Given the sub-skill you selected within your task analysis (your starting point for instruction), how can you shape this behavior into a functional skill that this student can independently apply in future settings?
In some cases, you might begin to shape the student’s understanding and performance of this skill by depicting very obvious examples of inappropriate physical proximity.
As the student shows increasing success in identifying these examples as inappropriate and adhering to the “rules” that govern these responses, you would systematically introduce increasingly subtle forms of inappropriate physical proximity (e.g. hand resting too close to another’s; leaning in too closely next to a peer when seated).
A different student may not need instruction to address explicit violations of personal space. Rather, your starting point might be to address the more complex decisions that arise in school, employment, and community contexts (e.g. selecting the seat two or three places down from a stranger rather than right next to a stranger). In this case, start by targeting situations where there are many seats to choose from within a row or at a table. Successively target situations where it is more difficult to determine where to sit.
What concrete strategies and visual supports (scripts, instructions, reminder cues, etc.) will you use to help the student rehearse the expected behavior or skill?
Make rules for the student. Because many individuals view the world as black or white and have trouble with shades of gray, make very concrete, straightforward rules. Setting clear rules can reduce confusion and anxiety. Therefore, many individuals actually like rules because it clarifies what they should be doing.
For personal space, make the rule that they must stand 2 giant steps away from someone when speaking to them. Another common rule is that they must stand one arm’s length away from someone. Or, make a rule that they may not touch anybody at work unless it is to shake hands or give a high-five. Then, put that rule into a visual format (see Visual Cues for examples).
What type of prompting might you need to provide in the initial learning phase?
Examples: A physical reminder (holding your arm out during a conversation to remind them “2 arms’ lengths away”), a verbal reminder (“Remember, two steps back”).
What is your plan for systematically and quickly fading out your prompting? How do you time and fade the prompt to support the student in initiating the target behavior?
Can the student discriminate between the more versus less appropriate response in a given role-play scenario? Are you arranging opportunities for the student to make such discriminations and to label when the instructor or someone else performs the behavior incorrectly?
It will be very important to role play various scenarios to make sure that the student is not only able to learn (and state) the rules, but also APPLY them. Practice standing 1 giant step away from the student, and asking “Is this appropriate?” Then, stand 2 giant steps away, then 3 giant steps away, etc. and asking “Is this appropriate?”
Such discriminations can also be depicted in video scenarios (See Communication Systems, Scripts, and Scenarios for video examples).
Depending on the student, it may be necessary to target the more subtle examples of appropriate versus inappropriate physical proximity. For instance, while a student’s feet might be firmly planted two steps away, is his body leaning towards the other person in a way that seems invasive?
As another example, when the student is seated next to a peer, does his arm rest too closely to his peer’s arm? When he encounters a situation where he might sit next to versus across from someone, does he make the right choice given the context and given his relationship with the other person?
These and other scenarios should be role-played and discussed to promote accurate discriminations between appropriate and less appropriate physical proximity.
Are you arranging frequent practice opportunities to build fluency through repetition?
What steps do you need to take to ensure that everyone targeting that skill applies the same level of prompting and fades it out at the same rate to support initiation by the student?