Once the skill is performed accurately and independently under one condition, are you arranging multiple opportunities for the student to practice the skill with different people, and in multiple settings?
Consider the student who rarely asks for clarification in a particular classroom setting. He sits quietly and digs himself into a deeper and deeper academic “hole.” Once you have increased the behavior of asking for help in your instructional setting, one cannot assume that this behavior will automatically generalize to a different setting with a different instructor, different academic content, and different peers. A visual cue may be used that contains a list of situations where a student might need to ask for help. It may be motivating for the student to check off each situation as he seeks that assistance.
As the student demonstrates generalized responding with one subset (e.g. asking for a missing tool or material), you might then move on to a different subset (e.g. asking for more information) that the student practices under increasingly novel conditions. Over time, the instructor may support the student in connecting these varied circumstances (and the subsets) so that the student develops a generalized concept of ‘help.’
Are you arranging opportunities for the student to practice the targeted skill in natural environments and under natural conditions?
Collaboration between all stakeholders (parents, job coach and other support staff) is vital to this effort. The student may be able to ask for help at school when he needs information, but will need to practice it in a variety of situations within the home, job sites and community. If a student will be using public transportation, he will need to be able to ask the bus driver for help or information regarding routes, times, bus fare, etc. It is critical for an individual to recognize when they are hurt, sick, or in danger, and to identify who to ask for help and how to initiate that communication.
Have you adapted visual supports so that they can remain in the natural environments that this student encounters now, and in the future?
Rule or reminder cards regarding who to ask for help in a variety of situations might need to be laminated and placed by the phone at their home, in their wallet or back pack, on their desk at work, or in their locker at school or work. The detail of these cards would depend on the level of the student. Simple “ask for more materials” or “raise your hand” cards might need to be affixed to their desk or work table as a visual reminder.
Are you collecting data to make adjustments to your teaching and to ensure that the student is performing the skill across multiple conditions?