Breaking Down Skills

Teaching a new, complex skill

Goal

Teach a new, complex skill by breaking it down into a sequence of smaller step.

How

The teacher will develop the task analysis (TA) by writing down the small steps necessary to complete the task/activity. The teacher will systematically teach each step, one at a time, providing assistance as needed. Over time, the prompts (assistance) are faded out, resulting in the learner becoming independent in this skill!

Context

Task analyses are often used to teach adaptive skills such as washing hands, brushing teeth, getting dressed, tying shoes, doing chores, making a meal, and crossing the street. Create a task analysis for any complex skill that can be broken down into simple steps.

Tip

Remember, practice the steps yourself after you have created the TA to ensure that they are in correct sequence and nothing was left out. Often, visuals are a great way to assist in learning the skill sequence. Try to reduce teacher assistance and increase learner independence each time the skill is practiced.

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