ABA Therapy
Chaining procedures in ABA are teaching methods used to help a learner complete a sequence of connected steps that form a larger skill. After a complex task has been divided into smaller actions through task analysis, an ABA therapist can teach those actions through forward chaining, backward chaining, or total-task teaching.
Chaining is commonly used for complex skills such as brushing teeth, tying shoelaces, getting dressed, preparing food, and following a morning routine. The goal is not simply to complete one response correctly. The learner gradually develops the ability to connect individual steps into an entire sequence with less support.
Key Takeaways
- The three main chaining procedures are forward chaining, backward chaining, and total-task teaching.
- Task analysis identifies the individual steps of a complex skill, while chaining determines how those steps are taught as a connected sequence.
- ABA therapists can use prompts, reinforcement, and data collection to adjust instruction as a learner completes more of the task independently.
What Are Chaining Procedures in ABA?
Chaining procedures in ABA are systematic teaching methods used to teach a behavior chain, which is a sequence of individual responses that together produce a completed outcome. Each response leads naturally to the next until the learner completes the whole task.
Many everyday tasks are behavior chains.
For example, brushing teeth involves getting the toothbrush, applying toothpaste, brushing, cleaning up, and putting materials away. A morning routine may include getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, and preparing a school bag.
Before chaining begins, the entire skill is usually broken into manageable steps through task analysis. The Indiana Resource Center for Autism at Indiana University explains that task analysis identifies the smaller actions within a complex task, while chaining procedures can then be used to teach those actions in sequence. Indiana University guidance on task analysis and chaining
Nurturing Nests discusses task-based and other structured teaching approaches in its overview of ABA therapy techniques for autism.
What Are the Three Types of Chaining in ABA?
The three main types of chaining are:
- Forward chaining: Teaching begins with the first step and moves forward through the sequence.
- Backward chaining: Focused teaching begins with the final step and moves backward toward earlier steps.
- Total-task teaching: The learner attempts the entire task during each teaching opportunity and receives support on steps that are not yet independent.
All three methods teach the same basic kind of skill: a sequence containing multiple steps. What changes is where instruction begins and how much of the sequence the learner practices at one time.
How Does Forward Chaining Work?
Forward chaining teaches a behavior chain starting with the first step. The learner practices that step while the therapist assists with the remaining steps. Once the first action is completed independently, instruction expands to the next step.
The sequence might look like this:
First step independently → therapist assists with remaining steps → second step added → more steps added → entire task completed independently
Suppose a child is learning a morning routine. Forward chaining might begin with getting out the correct clothes. After that first step becomes independent, the child works on getting the clothes and putting on the first item.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Nebraska Autism Spectrum Disorders Network describes forward chaining as a procedure that starts with the first step of a task and progresses through later steps as the learner gains skills. University of Nebraska-Lincoln chaining guidance
Forward chaining may be useful when progressing through the activity in its natural beginning-to-end sequence fits the learner’s current skills.
How Does Backward Chaining Work?
Backward chaining teaches the final step of the behavior chain first. The therapist assists with earlier steps and allows the learner to independently complete the last step.
After the learner masters the final step, instruction moves to the second-to-last step. The learner then completes that step followed by the final step.
The process continues backward until the learner can perform the whole sequence.
For example, if a child is learning to put on a jacket, the therapist may initially assist with most of the task while the child completes the final action. Later, the child learns the previous step and then completes the already learned ending.
Backward chaining does not mean performing the task backward. The actions still occur in their normal, logical sequence. Focused teaching simply starts with the last step and works toward the beginning.
How Does Total-Task Chaining Work?
Total-task teaching gives the learner an opportunity to practice the entire sequence during each teaching session. The therapist provides prompts or assistance only on individual steps that the learner cannot yet complete independently.
For example, a child learning to prepare a simple snack may already know how to get a plate, open the bread, and put materials away but need help spreading peanut butter safely and completing other parts of the routine. With total-task presentation, the child participates in the full task rather than focusing on only the first or final step.
Indiana University’s ABA guidance describes total-task teaching as instruction across the whole sequence with support provided for steps where the learner needs assistance. This method may fit learners who already perform several links in the behavior chain independently.
Forward vs. Backward vs. Total-Task Chaining
The three chaining techniques differ mainly in their starting point.
Forward Chaining
- Starts with the first step
- Adds later steps gradually
- Builds the behavior chain from beginning to end
Backward Chaining
- Focuses on the final step first
- Adds earlier steps as learning progresses
- Allows the learner to complete the natural ending of the task during instruction
Total-task Teaching
- Includes the full sequence from the beginning
- Gives the learner opportunities to perform all the steps
- Provides assistance only where needed
No single chaining method is appropriate for every learner or every complex task.
What Is an Example of Chaining in ABA?
