Building Independence

Building Independence is a practical quick-reference guide for support staff — offering actionable strategies for reducing prompt dependency and helping learners do more on their own at school.

Includes a printable Self-Advocacy Visual ("I'm stuck! I can...") designed to sit on the learner's desk as an in-the-moment independence prompt.

What's Inside

• Positioning — how to stay available without being intrusive
• Pause Before Helping — a 10–20 second wait time strategy
• Using the Self-Advocacy Visual first (look at directions, ask a friend, raise hand)
• Least-to-Most Prompting — gesture → model → verbal
• Encouraging Problem-Solving — thinking questions instead of answers
• Fading Verbal Prompts — minimizing the type of support that creates dependency
• Reinforcing Independent Actions — natural, low-key acknowledgment
• Teaching learners to use the room for information

Who Is This For

Support staff, paraprofessionals, and educators who work alongside learners throughout the school day and want to build independence rather than reliance.

🆓 This resource is free. Create a free account at BIPVisualized.com to access it — no subscription required.