The mechanism
The STEP Method
Snapshot → Target → Experience → Progress → repeat. Four stages that turn a broad adult-life goal into something that can actually be practised, and then show whether it is changing.
- Snapshot
- Target
- Experience
- Progress
Stage 1 of 4
S — Snapshot
Where are things now?
What happens
- A conversation with the participant about what they actually want more control over.
- What they already do themselves, in which settings, and how consistently.
- What support is in place now, and who currently does what.
- Communication preferences, interests, and what a good day looks like.
- Where there is room for greater participation - not where someone is "behind".
Why it matters
Practice built on assumptions stops happening. A Snapshot is how the plan stays theirs, and it is also the baseline that makes progress visible later.
Worked example, continued
Ethan wants to get to TAFE without his mum driving him. Right now he can do the walk to the bus stop and tap on, but needs step-by-step guidance for the transfer at the interchange.
Stage 2 of 4
T — Target
What matters next?
What happens
- One broad goal becomes one specific capability, in one setting.
- It is written so anyone could tell whether it is changing.
- It includes the level of support currently expected.
- It stays small enough to practise weekly.
Why it matters
"More independent with travel" cannot be practised or observed. A specific target can be, and it gives the worker something concrete to do on Tuesday.
Worked example, continued
Target: complete the familiar route to TAFE, including the interchange transfer, with no more than one prompt.
Stage 3 of 4
E — Experience
Practise it in real life.
What happens
- The capability is practised in the real setting, not simulated.
- The same practice repeats often enough to become reliable.
- Support moves up and down the ladder below as the moment requires.
- What gets in the way is noted - not just whether the day went well.
Why it matters
Capability is context-bound. Practising in the actual environment, with variation, is what makes it hold on a rainy Tuesday when the bus is late.
Worked example, continued
Four Tuesdays in a row: the real route, the real interchange. Week two the bus is replaced by a shuttle, so working out what to do next becomes part of the practice.
Stage 4 of 4
P — Progress
What is changing?
What happens
- What is changing is reviewed against the target and the Snapshot.
- Progress may show up as initiation, participation, assistance required, confidence, consistency, communication, problem-solving, help-seeking, or doing it somewhere new.
- The target is adjusted, replaced, or kept - and the cycle repeats.
- The participant decides what happens next.
Why it matters
Without this step, support has no way of knowing whether it is working. It is also what gives families and Support Coordinators something concrete for a plan review.
Worked example, continued
Assistance moved from step-by-step guidance to one prompt at the interchange. Ethan now asks a staff member when a service changes - that is the bigger change.
Graded assistance
How much support, and when
Inside the Experience stage, support is not a fixed setting. It moves as the person, the task and the day require.
Graded assistance
Support moves up and down this ladder, in both directions
Where support sits depends on the person, the activity, the environment, safety and their own preference. Moving down a rung is not failure, and the top rung is not the goal for everyone.
- Rung 1: Demonstrate / do withA worker shows or does it alongside them.
- Rung 2: GuideStep-by-step guidance through the task.
- Rung 3: PromptReminders and check-ins at the right moments.
- Rung 4: StandbyA worker is there, but not stepping in.
- Rung 5: Self-directedThey lead, and ask for help when they want it.
A worker might demonstrate a step, guide the next one, prompt at the tricky moment, then stand back entirely — within the same afternoon.
Where support sits depends on the person, the activity, the environment, safety, their preference, and what else is going on that week. It moves in both directions, and that is normal.
Worth being clear about
STEP is about appropriate capability-building, not removing necessary support. Needing support is not a failure, less support is not automatically better, and nobody is expected to reach the top rung. The goal is more choice, more self-direction, and the right level of help at the right time.
Boundaries
What STEP is not
Not a clinical assessment
The Snapshot is a planning conversation. It is not a Functional Capacity Assessment, a diagnostic tool, or an NDIS eligibility or funding assessment.
Not therapy
Waymaker does not provide therapeutic, clinical or specialist behaviour support. Where those are needed, they belong with qualified practitioners - we work alongside them.
Not a fixed curriculum
There is no set list of skills everyone completes. Two participants can be on the Pathway for a year and practise almost nothing in common.
Not a promise of outcomes
Nobody can guarantee how capability will change. What we can commit to is structure, honesty about what we observe, and the participant staying in charge of the direction.
Three ways to take the next step
Whichever one fits, you will get a straight answer about whether Waymaker is the right fit.
Parent or family member
Six areas, about four minutes, a capability profile and up to three suggested priorities.
Take the Independence ScorecardSupport Coordinator or professional
Minimal referral details up front. We review fit and come back to you either way.
Refer a young adultReady to talk it through
A short Independence Call about goals, fit and how practice would actually work.
Discuss your goals