Backward Chaining: A Cure for Task-Frustration
“Task-frustration” occurs when a child attempts to complete a particular task (e.g., tying shoe laces, riding a bicycle, doing a math assignment, playing a board game, etc.), but fumbles along unsuccessfully. As a result, he or she has a tantrum – or a meltdown! If you are a parent of a child on the autism spectrum, you have no doubt witnessed your child being overly-frustrated on numerous occasions over seemingly trivial incidents. Well, help has arrived! Read on… “Backward chaining” can have different definitions for different fields, but when teaching life skills to young people with High-Functioning Autism (HFA), it refers to breaking down the steps of a task and teaching them in reverse order. This gives the youngster an experience of accomplishment and completion with every attempt. Instead of the youngster starting at the beginning and getting lost somewhere through the process (with the parent having to complete the task), the parent does all but the last step and le