Impulsive actions can get the best of all of us! People are human and we all have made some impulsive decisions from time to time. The grocery store check-out lines are the worst. Those rows of vivid images on magazine covers draw us in to read more. Tantalizing candy bars make our mouths water. And we are in a hurry to get out of the store and on our way. So we quickly pick up an item or two that we had not planned on purchasing, and check out. It is later that we may feel a bit guilty for the impulsive purchases.
If we can STOP and THINK about what we are about to do before we act upon it, we can save ourselves a lot of money, weight, time, and sometimes, heartache. Children with impulsivity challenges face "the grocery store check-out line" all the time. As adults, we can directly teach them through visual supports and lots of repetition to STOP, THINK, and then DECIDE. Having a card with a picture of a stop sign, someone thinking, and then someone deciding during instruction or posted in the house, is a great visual reminder to refer to when children need support to practice this skill.