Teaching Complex Activities to Students with Moderate Handicaps Through the Forward Chaining of Shorter Total Cycle Response Sequences

Abstract

Three common chaining techniques have been employed to teach functional life skills to students who have moderate or severe handicaps: forward chaining, backward chaining and total task chaining. This article describes a chaining technique appropriate for complex activities that combines features of both the forward and total task methods. This method involves dividing complex activities into a series of shorter response chains. The first chain is taught in a total cycle fashion to criterion. Subsequent sets are taught one at a time in a forward chaining, serial manner until the entire activity is performed. The effects of this procedure on the acquisition and generalization of bedmaking skills by adolescents with moderate mental handicaps were examined. The results indicated that the technique promoted skill acquisition and substantial generalization to the home environment.