What are some reinforcing consequences you can deliver either immediately following the desired behavior or following a practice session– things that this particular student enjoys, wants, seeks out, etc.?
Practice with role-play scenarios will be challenging for many students. Build one skill at a time to a level of fluency. Initially short intervals of practice may be followed by alone time activities or highly reinforcing and comforting activities.
Are you using labeling and social praise to make the contingency between desired behavior and reinforcing consequence clear to the student?
Some students enjoy social praise and are very motivated by attention. Using a checklist of targeted skills (e.g. “Introduce yourself,” “Ask for an application,” etc.), students may enjoy peer evaluations during such role-plays. These can provide opportunities for students to observe a peer’s role-play, acknowledge appropriate skill demonstration, and naturally provide social praise as the students take turns saying what the actor did right. Aside from the topic at hand, this type of activity provides a unique opportunity for students to hear positive support coming from peers as opposed to instructors or other adults.
What reinforcing consequences can you arrange that are more naturally or intrinsically connected to this targeted behavior?
It may be appropriate to connect success to the actual number of applications received. Celebrate with the student if he visits four businesses and obtains two applications during a community outing.