Where is the student now? Where do you want him to be? Given the sub-skill you selected within your task analysis (your starting point for instruction), how can you shape this behavior into a practical skill for the future?
This will vary significantly depending on the level of the student and the situation. The visual supports needed for organizing materials must fit the student. What can he learn to use to independently organize himself? Some students may need very concrete visual supports developed by the instructor such as organizing his binder or labeling his locker or job site storage areas. Other students may only need to be taught how to fill out a simple graphic organizer with questions determining the task and the needed materials or supplies for that task.
Using a visual checklist to organize his binder for a class might be one place to start for some students. Once the strategies for the one class are working and the student is becoming confident in that area, the structure and visual strategies should be modified or adapted to fit another class or part of the day. For a drafting class, a checklist of needed materials might be placed in the folder for that class. Experiencing success in acquiring the materials by referring to the visual cue could lead to using a similar checklist listing materials needed for a job site. Collaborating with the student to obtain his input and using self-assessments to evaluate his performance will be important as most students desire to be successful.
Some students might need a list of all possible materials used for the class with the specific things needed for that day checked off by the instructor. For some students, the instructor might need to create the list at first but could progress to introducing a visual with questions such as “What materials are needed for this class?” to assist the student in learning how to make the list independently.
Organizing space might start in a curriculum assistance class where the student may need to have his work area moved away from the door, facing a wall, with a paper tray on his desk for his completed work. As the student becomes successful with the organization of his space in that environment, sharing that strategy with other instructors to incorporate into a study area at home, or on an office-based job site will continue to increase his confidence and build independence.
What visual supports (scripts, instructions, reminder cues, etc.) will you use to help the student rehearse the expected behavior or skill?
To-do lists with reminders built in, and simple graphic organizers can be used to assist the student while he learns how to determine the task and organize his materials or work space. There might need to be a specific time built into his to-do list to update and organize his materials or binders.
Visual cues such as the labeling of shelves, lockers, and supplies in work areas, along with binders or folders at school might need to be created and arranged by the instructor before the student is taught how to use them. A desk template or a specific organization for a work table in an office, a retail environment, a restaurant busing station, etc. are all visual cues that will support self-organization and availability of materials.
Situational stories and thinking stories can be beneficial in teaching perspective taking as to why it is important to stay organized and keep up with tools or materials.
What type of prompting might you need to provide in the initial learning phase?
In creating the organization of a binder for a class or using a checklist on a job to gather materials, modeling systematically and labeling the actions by the instructor might be necessary for some students. Other students might learn better by doing it themselves and having the instructor model or prompt more difficult steps. Initially, verbal or gesture prompting could be used but should always be used to refer the student to the visual structure, organization cues, checklists, etc.
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?
The ultimate goal is for the student to be able to independently refer to the visual cues and supports that have been developed and successfully complete assignments or job tasks without assistance. Verbal or gestural prompting to the visual cues should be faded as soon as the student is referring to the cues independently but should be faded one step at a time so that the student will experience success and gain confidence at each level.
Are you arranging frequent practice opportunities to build fluency through repetition?
You may need to build in specific times during the day to ‘reorganize’ the space and these times can be put on the student’s schedule. You also may need to put a specific visual instruction to put materials back in designated spaces within a set of visual instructions for existing tasks.
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?
Once a successful organizational strategy (such as the binder for a class) has been developed it should be shared with all instructors of the student. Consistency across all situations will increase practice opportunities for the student and also help build a routine and system that the student can use successfully and with increasing independence.