processing, auditory memory and organisation.