Chaining

Chaining is a way to help people learn new actions by linking them together in a specific order. It works by creating a series of steps, where each step leads to the next one. For example, when brushing your teeth, you start by seeing the toothbrush, then get toothpaste, put it on the brush, brush your teeth, spit out the toothpaste, rinse your mouth, and finally put away the toothbrush.

This method is used to teach complex actions that someone might not know how to do yet. The steps that need to be learned must be things the person can't do, not just things they won't do. There are three main types of chaining: forward chaining, backward chaining, and total task chaining. Each type helps in teaching the behavior chain in a different way.

Forward chaining

Forward chaining is a way to help someone learn a series of actions by teaching them step by step, in the right order. The teacher starts by showing a special signal to begin the first action. After the person does the first action, the teacher helps them with the next actions. As the person gets better at the first action, the teacher adds the second action, and so on, until the person can do all the actions by themselves. Rewards are given after each step, but the final reward only comes after all steps are done.

Backward chaining

Backward chaining is a way to help people learn new skills by starting with the last step and working backward. It is often used for individuals who have difficulty learning new things. The main advantage is that they get to see the result of the last step right away.

A teacher will guide the learner through the whole chain, beginning with the final action. This is done until the learner can do the last step by themselves when asked. After that, the teacher will help the learner with the step before the last, while still guiding the other steps. This process continues until the learner can do all the steps without any help.