Social Radar Teacher Guide
SLP Intervention Toolkit
SOCIAL RADAR
Vocational & Social WH-Question Guide (Levels 1-10)
Target Area
Pragmatics & Language
Adults & Adolescents
The Framework: Communicating with Intent
WH-questions form the foundation of functional navigation in community and professional spaces. This 10-level therapeutic continuum bridges basic concrete comprehension with high-level cognitive pragmatics. By integrating vocational contexts (e.g., shifts, supervisors, breakrooms) and social settings (e.g., peer discussions, public spaces), students build critical situational awareness and self-advocacy skills.
The 10-Level Developmental Continuum
1
Concrete What
Identifying workplace tools, tasks, and safety items.
2
Concrete Who
Identifying colleagues, supervisors, and community helpers.
3
Concrete Where
Navigating workplace areas, safety exits, and signage.
4
Temporal When
Schedules, times, shifts, breaks, and seasonal activities.
5
Causal Why
Safety rules, work procedures, and basic social rules.
6
Procedural How
Explaining processes, step-by-step duties, and feelings.
7
Mixed Integration
Answering blended questions about unified scenes.
8
Social Problem-Solving
Answering WH questions to resolve active workplace issues.
9
Reciprocal Exchange
Using mutual questioning to sustain peer interactions.
10
Vocational Inference
Extracting details from real workplace bulletins & emails.
Therapist Pacing & Baseline Advice
Begin with a baseline assessment using Level 7 (Mixed Visual Integration). If the student scores below 80% accuracy, immediately step down to targeted Level 1–3 skills. For transitional youth and young adults, focus clinical attention on Levels 8 (Problem-Solving) and 10 (Inference), which directly prevent job loss and community isolation.
© 2026 Social Radar SLP Curriculum Page 1 of 4
Lesson Plan: Social Radar
Navigating Community & Workplace Contexts
Session Length: 45-60 min
Focus Functional Pragmatics
Format Individual or Group
Modality Visual & Script-Based
Behavioral Objectives
- The student will accurately identify the correct question category (e.g., Who = person, Where = place) in response to vocational scenario prompts with 85% accuracy.
- The student will answer sequential "Why" and "How" questions regarding professional workplace safety policies and procedures with no more than 1 direct therapist prompt.
- The student will sustain a reciprocal conversation with a peer for at least 3 conversational turns by formulating relevant, topic-preserving WH-questions.
Instructional Pacing & Phases
10 mins Warm-up
Visual Identification Baseline
Utilize Level 7 visuals in the slide deck. Present a scenario (e.g., coffee shop). Ask five mixed questions in rapid succession to target primary levels (What, Who, Where, When, Why). Document correct vs. incorrect categorizations to instantly adapt today's level focus.
20 mins Direct Instruction
Prompt Fading & Guided Exploration
Deliver direct modeling on target levels. Use the visual anchor cards to reinforce what categories correspond to each WH-word. For Levels 5 & 6 (Why & How), introduce the "Because-Therefore" flowchart and "First-Next-Last" steps to structure responses. Use backward chain prompting as needed.
15 mins Application
Problem Solving & Peer Turn-Taking
Distribute targeted pages of the Social Radar Workbook. Students work on Levels 8 (Problem-Solving) or 9 (Reciprocal Peer Chat) in pairs. Monitor conversational pacing. Guide peers to rate each other's question relevance using the peer-evaluation metric.
© 2026 Social Radar SLP Curriculum Page 2 of 4
Therapeutic Intervention Protocol (Levels 1-5)
Scaffolding concrete targets in social contexts
Focus: Receptive/Expressive Foundations
Level 1: Concrete WHAT (Objects & Tasks) Difficulty: 1/10
Therapy Prompting: Point to tools, labels, or safety equipment. Ask: "What is that used for?" or "What do you need before starting?"
Scaffolding: If incorrect, provide a choice of two objects (e.g., "Is it a keyboard or a printer?"). Use a visual match strategy on the page.
Level 2: Concrete WHO (Roles & Connections) Difficulty: 2/10
Therapy Prompting: Target functional workplace helpers. Ask: "Who signs your paycheck?" or "Who do you ask for assistance if you get hurt?"
Scaffolding: Point out distinctive work uniforms, nametags, or lanyards. Emphasize matching the name with their active role.
Level 3: Concrete WHERE (Navigation & Location) Difficulty: 3/10
Therapy Prompting: Focus on directional and functional layouts. Ask: "Where do we clock in?" or "Where are the fire exits?"
Scaffolding: Direct attention to physical environmental signage (e.g., exit signs, green signs, restrooms labels). Use hand gestures to indicate distance.
Level 4: Temporal WHEN (Schedules & Prompts) Difficulty: 4/10
Therapy Prompting: Focus on shift adherence. Ask: "When does lunch shift end?" or "When do we tell the boss we are leaving?"
Scaffolding: Use clock face drawings, schedule templates, or calendar highlight markers. Pair temporal questions with physical routine changes.
Level 5: Causal WHY (Rules & Safety Reasons) Difficulty: 5/10
Therapy Prompting: Focus on safe operations. Ask: "Why do we wear closed-toe shoes?" or "Why do we knock before entering?"
Scaffolding: Introduce the target formula: "We do X because of Y" to enforce the conditional linking. Give choices of consequences.
© 2026 Social Radar SLP Curriculum Page 3 of 4
Therapeutic Intervention Protocol (Levels 6-10)
Scaffolding complex reasoning & independence
Focus: Cognitive & Conversational
Level 6: Procedural HOW (Sequencing & Emotion) Difficulty: 6/10
Therapy Prompting: Target step-by-step executions. Ask: "How do you wash the tables?" or "How do you handle feeling overwhelmed at work?"
