Backchaining: Helping Children Learn Self-Care Skills- I CAN do it!
When teaching a new skill, we often start at the beginning. Sometimes it might be easier to start at the end.
Starting at the beginning can be challenging for children who are struggling to master a skill, particularly when it involves a correct sequence of steps and movements. Having an idea of how to approach the task (ideation), starting successfully and then progressing through various steps (sequencing and motor planning) can be challenging. This often also involves complex motor tasks such as using both hands, refined and graded grasping, and shifting objects through the hands etc.
One way of learning a new task while building self-esteem and giving the child a sense of completion and achievement is to use a backward chaining technique.
This type of approach can be particularly useful when learning self-care and daily living skills such as brushing teeth, getting dressed/undressed, putting on/taking off shoes, washing hands/body, toilet hygiene, using cutlery, fastenings on clothing such as buttons and zips etc.
What is backward chaining?
The task is broken down into small steps.
The last step is practised first, working backwards from the goal. All of the steps except the last one are completed by the adult, and the child practices the final step. The child then enjoys the success of completing the task.
Once the child has mastered the last step, all of the steps except for the last two are then completed by the adult. The child learns the second-to-last step, and they then complete the last two steps themselves.
This continues until the child learns all the steps including the first step thus completing the whole task themselves independently following practice and repetition.
This technique can be helpful for teaching any task that has a number of steps.
Remember - Support from the adult is intentional and temporary, designed to build skills, not to do the task for the child or over-scaffold. The adult must have a plan to gradually teach the elements of the skill and gradually encourage the child to do MORE as they do LESS.
Top tips for backchaining
Model the steps of the task to the child always from their perspective e.g. sitting next to them rather than in front of them, having the item in front in the correct orientation
Practice with items that they can see well e.g. not starting by doing buttons whilst wearing them but on a shirt laid out on a table in front then progressing to wearing once they have got the idea
Make it fun and add in a play element if possible e.g. doing buttons up/dressing a doll
Use visuals to support learning steps of the process
Using elements with contrasting colours can be helpful, e.g. a lace that has a brown half and a white half to enable the child to see clearly what is happening with each step
Spend time practising and overlearning all skill elements, especially the middle section skills, to ensure success
Hand-over-hand assistance may be helpful if the child will tolerate this to help to practice
Fade out support only once every step is consistently successful – not too early
Always remain positive – this is designed to be a rewarding and meaningful approach, allowing the child to feel successful
Don't rush! Depending on the task, each step could take a long time, days, weeks, or even months! But once the child has mastered it, they have developed an important life skill
Practice the underlying skills with fun activities if they are making success more difficult, e.g. fiddly fine motor tasks, two-handed tasks
Written by Jo Scott, BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy, Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist.
You can find Jo’s child-friendly profile and full details of her training and experience here.
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