Target Selection and Task Analysis:

In what contexts does the student need to display this skill, now and in the future?

Interruptions are often necessary to request assistance or share information at work, home, school, or in the community.  Being able to successfully interrupt others can help the student clarify tasks at work, recover from being lost in a new city, or let everyone know of an emergency situation. 

How can I break down the teaching of this skill?

The appropriateness of interrupting someone is based entirely on the specific contexts of the situation:  What is the reason and how important is it?  Who am I interrupting?  Is that person busy?  Interpreting the situation and deciding whether it is appropriate to interrupt will be challenging for many students due to the ambiguity of concepts such as “important” and “busy.”  Even after the decision to interrupt has been made, the student will be faced with determining what to say and do- responses that require adjustment based on the situation. 

For many, it is important to teach consistent “rules” that the individual can practice and apply across a wide variety of situations:

1. Begin by introducing and concretely describing the three main types of interruptions that the student might be inclined to engage in at work:  Social interruptions (I am interrupting to talk with you about one of my hobbies or special interests, something I did last night/over the weekend, something not related to work tasks), work-related interruptions (I am doing a task and have a question about or problem with this task; I have a question about my schedule, a customer has a question, etc.), or emergency interruptions (a customer or employee is angry or upset with me and I don’t know what to do, there is something happening that is dangerous, someone is injured, etc.).   Engage the student in opportunities to identify each type of interruption by evaluating the circumstances and context clues in role-play scenarios, video scenarios, etc.
   
   
2. Identify when it is appropriate to interrupt for social reasons, and emphasize the “why” behind these rules (e.g. other people might feel frustrated or annoyed when they cannot get their work done because I am interrupting them to talk about other things; I might not get all of my work done, etc.).  Priming may be crucial, as the student may not recognize how his interruptions are perceived by others, and that there is a better time to socialize. For many, it is advisable to establish and visually depict clear rules about when the student can initiate these interactions (at breaks, before work starts, after work, online later, etc.). 
   
   Engage the student in role-play scenarios and other activities where he practices identifying whether it the right time to interrupt, and in identifying a better time and place to socialize.  As you target interactions in social contexts (e.g., lunch, breaks, after work), examine the Entering Conversations and Initiating Conversations curriculum topics.  Consider how one enters an ongoing conversation without interrupting that conversation.  This is an area of difficulty for many with social skill and social cognition differences.  Also examine the topic of Going with the Flow in Conversations, as inappropriate interruptions across a conversational exchange are a key barrier for many. 
   
   
3. To address task-related/work-related interruptions, you might need to start by priming the student around the issue of Asking for Help (when might I need help, why it is important, how will it make me feel to get the help I need, etc.) and Self-Advocacy (recognizing strengths and needs, making needs known).  Then, move to teaching the concrete steps of “interrupting” across multiple role-play opportunities:
   
   
   • Determine if the person is busy and should not be interrupted.  Target multiple examples of “busy” in the context of modeling, role-plays, video scenarios and live examples with people in work environments (if possible).  Use visual reminder cues to support recognition of the most typical signs of “busy”:  The person is on the phone, the person is talking to someone else in person, the person is working with a customer, the person is yelling or crying, etc. 
   • Practice responding to these “busy” signals – find someone else to ask, go back to work then check back in three minutes.  Depending on the student’s particular work situation, this response “formula” might need adjustment.  Emphasize the “why” behind these responses (e.g. other people will feel frustrated or annoyed if I interrupt them when they are busy).
   • Practice recognizing “not now” signals in the context of modeling, role-plays, video scenarios and live examples with people in work environments (if possible).  These “not now” signals are the signals that a person gives when you start to interrupt and they want you to stop or wait:  Person holds up a finger signaling “wait,” person says something like “hang on,” “can you come back in a few minutes?” or “let me finish this first.”
   • Practice responding to these “not now” signals.  For example, if the person uses the “wait” signal, stand there, look around or at your work materials rather than staring at them, and wait quietly.  If the person says, “I need a few minutes,” then come back in 2-3 minutes.
   • When you have determined that it is the right time to interrupt, use the appropriate verbal and non-verbal interruption behaviors: 
   • Knock on door (in some cases).  Wait for permission (“come in!”, person opens door, etc.).
   • Walk towards person.  Stop in front of their work area/desk. 
   • Say, “Excuse me…I am sorry to interrupt” (then ask the question, state the problem, ask   for help, etc.).
     
     
4. To address emergency interruptions, the first goal is to clarify what constitutes an “emergency” at work.  Concretely identify examples and engage the student in opportunities to identify these situations in role-play scenarios, video scenarios, and other activities.   Then, practice making interruptions via scripts and scenarios:  Approach co-worker or supervisor, say, “Excuse me…I am sorry to interrupt, but ________.”

For many, generalization should be developed through application of the concrete concepts across multiple situations, not by adding the more nuanced situations and inconsistently applied “rules” before the student is ready for this.

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?

For some, it is necessary to first concretely define a social interruption versus a work-related interruption in order to then establish rules and practice adhering to those rules.

A student might be inclined to stand and wait outside the door (perhaps for an excessive period of time) because he struggles to identify the right moment to interrupt, and how to initiate that interruption.  As a result, he does not get his needs met so he can get the task done efficiently or accurately.  In this case, begin by targeting situations where there are more obvious “openings” with longer durations (e.g. person gets off the phone and then pauses for a minute before picking up the phone again).  Target successful initiations under those circumstances first.

Some individuals may tend to interrupt too frequently to seek assistance or clarification.  In this case, also refer to the Asking for Help topic, which not only targets the individual who never seeks assistance, but also the individual who does so excessively.