Are We Helping Too Much?

From the first day of school, we begin building the routines, relationships, and supports that help our students become more independent. Every opportunity to make a choice, communicate a need, check a visual, begin a familiar routine, or solve a problem helps students learn that they are capable. These moments may seem small, but they add up over time!

However, independence does not mean doing everything alone. None of us moves through life without support. We use calendars, reminders, technology, coworkers, family members, and other resources every day. I don't know about you all, but without these supports--and coffee-- I'd fall apart!

Our students need different kinds and levels of support. For one student, independence might mean completing a familiar routine without an adult nearby. For another, it might mean checking a visual schedule, using AAC to ask for help, choosing the type of support they want, or directing another person. The goal is not to do everything alone. The goal is to participate, communicate, make choices, and use support with increasing autonomy.

With this in mind, adult support is not the problem. What matters is whether that support helps them participate—or unintentionally teaches them to wait for an adult before taking the next step.

We all want our students to feel successful. When we notice a student hesitating, struggling, or making a mistake, our first instinct is often to step in and help. That instinct comes from a place of care. Sometimes, though, our support may arrive before students have enough time to process, initiate, problem-solve, or show us what they already know.

Over time, a student may begin waiting for an adult instead of checking a visual, looking at their materials, trying a familiar strategy, or communicating that they need help. This is often called prompt dependence. Prompt dependence is neither a student failure or an adult failure. It is simply information that can help us reflect on how and when we provide support.

The goal is not to remove help. Instead, we want to provide support intentionally while creating meaningful opportunities for students to participate, communicate, and take the lead whenever possible.

Take a moment to think about a familiar routine. Do you notice a student:

• Looking toward an adult before beginning?

• Waiting for repeated verbal directions?

• Completing a skill with one adult but not in other settings?

• Stopping after each step and waiting for confirmation?

• Appearing independent only when an adult is nearby?

These patterns do not automatically mean a student is prompt dependent. The student may need more processing time, clearer information, additional teaching, regulation support, or a different way to access the task. They simply give us a place to start asking questions.

Support should help a student access an activity while leaving room for participation. Sometimes, though, we may unintentionally take over a step, answer a question, or solve a problem before the student has had enough time to respond.

As you observe the routine, consider:

• Has the student had enough time to process the cue?

• Is the expectation clear and familiar?

• Can the student access the materials and communication supports they need?

• Is the student showing signs of confusion, distress, or dysregulation?

• What is the smallest amount of support that could help them move forward?

The goal is not less support. It is the right support at the right time.

During one familiar routine, try experimenting with a brief pause:

1. Give the cue once.

2. Pause and allow time for the student to process.

3. Watch for signs of initiation, such as looking, reaching, moving, gesturing, speaking, or using AAC.

4. If the student needs support, offer the least intrusive prompt that supports success.

5. Step back again and allow the student to complete as much of the response as possible.

Five seconds may be a helpful starting point, but wait time should always be individualized. Some students need longer, while others may need support sooner.

Processing time should never become a test or a demand to perform. If a student appears confused, distressed, or unable to access the task, provide the support they need.

A Visual of the "Pause Before Supporting Strategy" is located in the Resources section! Print it and hang it up in your classroom as reminder for you and your team!

Choose one student and one familiar routine to observe this week.

• Where might you pause, step back, or give the student more time to show you what they know?
• Try one small shift and notice what happens. Does the student initiate more often? Use a visual? Communicate a need? Complete another step? Their response can help you decide what to try next.

Next week, we’ll look at how the environment can provide information and reduce the need for adult prompting.

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Check out Dinosaur Land Themes First!, which includes original songs, books, and activities that support students’ skill development and generalization with content that’s fun, accessible, and theme-based. These monthly units now include an expanded Social Studies suite, containing fun, theme-related activities that reinforce cultural engagement. Included in all Themes First! units are lessons, activities, and worksheets for group and independent work at a wide range of levels.

The next Themes First! release, October's Fall in the Forest is ready to prep!

💡Print all the activities you plan to use for the upcoming month as soon as they become available. Put printed activities in a "prep" area equipped with a laminator, file folders, Velcro, labels, and baggies. If you have a large laminator, laminate all the activities at once! When you and your team have a few minutes to spare, laminate, cut, and Velcro. It helps to organize activities in trays by "Needs to be Prepped" and "Finished." Don't forget to teach your team how to prep the activities and to model this new expectation. Check out the How to Prep a Month-Long Themes First! Unit below.

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Past Tuesday Tips & Tricks

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