What Is Chaining in ABA? 3 Methods & When to Use Each One

Tying a shoe looks like one skill, but it's a sequence: cross the laces, make a loop, wrap the other lace around it, push it through, and tighten.

For many learners with autism, each piece has to be taught on its own before the sequence clicks. Chaining in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is how Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) do just that.

Below, we cover the three approaches to chaining, how BCBAs choose between them, and mistakes that can hold a program back.

What is chaining in ABA?

Chaining in ABA is a teaching method that breaks a multi-step skill into smaller parts and teaches each one in order, until the learner completes the whole task independently.

Each step in the chain acts as a cue for the next one, and the finished sequence is the full skill the learner performs on their own (also called the terminal behavior).

Before chaining starts, a BCBA completes a task analysis: a detailed breakdown of every step the skill requires, in order. Task analysis is recognized as an evidence-based practice for learners with autism across a wide age range.

Here’s what a written task analysis can look like. A 2024 study on teaching handwashing to young learners with autism broke the routine into 11 steps, adapted from the CDC’s handwashing guidance:

1. Turn on water.
2. Wet hands.
3. Put soap on hands.
4. Scrub palms of hands.
5. Scrub backs of hands.
6. Scrub between fingers.
7. Rinse hands.
8. Turn water off.
9. Get paper towel.
10. Dry hands.
11. Throw paper towel away.

Each step names one action someone else can see, so a therapist can score it as independent or prompted.

Chaining and task analysis usually get built into a skill acquisition plan, so a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), who runs the day-to-day sessions, teaches the skill the same way each time.

The 3 types of chaining in ABA

Forward chaining, backward chaining, and total task presentation are the three methods BCBAs use to teach a chained skill.

All three rely on the same task analysis, but they differ in which steps the learner completes first and how much support the therapist provides at each stage.

Forward chaining

Forward chaining teaches the first step of a task to mastery, then adds the next step, then the next, until the learner completes the full sequence alone.

For example, when the skill is setting the table for dinner, a learner might place only the placemat at first, while the therapist handles the plate, fork, napkin, and cup.

Once placing the placemat is consistent, focus shifts to the plate, then the fork, working through the rest of the sequence.

In one case study, forward chaining combined with gradual exposure helped an adult with autism take van rides without challenging behaviors.

Backward chaining

As the name suggests, backward chaining reverses the order: the therapist completes every step except the last, and the learner is taught to finish the task independently.

Packing a school backpack is a good example. The therapist packs every book and folder into the bag, then hands the bag over so the learner only has to close the zipper. Once that's consistent, the therapist backs off one more step, with the learner placing the last folder in, then zipping the bag.

The learner always finishes the task themselves, even in the first session, which can help build confidence early.

In one direct comparison, children learned every target skill under forward and backward chaining. None learned consistently faster with either method, indicating that the better fit can shift from task to task.

Total task presentation

Total task presentation, sometimes called total task chaining, has the learner attempt every step of the chain each session, with the therapist stepping in only where support is still needed.

A learner getting dressed might be able to button their shirt and pull on their pants alone, but need a spoken reminder for socks and a gestural prompt for shoes.

Each time, the therapist runs the full routine, prompts only the steps that need it, and fades that support as the learner gets more consistent.

The handwashing study above was built on total task chaining. In every session, behavior technicians ran all 11 steps with least-to-most prompting while a tablet app talked them through what to do at each one.

How do BCBAs choose a chaining method?

BCBAs choose a chaining method based on how long the task is, where a learner's motivation is likely to be highest, and their current skill level, which is usually established during a skills assessment before programming begins.

A short chain can often be taught with total task presentation, while a longer one may call for forward or backward chaining to keep the number of new steps in a session manageable.

The location of the strongest reward in the task plays into the decision too. A BCBA might pick backward chaining when the reward sits at the very end, or forward chaining when the learner is already engaged by the earliest steps.

A learner who already has certain steps in place is often a better fit for total task presentation than a learner starting from scratch.

It’s common for a BCBA to run forward chaining on one goal and total task presentation on another with the same learner, reviewing each goal’s data on its own when a change looks necessary.

Chaining vs. shaping in ABA

Chaining and shaping both teach skills in small steps, but they work on different units of behavior. Chaining links a series of separate actions, like turning on the faucet and then wetting hands, into one routine. 

Shaping works on a single behavior, reinforcing successive approximations, each a little closer to the goal, until the learner reaches the target form.

In one study, shaping helped learners with autism accept new foods by reinforcing a slightly bigger step toward eating each one, a goal that doesn’t split into separate actions the way handwashing does.

Common mistakes to avoid with chaining

When a chaining program stalls, the cause is usually in how it was written or run.

