Glossary / Lexicon

Response chaining refers to the assembly of separate responses into a series of actions that lead to reinforcement.

In psychology, response chaining refers to the process of breaking down complex behaviors or skills into smaller, more manageable steps, and teaching each step individually before chaining them together to create the full behavior or skill.

Response chaining is often used in applied behavior analysis (ABA), a therapeutic approach that is commonly used to treat autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities. ABA therapists use response chaining to teach a wide range of skills, including language development, social skills, self-care, and academic skills.

Here are some examples of how response chaining may be used in ABA therapy:

1. Language development: ABA therapists may use response chaining to teach language skills, such as requesting, labeling, and answering questions. For example, a therapist may break down the skill of requesting into smaller steps, such as making eye contact, reaching for the desired item, and saying "I want ___."

2. Social skills: Response chaining can also be used to teach social skills, such as turn-taking, initiating conversations, and maintaining eye contact. For example, a therapist may break down the skill of initiating conversations into smaller steps, such as making eye contact, smiling, and saying a greeting.

3. Self-care: ABA therapists may use response chaining to teach self-care skills, such as brushing teeth, washing hands, and getting dressed. For example, a therapist may break down the skill of brushing teeth into smaller steps, such as wetting the toothbrush, applying toothpaste, brushing the top teeth, brushing the bottom teeth, and spitting out the toothpaste.

4. Academic skills: Response chaining can also be used to teach academic skills, such as reading, writing, and math. For example, a therapist may break down the skill of reading into smaller steps, such as sounding out each letter, blending the sounds together, and recognizing the word.

Overall, response chaining is a useful technique for teaching complex behaviors and skills in a systematic and manageable way. By breaking down behaviors into smaller steps and teaching each step individually, individuals with developmental disabilities can learn new skills more effectively and efficiently.