I have to remember four things?!

For students who have difficulty following verbal, multi-step directions, a series of tasks given all at once can sound like a complete blur and jumble of words. For example, when a parent asks a child to “Please put on your socks and sneakers, take your lunch off the kitchen counter, make sure you have your water bottle in your school bag, and meet me at the front door,” they might find their child 10 minutes later with their socks on (awesome!) … and rolling around on the floor with the dog.

Following multi-step directions is hard, especially when verbal. First, students need to remember each step, which can be difficult if the student is easily distracted or anxious. Second, processing multiple instructions at once can overload working memory, making it hard to keep track of all the tasks. Finally, some students may struggle with organizing the tasks in the right order, which can lead to confusion. 

Here are a few strategies to help build this skill:

1. Start by giving one instruction at a time. Once your child is successful and gains confidence by accomplishing that first direction consistently, add a second step and then a third.
2. Ask your child to repeat the directions back to you. This ensures they’ve heard and understood what needs to be done, reducing the chance of missing a step.
3. Create visual aids like checklists to help with repetitive routines to ease the load on working memory.