Waiting is a skill. Telling a student to “just wait” does not necessarily teach it.
Key Idea
Make waiting concrete, achievable, and reinforced.
What This Can Look Like
Instead of: “You need to wait.” Try: “Wait until the timer is done.” Or: “Two more turns, then you.” Start with a duration the student can realistically manage.
✓Try This
- •1. Show how long the wait will be. 2. Give the student something appropriate to do while waiting when needed. 3. Reinforce successful waiting. 4. Gradually increase the wait as the skill improves.
Keep in Mind
If waiting only ever leads to more waiting, the skill will be difficult to build. Make sure appropriate waiting reliably contacts the expected outcome when possible.