Posted on Oct 10, 06 by Charlotte Fudge
Patience is a set of behaviors that must be learned. Like any new skill, patience comes from practice.
Our Expert Tip:
Start by practicing at red lights when the student will be successful with the short wait. Then build to grocery store lines, and finally doctor’s office waits. Engage in the following behaviors, prompting the student to do the same:
1. Engage in relaxing activities (taking deep breaths or squeezing a squishy ball)
2. Do something else (looking at a magazine in the grocery line or reading a brochure in the waiting room)
3. Talk to someone else (asking the person next to you questions or commenting on the weather).
Don’t forget to praise the student for each appropriate behavior (“good reading”) and remember that the skill must be shaped and will not happen overnight.
