In what contexts does the student need to display this skill, now and in the future?
Ideally, we use breaks to relax and to rejuvenate so that we can return to work with energy and focus. An efficient person uses breaks not only in work environments but in volunteer work, home maintenance and repairs, school and homework, and basically, any focused productive activity. Many individuals have difficulty organizing their work and leisure activities efficiently and many have difficulty managing their homes and personal activities. Few skills are more relevant to positive long-term outcomes for individuals.
What are the steps that comprise this skill?
The crucial first step in organizing ourselves around breaks involves understanding what a break is and how we use it to gather energy for our next activities. The instructor must help identify what the student can understand with regard to ‘breaks.’ Regardless of the student’s cognitive skill, some level of definition of the meaning and value of a break is necessary. That definition is likely to center on clarity of work activity vs. break or leisure activity.
Getting to the ‘why’ of a break may pose another real challenge. If possible, find a way for the student to describe why breaks are useful in his own words. It may be that he needs to describe why some activities are completed at break vs. at work vs. at home only.
The next step involves determining when to take a break. If the student has completed an assignment in school or at work, can he stop and take a break? Or, is it expected that he would seek out a new task rather than taking a break?
The fourth step involves determining where to take a break. Environmental design can be important here to help define work vs. break activities. Does the space help the student know what is expected in different spaces? If “break space” and “work space” are one in the same (as they often are in inclusive educational settings, and some work settings), the focus may be on the student’s ‘labeling’ the break so as to shift his focus.
The next step involves clear definition of what to do on break and for how long. Often this is quite complex since individuals may want to ‘finish’ a task, no matter how long it takes. Breaks involve organizing ourselves around time constraints. Do I choose activities that can be completed in 10 minutes? Can I stop the activity when it is time to go to work? Can I stop 5 minutes before I return to work to get water and go to the restroom? At the beginning of a break, can I order my break activities so that I go to the restroom, wash my hands, get a snack, talk with a co-worker, check the clock and with 3 minutes left, close the conversation, clean up and go back to be in my work space at the right time? In educational settings, it can be confusing for the student who is allowed to take a computer break in one class but may not do so in a different class. For this individual, the “rules” for each class should be clarified and represented within the visual supports.
For individuals who enjoy conversation while on break, another step involves determining if it is permissible to socialize during breaks. This is particularly relevant in educational contexts, where strict silence is the rule during “downtime” in some classes and quiet talking is acceptable in other classes.
When socialization is acceptable in a given setting, the student will need to determine who to talk to and about what topics. Can the student determine who else is on break and who is available for conversation? Does the student need support in determining appropriate topics of conversation?
Consider the importance of the following Basic Interpersonal Interaction (in the Social Communication section) skills as targets for intervention either prior to or in addition to the topic of Work Breaks:
Several of the Complex Skills in Interpersonal Interaction should also be reviewed to determine if they are potential intervention targets.
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?
Often it is important to at least briefly orient the student to the concept of ‘break’ and the description or definition of appropriate break activities. Creating a list of break options that fit the student is often critically important. It is equally important to define the value or purpose (the ‘why’) of a break. This definition of ‘what’ and ‘why,’ often with the visual support of a graphic organizer to connect the details, may assist later instruction.
Beyond that initial orientation, choose a venue and a target that are within the student’s capacity and focus. If the student has multiple activities in which he can engage, it may be that self-organization around the clock, around a to-do list or around a conversation topic list is your area of initial focus.
In other cases, it may be necessary to teach the student to make an efficient transition from one environment (i.e., work) to another (i.e., break) without interfering with the performance of others or without spending too long in the break area, making him late returning to work.