Tips for Overcoming Learned Helplessness

     The following picture helps give an idea of identifying a student who is experiencing learned helplessness. 

     There are specific tips for school educators to help overcome learned helplessness for students in schools today. They are as followed:

1. Build a daily expectation of communication through specific activities such as choosing the activity during recess, picking a book to read, or identifying where to eat lunch.
   
2. Construct a brief daily report to parents that is communicated by the student.
   
3. Allow natural consequences to occur and provide avenues for repair. This includes setups that alter the environment to provide less support or sabotage.
   
4. Provide for choice making whenever possible that requires the student to use his or her augmentative communication system.
   
5. Provide powerful phrases on the device for students to reject or protest something.