Vague task analyses

When a task analysis isn't written in specific, observable terms, RBTs end up teaching the same step differently, and the learner's progress data won't reflect a consistent approach.

Hand the written step to a colleague who has never run the program. If their version looks different from yours, tighten the wording until it doesn't.

Switching methods before the data supports it

If a learner seems stuck, it's tempting to abandon a method mid-program. That throws out the data already collected before the method has had a fair trial.

Set a minimum number of sessions or data points before switching, and write that number into the plan up front so the change follows a rule agreed in advance.

Inconsistent prompting across steps

Chaining depends on using the same prompting strategy at each step, otherwise progress data becomes hard to interpret.

Write the exact prompt hierarchy into the program itself, so every session runs the same way, regardless of who's in the room.

Skipping reinforcement for independent responses

Independent responses need their own reinforcement, separate from prompted ones, or a learner has less reason to try a step alone before waiting for help.

A systematic review of skill acquisition studies found that reserving stronger reinforcers for independent responses produced faster or greater skill gains for most participants across the studies reviewed.

Spell out the difference in the plan itself. Where studies in the same review compared approaches, delivering reinforcement more often for independent responses beat making the reinforcer larger or more preferred.

Run chaining in ABA smoothly with Passage Health

The 11-step handwashing routine above means 11 prompt levels to record, every session, for every learner on that goal. Passage Health keeps those records in the same place as the schedules and claims.

Building the program

• Task analysis targets: Set up a chained skill as a task analysis target, with its step list, teaching method (most-to-least or least-to-most), and the prompts you track.
• Automatic phase progression: Set rules, like a percent-correct threshold over a set number of sessions, and a target moves from baseline to treatment to mastered as session data comes in.

Running the session

• Mobile data collection: RBTs mark each step on a phone or tablet, and nothing is lost if the Wi-Fi drops.
• Graphs and reports: Step data feeds into automated graphs and customizable treatment reports for reauthorization. Set custom permissions for viewing and editing notes, and use saved signatures with a single click.

Running the practice

• Scheduling, billing, and intake together: Color-coded calendars, claims built from documented sessions, and a Client Intake pipeline for tracking leads.
• A wider view across the caseload: Dashboards show utilization and performance across every learner's program.

New features ship every quarter, onboarding is dedicated and 1:1, and Frontera AI integrates to provide clinical AI support.

Book a demo to see how Passage Health can keep a multi-step chaining program organized through mastery.

Frequently asked questions

What does chaining in ABA mean?

Chaining in ABA means splitting a skill into single steps and teaching each one until the learner strings the whole sequence together without help. A task analysis lists out every one of those steps before teaching starts.

What are the three types of chaining in ABA?

The three types of chaining in ABA are forward chaining, backward chaining, and total task presentation. All three use the same task analysis but teach it in a different order: forward builds up from the first step, backward builds up from the last, and total task practices the full routine together.

What’s the difference between forward and backward chaining?

Forward and backward chaining differ in which end of the task gets taught first: forward starts with step one, while backward starts with the last step and works back toward the beginning. The main payoff of starting at the end is that the learner reaches the finished result, and its reward, from the first session.

What is total task chaining used for in ABA?

Total task chaining is used to teach a multi-step routine as a whole, with the learner running it start to finish each session and prompts covering only the parts they haven’t mastered yet. It suits a learner who just needs support for certain steps in the routine.

How do you decide which ABA chaining method to use?

Most BCBAs start with three questions: how many steps the task has, which steps the learner can already do, and where the reward lands. The answer can differ from one goal to the next, even for the same learner.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, February 16). About handwashing. https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/about/index.html

Cividini-Motta, C., Livingston, C., & Efaw, H. (2024). Systematic review of differential reinforcement in skill acquisition. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 17(2), 401–416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00903-z

Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied behavior analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson.

Griffen, B., Lorah, E. R., Caldwell, N., et al. (2024). The effects of artificial intelligence on implementors' fidelity of instructional strategies during handwashing acquisition in children with autism. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 36(5), 793–819. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-023-09937-1

Guercio, J. M., & Cormier, R. J. (2015). Blending stimulus fading procedures with forward chaining to address treatment resistance in an adult with an autism spectrum disorder. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 8(2), 215–218. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-015-0060-5

Hodges, A., Davis, T., Crandall, M., et al. (2017). Using shaping to increase foods consumed by children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(8), 2471–2479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3160-y

Slocum, S. K., & Tiger, J. H. (2011). An assessment of the efficiency of and child preference for forward and backward chaining. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44(4), 793–805. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2011.44-793

Steinbrenner, J. R., Hume, K., Odom, S. L., et al. (2020). Evidence-based practices for children, youth, and young adults with autism. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice Review Team. https://ncaep.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/EBP-Report-2020.pdf