Tying shoelaces provides a simple example of how chaining can teach a multi-step skill.
With forward chaining, a child might first learn to hold the laces correctly. The therapist assists with the remaining steps. Once the first action becomes independent, the child learns the next part of the sequence.
Instruction continues until the child can complete the full task.
Other skills that may be taught with chaining include:
- Brushing teeth
- Washing hands
- Getting dressed
- Making a simple snack
- Packing a backpack
- Cleaning up
- Following a morning routine
- Completing self-care tasks
These are all complex behaviors because successful completion requires several connected responses rather than one isolated action.
Daily routines can also be practiced within in-home ABA therapy, where therapists can work on functional skills in familiar environments.
How Do ABA Therapists Choose a Chaining Method?
ABA therapists consider the learner and the specific skill rather than using the same chaining method for every task.
Factors may include:
- Which individual steps are already completed independently
- The number of steps involved
- The complexity of the entire task
- Where the learner currently needs prompts
- The learner’s previous skill development
- Opportunities for reinforcement
- How frequently the task occurs
- Data collected during therapy sessions
For example, total-task presentation may make sense when a child already performs most of the sequence. Forward chaining may fit a learner who benefits from building a new routine from the first step.
The teaching method can also change as the learner develops new skills.
How Are Prompts and Reinforcement Used in Chaining?
Prompts help the learner complete steps that are not yet independent.
ABA therapists may use:
- Verbal prompts
- Gestures
- Modeling
- Visual supports
- Other individualized cues
As skill development progresses, the therapist can gradually fade prompts so the learner has more opportunities to complete each response independently.
Positive reinforcement may also support successful responding according to the learner’s treatment plan. Reinforcement does not have to look identical after every step. The therapist considers the behavior, learner, and natural outcome of the task when planning reinforcement.
Nurturing Nests covers prompting and other instructional strategies within its broader guide to ABA therapy methods.
What Is the Difference Between DTT and Chaining in ABA?
Chaining teaches a connected sequence of responses that together form an entire skill, while Discrete Trial Training, or DTT, uses separate instructional trials to teach clearly defined responses.
The two methods can also work together.
For example, individual component skills may first be taught separately. Chaining can then connect those skills into a functional sequence.
A study available through the National Library of Medicine provides a clear example. Researchers used discrete-trial teaching to establish individual basketball skills and later used forward chaining to connect those behaviors into longer functional sequences.
This means the difference is not simply that DTT teaches “easy” skills while chaining teaches “hard” ones. The main distinction is separate instructional trials versus connected responses within a behavioral sequence.
How Can Chaining Promote Independence?
Chaining can support independence because instruction targets the exact parts of a multi-step task where a learner needs help.
Progress may look like:
therapist assists → learner completes more links → prompts decrease → more of the sequence becomes independent
A child does not need to master the whole task at once.
For example, a learner may first independently complete two steps of a self-care routine and later complete six. The remaining steps can continue receiving focused support.
Skills practiced in school-based ABA therapy or through ABA strategies at home can also provide opportunities to use learned sequences in everyday settings.
Conclusion
Chaining procedures in ABA teach complex skills as connected sequences rather than expecting a learner to master an entire task at once. Forward chaining starts with the first step, backward chaining focuses on the final step first, and total-task teaching allows the learner to practice the whole sequence with support where needed. The appropriate method depends on the learner’s existing skills, the task, prompting needs, reinforcement, and ongoing performance data.
At Nurturing Nests Therapy Center, Inc., we believe children benefit from instruction that matches their individual strengths, needs, and pace of learning. Our ABA therapists in Los Angeles create personalized programs that support communication, daily living skills, self-care, learning, and greater independence. If you are exploring ABA therapy for your child, contact us to learn more about individualized autism therapy and early intervention services for your family.
FAQs
What are the three types of chaining?
The three main types of chaining in ABA are forward chaining, backward chaining, and total-task teaching. Forward chaining starts with the first step, backward chaining focuses on the final step first, and total-task teaching gives the learner opportunities to practice the entire sequence with support where needed.
Can you give me an example of chaining therapy?
A child learning to tie shoelaces may use forward chaining. The child first learns the initial step while the therapist assists with the rest of the sequence. As the child successfully completes each step independently, the next action is added until the entire skill can be performed.
Can you give me an example of behavior chaining?
Brushing teeth is a behavior chain because it involves several connected responses, such as getting the toothbrush, applying toothpaste, brushing the teeth, cleaning up, and putting the materials away. Together, the individual steps form one complete daily living skill.
What is the difference between DTT and chaining in ABA?
DTT teaches through separate, clearly defined instructional trials, while chaining connects individual responses into a sequence that produces a completed task. A therapist may use DTT to teach individual component skills and then use chaining to connect those skills into a complete routine.
