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Implementation

Once you have planned the task analysis, you can now begin to teach the learner a sequence of steps. Here is some advice for the person responsible for implementing the intervention:

Become familiar with the list of steps in the task analysis.
When teaching begins, it is the adult who performs the steps in the chain that the learner has not mastered. In order for the sequence to remain smooth and natural, it is important for the adult to be very familiar with the sequence and to follow each step accurately.
Determine the type of prompt to use.
Depending on the skill to teach and the learner, several types of prompts may be used and some require special planning (e.g., visual prompts, textual prompts). The Prompting section provides more information about the different types of prompts.
Familiarize yourself with the reinforcement program.
Reinforcement is an essential component of learning. The adult must be very familiar with the special features of the reinforcement program identified during planning.


Implementing Forward Chaining
Here are the steps to follow to carry out a teaching trial with forward chaining:

  1. Give the learner the instruction.
  2. Prompt the learner to perform the first step in the chain.
  3. Offer a reinforcer to the learner.
  4. Perform the subsequent steps in the chain that the learner has not mastered.
  5. Record the data.

This sequence must be repeated at suitable times (i.e., when appropriate). For example, before or after meals, after going to the bathroom, or at any other time when hand-washing is required are good opportunities to teach the learner the skill of hand-washing. It would be inappropriate to repeat this sequence if the context does not lend itself to it. In addition, it is important to keep prompting learners until they master the first step in the chain independently and start the same process over again with each following step.



The following data collection sheet provides the data corresponding to the forward chaining trials shown in the video.

Data Collection Sheet (Task Analysis) – Example of Forward Chaining

Implementing Backward Chaining
Here are the steps to follow to carry out a teaching trial with backward chaining:

  1. Give the learner the instruction.
  2. Perform the first steps in the chain that the learner has not mastered.
  3. Prompt the learner to perform the last step in the chain.
  4. Offer a reinforcer to the learner.
  5. Record the data.

This sequence must be repeated at suitable times (e.g., when appropriate). For example, before or after meals, after going to the bathroom or at any other time when hand-washing is required are good opportunities to teach the learner the skill of hand-washing. It would be inappropriate to repeat this sequence if the context does not lend itself to it. It is important to keep prompting learners until they master the last step in the chain independently and start the same process over again with each preceding step.



The following data collection sheet provides the data corresponding to the backward chaining trials shown in the video.

Data Collection Sheet (Task Analysis) – Example of Backward Chaining

Tracking Progress
Depending on the skill to teach, the number of learning opportunities per day or per week may be limited and more than one person may be responsible for teaching the skill to the learner. It is therefore very important to monitor the learner’s progress and to ensure that the intervention is implemented accurately using the data collection sheets and the Intervention Planning Tool.

The data collection sheet makes it possible to:
  • See the results of each teaching session;
  • Note whether the learner is stuck on one step in particular;
  • Note trends (e.g., if the learner is successful in the morning but seems to have more trouble in the afternoon or if the learner performs better in one environment than another.)

This is how backward chaining went for Lucy’s team:


Data Collection Sheet – Backward Chaining, Lucy
The Intervention Planning Tool makes it possible to:
  • See the date on which each step was mastered;
  • Note whether some steps took longer to master;
  • Note trends (e.g., if each step was mastered in the same context).

Click here to see the Tracking Progress section of Lucy's Intervention Planning Tool.
Tracking Progress
Step MasteredDateeContextInitials and Comments
1. Turn on the cold water faucet October 13th Bathroom – 1st floor JK
2. Turn on the hot water faucet October 12th Bathroom – 1st floor JK
3. Wet your hands Already masteredh    
4. Put soap on your hands October 11th Bathroom – 2nd floor JK
5. Rub the soap on the palms of your hands for 10 seconds October 10th Kitchen JK
6. Rub the soap on the backs of your hands for 10 seconds October 7th Kitchen JK
7. Rub the soap between your fingers for 10 seconds October 6th Bathroom – 1st floor JK
8. Rinse your hands Already mastered    
9. Fermer le robinet d’eau chaude October 5th Kitchen JK Lucy likes to run the water on her hands, so sometimes you have to encourage her to turn off the tap. We started using a timer.
10. Turn off the cold water faucet October 4th Bathroom – 2nd floor JK
11. Take a towel/paper October 4th Bathroom – 1st floor JK
12. Wipe hands with towel/paper Already mastered    
13. Place towel on counter/paper in trash Already mastered    


