A student may need time to understand a direction and organize a response.
Key Idea
More words are not always more support.
What This Can Look Like
An adult gives a direction. The student does not respond immediately. The adult repeats it four times, adds explanations, and increases the language load. The student may now have even more information to process.
✓Try This
- •Give a clear, concise direction. Pause. Allow reasonable processing time. Then provide additional support if needed.
Keep in Mind
A delayed response does not automatically mean refusal. Consider comprehension, communication, attention, regulation, task difficulty, and processing demands before drawing conclusions.