Use task analysis
Teachers and parents may need to break complex tasks down into subtasks
and reinforce in small, teachable steps. For each step of a complex
task, the student needs to have the requisite skills. These sub-skills may
need to be taught and reinforced in sequence. For example, when
teaching a self-help skill such as brushing teeth, the task may need to be
broken down into sub-skills: getting the toothbrush and toothpaste,
turning on the water, wetting the toothbrush, unscrewing the lid of the
toothpaste, putting the toothpaste on the toothbrush, etc. Life skills,
social skills, and academic skills can all be analysed and approached as
tasks and sub-tasks, with each step taught and then linked to the next in
a chain sub-tasks. See the appendix for an example of an instruction
plan using task analysis.