"Proactive behaviour strategies help caregivers and support workers build trust, encourage positive actions, and teach independence in neurodivergent children. Tools like the Prompt Hierarchy and social stories provide clear, structured guidance to reduce anxiety and support learning. When applied consistently across settings, these approaches empower children to grow in confidence, resilience, and daily life skills."
Supporting neurodivergent children requires a thoughtful and proactive approach that focuses on building trust, fostering positive behaviours, and promoting independence. Caregivers and support workers play a vital role in shaping children’s experiences by creating safe, predictable, and nurturing environments. Proactive behaviour strategies are not about waiting for challenges to arise, but instead about preparing children for success through consistent guidance, encouragement, and the development of new skills. By focusing on relationships, structured teaching, and supportive tools such as the Prompt Hierarchy and social stories, adults can empower children to better understand their world, manage their emotions, and participate more confidently in everyday activities. This flyer provides an overview of practical, evidence-informed strategies that can be used across home, school, and community settings to help children thrive.
Developing Positive Relationships
Building strong and trusting relationships is the foundation of proactive behaviour support. Caregivers and support workers can strengthen bonds with children by spending intentional one-on-one time that is meaningful and enjoyable. Effective two-way communication is essential, and this includes active listening, showing patience, and acknowledging the child’s perspective. Consistent affection expressed through kind words, gentle touch, and supportive actions provides children with emotional security, helping them feel safe and valued. When children experience this trust, they are more likely to engage positively with those around them.
Encouraging Positive Behavior
Promoting positive behaviour works best when attention is directed toward the actions we want to see more of. Genuine and specific praise helps children understand exactly what behaviour is being encouraged, while offering attention during positive moments reinforces their efforts. Tailored rewards that match the child’s individual interests can further motivate positive choices, and engaging them in enjoyable activities strengthens the connection between good behaviour and positive experiences. Structured yet flexible routines also provide the stability children need while allowing room for adaptation, giving them both predictability and the opportunity to practice independence.
Teaching New Skills and Behaviors
Supporting children in learning new skills involves a combination of patience, modeling, and guidance. Communication, emotional regulation, independence, and problem-solving can all be developed through intentional teaching strategies. These include modeling desired behaviours, offering physical guidance when necessary, and making use of natural opportunities for incidental teaching. The “Ask… Say… Do…” method provides a simple, structured way to guide learning, while teaching tasks backwards—breaking them into small, manageable steps—helps children experience success early and gradually build confidence. Over time, these approaches empower children to develop new abilities that they can apply across different settings.
Steps for teaching new skills effectively include:
Identify the specific skill to be learned and break it into small, achievable steps.
Use modeling to demonstrate the desired behaviour or action.
Provide physical guidance at first if the child cannot complete the step alone.
Introduce the “Ask… Say… Do…” method: ask the child to try, say the instruction if needed, and guide them to do the task if they cannot.
Use teaching backwards when appropriate, starting with the final step so the child experiences success quickly.
Offer incidental teaching by embedding learning opportunities into daily routines and natural interactions.
Reinforce attempts and successes with praise, encouragement, or small rewards.
Gradually fade support as the child becomes more confident and independent.
Proactive Strategies Using the Prompt Hierarchy
Proactive Strategies Using the Prompt Hierarchy
The Prompt Hierarchy is a structured approach that helps children move from needing full assistance to completing tasks independently. At the most supportive level, physical prompts provide direct physical guidance. As children begin to understand the task, modeling prompts allow them to copy the adult’s demonstration, and verbal prompts use clear, spoken instructions to guide them further. Gestural prompts such as pointing or nodding provide less direct guidance, while visual prompts—pictures, written steps, or visual schedules—offer consistent reminders the child can use independently. The ultimate goal of the Prompt Hierarchy is for the child to perform the task without any prompting, achieving independence in the skill.
Steps for applying the Prompt Hierarchy include:
Identify the skill or behaviour to be taught and assess the child’s current ability.
Start with the least intrusive prompt that still ensures success.
Move through prompts in the following order when needed:
Physical prompts – guiding the child’s movement to complete a task.
Modeling prompts – demonstrating the behaviour for the child to imitate.
Verbal prompts – giving spoken instructions or cues.
Gestural prompts – using body language, such as pointing or nodding.
Visual prompts – providing written steps, pictures, or schedules.
Independent response – child completes the task on their own.
Fade prompts gradually as the child gains skill and confidence.
Reinforce successes with specific praise or small rewards.
Apply prompts consistently across home, school, and community settings to support generalization.
By following these steps thoughtfully, caregivers and support workers can systematically guide children toward greater independence while maintaining motivation and confidence.
Proactive strategies such as building strong relationships, encouraging positive behaviour, teaching new skills, using the Prompt Hierarchy, and developing social stories all work together to support children in meaningful ways. When caregivers and support workers apply these approaches consistently, children are more likely to thrive across home, school, and community environments, gaining not only essential skills but also the confidence and independence to participate fully in daily life.
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