It May Sound Scary, But Chaining Is Actually a Terrific Teaching Tool
Chaining: Not What It Sounds Like!
Updated November 11, 2014.
The word "chaining" sounds a bit scary, especially when it's used in connection with your child. But chaining has nothing to do with bondage; instead, it's a tool for helping children (and adults) build skills a step at a time.
Start with Task Analysis
Updated November 11, 2014.
It's easy to say "wash your dishes," but for a person with autism (or for many other people) it can be a daunting prospect. What is involved with washing a dish? How do you do it right? Task analysis is a process by which you break down a complex task into smaller components. For example, dish washing might include the following steps:
"Link" Steps Together
Updated November 11, 2014.
As you teach your child to wash dishes (for example), you'll help him to link each step of the dish washing project -- thus creating a "chain" of actions. Step one is carrying the dish to the sink. What's the next step? You can prompt your child with words, actions, pictures, or even songs, with the goal that he will -- in the long run -- start to memorize and internalize each step in sequence.
Begin Fading Prompts
Updated November 11, 2014.
At first, you'll need to prompt your child at every step. But it's easy for anyone to become reliant on prompts -- and avoid taking responsibility for actually learning the steps involved in a complex task. To help your child internalize the process of washing dishes, you'll start to "fade" prompts. You can start fading prompts at either end of the chain -- asking your child to remember either "what's first" or "what's next."
Troubleshooting the Chaining Process
Updated November 11, 2014.
Chaining is a simple concept, but it can be hard to put into practice. That's because even basic tasks can be difficult for a child with autism. For example, holding a dish in one hand while rubbing it with a sponge held in the other hand can be very tricky. Hand-over-hand help can make a big difference, because it provides learners with muscle memory for how the job should be done. As with prompting, however, it is important to back away from hand-over-hand help -- because it's so easy to let someone else take the lead.
Updated November 11, 2014.
At school, children often receive gold stars, stamps, or other tokens for work well done. If this works well at school, it will probably work well at home, too. Whether you decide to reward your child with a hug and kiss, a treat, or a stamp, depends upon your family's preferences. But letting your child know he's done well with a reward he values is an important way to reinforce learning.
Updated November 11, 2014.
Now that you have a basic understanding of chaining, you may be ready to forge your own chains and create your own task analyses. You may also be interested in learning more about behavioral therapies that are often used to teach life skills to children on the autism spectrum. If that's the case, check out these resources:
Updated November 11, 2014.
The word "chaining" sounds a bit scary, especially when it's used in connection with your child. But chaining has nothing to do with bondage; instead, it's a tool for helping children (and adults) build skills a step at a time.
Start with Task Analysis
Updated November 11, 2014.
It's easy to say "wash your dishes," but for a person with autism (or for many other people) it can be a daunting prospect. What is involved with washing a dish? How do you do it right? Task analysis is a process by which you break down a complex task into smaller components. For example, dish washing might include the following steps:
- Carry dish to sink
- Put stopper in drain
- Squeeze soap into sink
- Turn on warm tap
- Turn off tap when sink is half full
- Put plate in sink
- Pick up sponge
- Rub plate with sponge until clean
- Put plate in drying rack
- Take stopper out
- Squeeze sponge dry
- Put sponge away
"Link" Steps Together
Updated November 11, 2014.
As you teach your child to wash dishes (for example), you'll help him to link each step of the dish washing project -- thus creating a "chain" of actions. Step one is carrying the dish to the sink. What's the next step? You can prompt your child with words, actions, pictures, or even songs, with the goal that he will -- in the long run -- start to memorize and internalize each step in sequence.
Begin Fading Prompts
Updated November 11, 2014.
At first, you'll need to prompt your child at every step. But it's easy for anyone to become reliant on prompts -- and avoid taking responsibility for actually learning the steps involved in a complex task. To help your child internalize the process of washing dishes, you'll start to "fade" prompts. You can start fading prompts at either end of the chain -- asking your child to remember either "what's first" or "what's next."
Troubleshooting the Chaining Process
Updated November 11, 2014.
Chaining is a simple concept, but it can be hard to put into practice. That's because even basic tasks can be difficult for a child with autism. For example, holding a dish in one hand while rubbing it with a sponge held in the other hand can be very tricky. Hand-over-hand help can make a big difference, because it provides learners with muscle memory for how the job should be done. As with prompting, however, it is important to back away from hand-over-hand help -- because it's so easy to let someone else take the lead.
Updated November 11, 2014.
At school, children often receive gold stars, stamps, or other tokens for work well done. If this works well at school, it will probably work well at home, too. Whether you decide to reward your child with a hug and kiss, a treat, or a stamp, depends upon your family's preferences. But letting your child know he's done well with a reward he values is an important way to reinforce learning.
Updated November 11, 2014.
Now that you have a basic understanding of chaining, you may be ready to forge your own chains and create your own task analyses. You may also be interested in learning more about behavioral therapies that are often used to teach life skills to children on the autism spectrum. If that's the case, check out these resources:
- ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis )
- How Does Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Work?
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