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?
Are you arranging opportunities for the student to practice the targeted skill in natural environments and under natural conditions?
As long as the student’s reaction to anxiety is not dangerous to himself or others, how might safe exposure provide realistic practice opportunities to perform the skills?
For example, if the student needs to ride a public bus to the work site, but has experienced anxiety when waiting for the bus (resulting in leaving the bus stop in the past), how can you schedule practice opportunities? Perhaps the student initially practices waiting for the bus (practicing coping strategies) with support staff at the stop, then waits with the staff positioned farther from the stop while he practices coping, and eventually learns to implement coping techniques when the support staff is not visibly present.
Note that if the student’s reactions do pose emotional or physical risks, it is best to leave such exposure techniques to trained mental health professionals.
Have you adapted visual supports so that they can remain in the natural environments that this student encounters now, and in the future?
A social narrative or a graphic organizer can be accessible (and portable) across many settings. The coping comic may be scaled down to index card-size to be kept in the student’s backpack. A stress-level thermometer printable can help the student track his level of anxiety. A coping card might be clipped to a binder. Pick the support that serves the student best. Avoid bombarding the student with multiple visual supports that may confuse him when acting independently.
Are you collecting data to make adjustments to your teaching and to ensure that the student is performing the skill across multiple conditions?
Below is one data sheet you might use to evaluate the effectiveness of the coping strategies that the student applies in response to particular triggers.
