1. Come up with a way that the child can non-verbally tell you that he wants a break (like a break card or a sign language sign)

2. Write a social story that explains the use of the break card or sign

3. Practice with the break card or sign with hand-over-hand assistance (have something really fun or desirable waiting in the wings so it’s not a melt-down)

4. When going into a situation where the child usually has escape/avoidance behaviors, have someone ready to step in and do hand-over-hand as soon as the activity is mentioned.  Help the child ask for the break before he starts the behaviors

5. Once the use of the break card or sign has been established, start fading back support for the child to use it

6. Once the child is consistently using the break card or sign to escape instead of the behaviors, start requiring him to do one small thing before he can leave (or stay for a few seconds)

7. Gradually increase the amount he must do or the time he must stay before allowing the break