Are you looking for techniques to help students who are easily confused? If so, keep reading.
1. Select a peer to escort the student to places in the school building until the student develops familiarity with their surroundings.
2. Make sure the student has been given a sufficient orientation to all areas of the school environment they will be using.
3. Get the student to practice problem-solving skills if they should become lost or confused in the school environment (e.g., ask instructions, return to where you started, look for familiar surroundings, read signs, etc.).
4. Make sure the school environment is beneficial to discovering places the student uses (e.g., posting signs, posting instructions, color-coding pods, and similar areas, etc.).
5. Prior to leaving the classroom, have the student review instructions to locate specific points throughout the school building (e.g., have the student repeat instructions back to you, have the student look at a map, etc.).
6. On occasions where giving the student instructions to specific points throughout the school building, use landmarks such as the drinking fountain, restroom, lunchroom, etc. (e.g., “Go to the room that is just past the lunchroom.” “The bathroom is on the left side of the drinking fountain.” etc.).
7. Utilize vocabulary that is within the student’s level of understanding when delivering instructions, explanations, and information.
8. Make sure the student is attending when instructions are being given (e.g., eye contact is being made, hands are free of learning materials, etc.).
9. Minimize or remove those surrounding stimuli that are distracting to the student and interfering with their capacity and ability to listen successfully.
10. Get the student to be a peer tutor to teach a concept they have learned to another student. This can serve as reinforcement for the student.
11. Ask the student a question when they are most likely to be able to respond successfully.
12. Give the student shorter tasks, but more of them throughout the day (e.g., four tasks of five problems each rather than one task of 20 problems).
13. Daily, examine those skills, ideas, tasks, etc., that have been previously introduced.