Scaffolding: Supply transition prompts: First, Next, Then, Last. Use step checklists.
Level 7: Mixed Visual Integration Difficulty: 7/10
Therapy Prompting: Show a scene. Intermix the 5 basic WH words continuously to train switching behavior (e.g., "Where is she? Who is with her? What is she doing?").
Scaffolding: Cover irrelevant parts of the scene to reduce cognitive load and prevent visual overstimulation.
Level 8: Social Problem-Solving Difficulty: 8/10
Therapy Prompting: Present a barrier (e.g., "The cash register screen went blank"). Ask: "What is your next move?" and "Who should you contact?"
Scaffolding: Use a "Problem, Action, Consequence" layout diagram on a blank page. Offer realistic safe paths.
Level 9: Reciprocal Peer Exchange Difficulty: 9/10
Therapy Prompting: Guide student to pick a topic and use WH questions back-and-forth: "Ask your peer about their weekend shift plans."
Scaffolding: Use physical "ball-toss" tokens. You only hold the token while asking a relevant question, then hand it over.
Level 10: Vocational Inference Difficulty: 10/10
Therapy Prompting: Read a short shift bulletin or note. Ask: "Based on the memo, what safety gear is required for tomorrow morning's task?"
Scaffolding: Highlight key sentence markers in the text that contain clues (e.g., "Notice", "Important", "Required"). Teach self-underlining.
© 2026 Social Radar SLP Curriculum Page 4 of 4
Social Radar Workbook
Student Edition
SOCIAL RADAR: WORKBOOK
NAME:
DATE:
Follow the scenario clues to answer the WH-questions. Be specific and make sure your handwriting fits inside the blank white boxes.
Scenario A: The Café Shift
Sam is working behind the counter at the Coffee Corner café. At 8:00 AM, his shift manager, Clara, hands him a clean apron and asks him to wipe down the glass display case in the lobby.
Level 1 What did Clara hand to Sam? (Concrete Object)
Level 2 Who is Sam's shift manager? (Concrete Person)
Level 3 Where is the glass display case located? (Concrete Location)
Level 4 When does Sam's work activity take place? (Temporal)
Social Radar 10-Level SLP Workbook Page 1 of 4
Levels 5 & 6: Reasoning & Processes
Explaining the "Why" and "How" behind professional rules
Student ID:
Level 5: Why (Safety & Procedures)
Read the workplace safety policy: "All staff must wear closed-toe shoes and place a bright yellow 'Wet Floor' sign immediately after mopping any floor surface."
1. Why do employees need to wear closed-toe shoes in a kitchen or workspace?
2. Why must a bright yellow "Wet Floor" sign be set up immediately after mopping?
Level 6: How (Procedural Steps)
Read the step-by-step table task: "To clean the dining tables, first clear the dirty dishes. Next, spray the surface thoroughly with soap. Finally, wipe the table dry using a clean cloth."
1. How do you prepare the tables before spraying them with soap?
2. How would you explain the full three-step cleaning process to a new coworker?
Social Radar 10-Level SLP Workbook Page 2 of 4
Levels 7 & 8: Scenario Evaluation & Problem-Solving
Resolving workplace barriers and community situations
Student ID:
Active Case Scenario
Incident: The Malfunctioning Cash Register
Maya is working the checkout counter during a busy Friday afternoon rush. Suddenly, her computerized cash register freezes completely. It will not scan grocery bar-codes or open the money drawer. There are four customers waiting in her checkout lane, and she is feeling extremely stressed.
Level 7 Context Evaluation (Mixed WH-Questions)
Who is the worker in this situation?
Where is this situation happening?
When is this incident taking place?
What equipment is not functioning?
Level 8 Conflict Resolution (Problem-Solving WH-Questions)
Social Radar Slides
SLP CURRICULUM
LEVELS 1-10
SOCIAL RADAR: WH-QUESTIONS
Succeeding in the Workplace, Community, & Peer Conversations through Communication Situational Awareness.
Use this deck for modeling, prompts, and peer interaction.
Social Vocational
Anchor Cards: Receptive Clues (Part 1)
Core Foundations
WHAT
Asks about Objects, Tools, or Work Tasks.
Example: Apron
WHO
Asks about People, Roles, or Supervisors.
Example: Manager
WHERE
Asks about Places, Exits, or Workstations.
Example: Breakroom
Always map the question word to the physical category in the workspace before writing!
Anchor Cards: Receptive Clues (Part 2)
Reasoning & Sequences
WHEN
Asks about Times, Schedules, or Deadlines.
Example: 8:00 AM
WHY
Asks for Reasons, Rules, or Safety Motives.
Example: Wet Floor
HOW
Asks about Step Sequences, Processes, or Feelings.
Example: First/Next
Use the formula sheets in your workbook to structure these complete sentences!
Level 7: Spotting Details in the Scene
Scenario Analysis
The Context Scene
Stock Room Check-In
"At 2:00 PM, Leo walks into the rear inventory stock room to look for more paper towels. He notices his coworker Sarah is trying to reach a heavy cardboard box on the top shelf without using the step-stool."
Notice the physical risk in the scenario text!
Classroom Questions:
1
Who is reaching for the high cardboard box?
2
Where are they located during this incident?
3
What safety tool is Sarah missing?
Point out the clues in the sentence that answered each WH-question!
Level 8: Vocational Problem-Solving
Problem Solving
The Stock Room Dilemma
CRITICAL SITUATION
Let's solve Sarah's high-shelf situation: "Sarah says she doesn't need the step-stool because she's in a hurry to finish before the store opens."
Q1: Why is this unsafe?
She might drop the heavy box, get hurt, or break merchandise.
Q2: What should Leo say?
