Are you looking for strategies to help students appropriately respond to classroom signals? If so, keep reading.

1. Pair their environmental signals to the learner’s capacity and ability to respond (e.g., visual signals are used for students who cannot hear, symbols or auditory signals are used for students who cannot read, etc.).

2. Get the learner to question any environmental signals not grasped.

3. Select a peer to model appropriate responses to environmental signals for the learner.

4. Give compassionate information to assist the learner in responding properly to environmental signals (e.g., “On occasions where the bell rings, it is time for lunch.”).

5. Give repeated practice in responding properly to environmental signals.

6. Make the learner responsible for identifying environmental signals for peers (e.g., bells, rules, reminders, etc.).

7. Give the learner universal environmental signals  (e.g., symbols for male and female, exit signs, danger symbols, etc.).

8. Pair environmental signals with oral explanations and instant reinforcement for appropriate responses.

 9. Prepare the learner in advance of the delivery of environmental signals to increase successful responding.

10. Make sure the same environmental signals are used throughout all places in and outside the school building.

11. Create environmental signals that the learner is required to follow (e.g., bells, rules, point cards, reminders, etc.).

12. Assess the appropriateness of the environmental signals the learner is required to follow to ascertain (a) if the signal is too complicated and (b) if the duration of time required to respond to the signal is sufficient.

13. Embody appropriate responses to environmental signals for the learner to mimic.

14. Get the learner to master appropriate responses to one environmental signal at a time, prioritizing environmental signals in order of importance for mastery, before introducing additional signals.

15. Consider using a classroom management app to help the student learn to respond appropriately to classroom signals. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

16. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to respond appropriately to classroom signals. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.

17. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.