In what contexts does the student need to display this skill, now and in the future?
It is critical that every student have this skill. It is important for every student to develop a concept of help that allows them to initiate seeking a solution from interaction with others, if at all possible. Giving students the ability to discern who can help, how, and under what circumstances, is truly a skill for the entire life of the individual.
Asking for help too frequently can be irritating to fellow employees and supervisors and can lead to negative working conditions or job loss. Teaching the individual to properly determine when to ask for help and how to self-regulate is critical for the individual who asks too often.
What are the steps that comprise this skill?
Because this skill has so many contexts and variations, it is often necessary to break down the context of asking for help into subsets for instruction. Those subsets include (but may not be limited to):
Within each of these subsets, consider whether you will approach instruction with a 3-step model. Often the instructor will need to choose one subset to target and provide multiple practice opportunities.
Within that subset, the student must:
As the student develops competence with one subset, does the instructor move on to a different subset for instruction and practice?
Over time, the instructor may support the student in connecting these varied circumstance (and the subsets) so that the student develops a working concept of ‘help.’ Developing that concept of help can support the student in correctly identifying when he might appropriately ask for help in new situations.
For the individual who knows how to ask for help but uses it excessively, the instructor must assess the function of this frequent behavior. Is the individual asking frequently in order to obtain attention from anyone in the area or from a specific person? Does the individual have other ways to ‘make conversation’ and to interact that can be differentially reinforced?
On the other hand, is the student extremely anxious when facing a task that he perceives as difficult? Does his anxiety lead him to frequently request assistance even when the task is within his capacity?
In either of these cases (attention seeking or anxiety reduction), discrimination training of ‘when to ask for help’ vs. ‘when I can do it myself’ will be a part of the instruction. Another critical part of instruction will be practice in the use of visual supports to know either when the student will get attention or how to reduce anxiety when working on a difficult task.
What sub-skill should you target first for the student to initiate? Given what the student can do presently, how will you present the task so that the student can perform steps within his capacity while learning a new step?
It is important to assess the student first to determine if he realizes when he needs help and where he is currently asking for help. Is he able to ask for help when completing classwork that he does not understand? Does he ask for help in the cafeteria in opening food containers or in using the vending machines? Does he ask for help finding directions or obtaining information about social activities? Does he recognize who is available to ask for help? Through assessment, you can determine the student’s current ability, and also possibly recognize a motivating area or activity that can be used for practice. The individual skill level of the student will determine the sub-skill to target first.