Waiting is easier when a person knows what they are waiting for, how the end will be signaled, what they can do meanwhile, and how to ask for updated information. “Wait” without those details is not a complete instruction.
Visual supports can make sequence and duration easier to inspect; they are included in the AFIRM/NPDC evidence-based practice materials summarized in the ERIC Visual Support brief.
Define a real waiting outcome
Write the context and minimum safety rule.
Context: ____________________________________________
Waiting for: ________________________________________
How the end is shown: ________________________________
What the person may do while waiting: _______________
Safety boundary: ____________________________________
At a checkout, the boundary may be staying with the trusted adult—not still hands or eye contact. At home, waiting for a snack may allow pacing, sitting, or using another activity.
Printable waiting ladder
Begin with a duration the learner can already complete successfully. Do not move up merely because a calendar day passed.
- Level 1: 3–5 seconds with the outcome visible
- Level 2: 10 seconds with a clear end cue
- Level 3: 20–30 seconds with a wait activity
- Level 4: 1 minute with a visual timer
- Level 5: 2–3 minutes in a familiar routine
- Level 6: a short natural queue with an exit option
- Level 7: a longer or less predictable wait with updates
Starting level: ______________________________________
Communication available: wait / how long / help / leave / different / break
Move up when: ________________________________________
Move down when: ______________________________________
Teach the meaning of the cue
Use a low-stakes routine. Say or show “wait,” start the visible cue, and deliver the promised next action immediately when the cue ends. Repeat only a few times inside ordinary life.
The adult’s reliability teaches the cue. If a 20-second timer often becomes three minutes, the timer stops carrying useful information.
Add communication, not only tolerance
Make these messages accessible in speech, AAC, sign, gesture, writing, or another reliable form:
- “how long?”;
- “not yet?”;
- “help”;
- “break”;
- “can we leave?”;
- “different line”; and
- “one more minute?”
Respond honestly. A person can learn that some requests are negotiable and some safety delays are not, while still receiving information and dignity.
Use a wait activity when appropriate
A wait activity can be looking at a book, listening with headphones, moving, checking a map, holding the shopping list, or another available action. It is not cheating. Adults also use phones, signs, and queue estimates while waiting.
Avoid a special object that is impossible to use in the real setting unless you also plan how to generalize.
Fade support carefully
Possible prompts include repeated countdowns, adult proximity, a highly preferred wait item, or a timer the adult operates. Fade one at a time while keeping the end predictable.
For example, move from spoken updates every five seconds to one midpoint update; then from the adult holding the timer to the learner checking it. Do not lengthen the wait and remove supports in the same practice.
Troubleshooting
The learner succeeds in practice but not real queues. Practice a very short real queue at a quiet time with a clear exit. Generalize one feature at a time: place, duration, noise, or uncertainty.
Distress starts when “wait” appears. The cue may predict broken promises or excessively long delays. Rebuild it with very short, reliable waits and meaningful communication.
Adults keep extending the criterion. Set the duration before the trial. If it changes, call it a change and offer new information rather than quietly moving the finish line.
The child cannot wait for a safety-critical item. Control access safely and seek individualized support. Do not create risky practice with medication, streets, hot equipment, food restriction, or other hazards.
Waiting data sheet
| Context | Planned duration | Actual duration | Support used | Communication | Result/next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||
| 2 | |||||
| 3 | |||||
| 4 |