If the frequency of the targeted behaviour does not increase in the learner, consider these questions:
  • Are all stages of the intervention being implemented as planned?
  • Was the data collection done accurately?
  • Was the prompting and reinforcement done as intended?
  • Does the list of potential reinforcers need to be updated?
  • Does the quantity and quality of the reinforcer offered match the effort required to complete the task or demonstrate the requested behaviour?
  • Does the learner have access to reinforcers at other times? Does it affect motivation to get the reinforcer?
It may be necessary to revise parts of the reinforcement program in order to make changes.

Planning and Implementing the Intermittent Reinforcement Program
When the learner reaches the set SMART goal, you need to plan for the next step – the intermittent reinforcement program. This program makes it possible to maintain the frequency of the targeted behaviour. If you suddenly stop offering the reinforcer for the targeted behaviour, you may see an immediate decrease in the frequency of the behaviour. To maintain the frequency of the behaviour, you must gradually fade the reinforcement.

Here are the steps for planning and implementing intermittent reinforcement:

1. Determine the components of the intermittent reinforcement program.
Some components of the intermittent reinforcement program are comparable to those of the continuous reinforcement program. Other components, however, must be modified in order to gradually fade the reinforcement. The quantity provided and the access time must decrease while the ratio must increase. In other words, instead of sticking to the 1:1 ratio, you can now attempt to offer reinforcement at a 2:1 ratio and reinforce after two occurrences of the targeted behaviour. When a token saving system is in place, it is possible to change the exchange ratio and thus increase the cost of items.
2. Offer the reinforcer or the token to the learner based on new reinforcement criteria.
At this stage, those responsible sometimes tend to be less vigilant, because the learner has already reached the set goal. However, it is imperative to continue to observe the learner or to evaluate their work and to maintain reinforcement to avoid a decrease in the frequency of the behaviour.
3. Record the data.
Continue to record the data on the data collection sheet or directly in the Tracking Progress section of the Intervention Planning Tool.
4. Manage the exchange of tokens for the reinforcer.
The designated person will arrange the exchange at the appropriate time.
5. Make changes to the intermittent reinforcement program at the appropriate times.
The intermittent reinforcement program will need to be adjusted to maintain its effectiveness. The goal is to gradually get the learner to exercise the targeted skills with reinforcement occurring naturally at the same frequency and intensity as their peers. For example, if a class of students is praised on average every five minutes while working on a project, you might start by offering the learner a reinforcer every minute, then every two minutes, and so on until they settle for one reinforcer every five minutes. Make decisions based on the data collected.


Generalizing the Skill
According to Cooper, Heron, and Heward (2007), a behaviour is generalized when it occurs in other contexts, with other people and over time, without specific teaching related to these variables. It is impossible to teach all people, all behaviours, under all circumstances. Generalization is an essential concept that teams must take into account from the start of intervention planning to ensure that it is integrated into the entire process. For some learners, generalizing skills will be easier than for others.

Here are some strategies that encourage generalization of the skills learned:
  • Use a variety of scenarios when teaching (e.g., washing hands before and after meals and after recess);
  • Practice a variety of correct responses with the learner (e.g., put the paper in the black garbage can and put the paper in the recycling bin);
  • Teach the skill more generally, so that the learner does not get attached to less important details;
  • Teach the skill in the usual contexts to facilitate the transfer to other contexts (e.g., teach learners to wash their hands in the bathroom sink so they can transfer it to the kitchen sink);
  • Get other adults to teach so learners are used to showing the skill to other people;
  • Even after the goal has been reached and the chaining has been completed, regularly check that the learner continues to demonstrate the skill;
  • Talk to the learner’s parents/guardians to ensure they are promoting the generalization of the skill at home.