Lesson 13: Chaining

Attention

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

• Identify instances in which behaviors might be teachable through chaining

Teaching

Chaining

Chaining involves the teaching of skills in a step-by-step manner. This is a good approach to relatively complex skills.

The behavioral principle that is implied in chaining is that the steps themselves become the Antecedents and Consequences of each other step.

So we learn steps in a complex skill by seeing that each step is the Antecdent for the new step and the completed step is a reward in itself.

Backwards and Forwards Chaining

When we develop a specific plan regarding chaining we have a choice. The difference between backward and forward chaining is the delivery of the reinforcer (remember, we STILL need to provide a reinforcer at the end of the task)

Example: Tying shoes

Forward Chaining: The child learns the skill in order. So we teach the first step, provide a reward, and then complete the task for them. In the next phase of training, the child completes the first two steps, we provide a reward, and then complete the task for them.

Backward Chaining: The child learns the skill in reverse order...i.e. learns the LAST step first. So, we start by completing all the steps and then have the child do the LAST step...when this is done we provide the reward. In the next phase of training, the child will be asked to do the last two steps in order to earn their reward.

The advantage of the Backward Chaining method is that the child is both reinforced by the reward and by the fact that they finished the task. It is, however, a bit cumbersome to manage sometimes.

Assessment

Lesson 13 Discussion

In this discussion I would like you to identify a specific skill that you think would be appropriate to teach in a "chaining" manner. Simply state the name of the skill. In the RESPONSE post see if you can identify the steps that would be taught.

So, in this discussion I'm looking for unique skills identified by each of you and then I want each of you to identify the steps in another persons' skill. If you want you may post more than one skill to the discussion board.