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Shaping and chaining are two important teaching strategies in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), but they work in different ways.
Shaping involves teaching a new skill by reinforcing small steps that gradually get closer to the desired behavior. For example, if a child is learning to say “water,” you might first reinforce any vocal sound, then “wa,” and finally the full word. Shaping is great for skills that don’t yet exist in the child’s repertoire.
Chaining, on the other hand, is used to teach a complex skill made up of smaller steps. Each step is taught in sequence until the entire task is mastered. For example, brushing teeth can be taught step by step from picking up the toothbrush, applying toothpaste, brushing, to rinsing.
In short, shaping builds new behaviors, while chaining links existing steps into a complete skill. Both methods help children gain independence and confidence.
Want to see how ABA can help your child learn new skills? At Epic Minds Therapy, we use evidence-based techniques like shaping and chaining to support growth.
Contact us today to learn more about our ABA services in North Carolina!
SOURCES:
https://passthebigabaexam.com/dana-dos-clearing-up-the-confusion-over-shaping-and-chaining
https://psychcentral.com/pro/child-therapist/2020/02/shaping-chaining-task-analysis-with-an-example-from-everyday-life
https://www.bbbautism.com/aba_shaping_and_chaining.htm
https://knappcenter.org/Website/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Topic-4_Shaping-and-Chaining.pdf
https://unexpectedangles.weebly.com/fading-shaping-and-chaining.html