Skill Acquisition
Skill acquisition
Begin with a measurable target definition and a task analysis when the skill has multiple steps. Chaining teaches step sequences: forward chaining teaches the first step to criterion before adding the next; backward chaining teaches the last step first and adds earlier steps; total-task presentation runs the whole sequence each trial. Prompting supports correct responding: verbal, gestural, model, physical, and visual prompts, arranged from least-to-most or most-to-least depending on the plan. Fade prompts systematically (time delay, prompt hierarchy) to avoid prompt dependence. Shaping reinforces successive approximations; discrimination training teaches when a response is reinforced under a specific SD and not others. Reinforcement should be contingent, timely, and paired with praise; thin schedules gradually. DTT offers structured massed trials, while NET teaches in natural routines. Plan generalization across people, settings, materials, and time, and maintenance checks after mastery. Data on response accuracy, prompt level, and independence guide decisions. Traps: reinforcing the prompt instead of the response; advancing before mastery criteria are met; mixing target and mastered items without a plan; and assuming a skill generalized because it occurred once. Also watch for error correction that inadvertently reinforces errors. Worked example: Handwashing is taught backward. The therapist completes all steps except drying hands, prompts drying, and reinforces. After drying is independent, the learner is prompted to turn off water, then dry. Rule of thumb: prompt only as much as needed, reinforce the terminal behavior, and fade deliberately.