How Cues Cultivate Self-Leading Behavior in Youth

Most support focuses on what to do.

Independence also depends on knowing when to do it.

A young person can learn every step of a task. They may still not do it independently if they don’t recognize the cue to act.

A cue is the signal that starts the behaviour.

Not:

“Brush your teeth.”

But:

“When breakfast is finished, that’s the cue to brush your teeth.”

Why cues matter

Many young people don’t struggle with ability.

They struggle with initiation, transition, and timing.

If we always prompt them, we become the cue.

That creates dependence.

When we teach the cue, we hand that power back.

What this looks like in real life

Instead of saying:

• “Time to get dressed.”

We teach:

• “When your alarm stops, that’s the cue to get dressed.”

Instead of:

• “Time to take your medication.”

We teach:

• “When you finish brushing your teeth at night, that’s the cue for medication.”

Instead of:

• “Let’s get started on your homework.”

We teach:

• “When you sit at the desk and open your laptop, that’s the cue to start.”

How We teach cues in The Upgrade Lab

1. We name the cue out loud “What just happened that tells you it’s time for the next step?”
2. We link the cue to the action: One cue = one behaviour.
3. We practise noticing the cue. Noticing comes before doing. Patience is important.
4. We fade ourselves out. The goal is that the environment prompts them, not the mentor.

The mindset shift

Independence isn’t about remembering instructions.

It’s about recognising signals.

When young people learn to spot cues, they stop waiting to be told what to do next.

That’s when support turns into self-leadership.