What does it mean to have a "sequencing" problem?

The first year we had a girl’s softball team at the school where I teach, one of the girls on the team was very athletic. She could throw and hit the ball well, and she could run very fast. In the first game of the season, however, she hit the ball and ran to third base! This is an example of how a sequencing disorder can affect a child.

Sequencing simply means putting things in the correct order like the alphabet or numbers. If spelling a word, the order of the letters is very important. Changing the order in a math problem (writing "21+17 = ___" instead of "12 + 17 = ____") produces the incorrect answer. And, who knows what happens in a softball game when you run the bases backwards!

Socially, these children may tell you about an argument they had with a friend and then later tell you the same story in a different order. This can make them look like they are lying when it is actually a sequencing issue over which they have no control.

Students with a sequencing problem have trouble following step-by-step directions. They fall apart when working on long term projects because they are not sure what needs to be done and in what order. I watch for these problems with my students. I teach them how to check off what they have completed when following a set of directions. When working on a long-term project, I break it down into manageable pieces and monitor whether they are completing each part in time to finish the whole project. I also use graphic organizers such as those shown here to help these children organize their thoughts.

There are many accommodations and compensatory strategies these children can benefit from. For more ideas of possible ways to help, check out this article from the Child Development Institute.