Using Graduated Guidance

Graduated guidance is a strategy or procedure most often used to help children learn skills with the help of adults providing physical assistance. These skills can include gross and fine motor behaviors, self-help, and leisure skills, such as:

• Brushing their teeth
• Combing their hair
• Crossing the street
• Feeding oneself
• Preparing materials for an activity
• Setting the table for snack time
• Stacking blocks
• Stringing beads
• Washing their hands
• Writing with a pen or pencil

These skills are also referred to as chained skills because they involve multiple connected skills to complete one task.

The term “graduated” refers to the process of decreasing the assistance provided as the child demonstrates greater competence in completing the task and mastering the skill. For instance, if you are teaching the skill of hand washing, you might need to start with holding the child’s hands in your own, applying the soap, and rubbing hands back and forth before rinsing them under the faucet.

You might reduce the physical prompting one step at a time, with only light touches on the arm or hand to direct the child toward the next step in the process. Even as the child acquires some success in performing the task, you might still shadow the child’s movements and combine them with verbal cues related to the desired behavior.

Be sure to continually provide feedback with verbal praise as the child performs the desired behavior. Finally, reward the accomplishment with a designated reinforcement (Morales et al., 2016).

Steps to Implement Graduated Guidance

The steps involved to implement graduated guidance are similar to those used in contingent reinforcements. They include:

• Select and describe the target skill. Specify the target skill the learner needs to acquire.
• Describe the target stimulus. Identify the target stimulus, such as an event or activity, which will launch and cue the target skill.
• Choose the cue or task direction. Decide on the cue or task direction that will facilitate the learner’s ability to perform the target skill.
• Designate reinforcers. Choose reinforcers suitable for the learner and for the task demands and target skill.
• Indicate the controlling prompt. Choose a prompt suitable for the learner to be able to correctly perform the skill.
• Establish the length of the response interval. The response interval occurs following the delivery of the target stimulus and the cue or task direction.
• Stipulate procedures to fade prompts. Fading or reducing prompts should occur as the learner gains proficiency in the skill.
• Assign activities and times for teaching. Determine how much time each activity requires and then schedule when the graduated guidance should occur during the day.

(NPDC, 2007-2014)

Assignment:

Create a script for a video explaining and demonstrating what graduated guidance is. Include dialogue for yourself and the child you would be helping.

Follow these directions to create your script:

• Choose one activity that you could perform well.
• At the beginning of your script, introduce yourself and the child being helped (first name only) and explain your understanding of graduated guidance.
• Explain the process for each task, gradually decreasing the guidance provided. Be sure to include detailed descriptions in your script for each of the three performances of the task, explaining actions and any changes.
• Consider any issues that might arise, which you can include as cautions or alerts in your script.
• Remember to praise the child throughout the exercise and include that language in your script.
• Provide a reward as reinforcement for completing the activity. Describe the results and the reward in your script.

Save your work in a document in MS Word format (.doc or .docx) and use the tool provided below to upload a copy of your completed assignment.