Task analysis vs chaining: forward, backward and total task
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
A task analysis is the list of steps in a routine. Chaining is the teaching plan for linking those steps: forward chaining teaches the first step first, backward chaining teaches the last step first, and total task teaches every step every time. Ask whether you are describing the steps or deciding the teaching order. Describing is task analysis; ordering is chaining.
Task analysis and chaining get used as if they meant the same thing, and they appear side by side on the same IEP. They are two different jobs. The task analysis breaks a routine into observable steps and gives you the data sheet. Chaining is the teaching method that decides which of those steps you teach, in what order, and what the adult does with the rest.
Both come from applied behavior analysis, where breaking skills into units and teaching them in sequence is standard practice.[1] The AFIRM module on task analysis treats it as an evidence-based practice for autistic learners and shows how it pairs with chaining.[3] For the full set of data methods, see the IEP data collection pillar. For ready step lists, see the task analysis examples.
The deciding question
Ask: am I listing the steps, or choosing which step to teach and in what order?
If you are writing down the steps and scoring each one, you are doing a task analysis. If you are deciding that the student will learn step 1 first, or the last step first, or all steps every time, you are picking a chaining procedure. Every chain needs a task analysis first. A task analysis does not need a chain; you can use one only to assess.
Side-by-side comparison
| Task analysis | Chaining | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A numbered list of the observable steps in a routine | A teaching procedure that links those steps into one routine |
| Main job | Assessment and data collection | Instruction |
| Types | Sized by step count (6, 10, 14 steps) | Forward, backward, total task |
| Who usually writes it | Teacher, OT or BCBA, often with the para who runs the routine | BCBA, teacher or OT, based on the task analysis data |
| Where it lives | The data sheet and the goal's measurement section | The teaching plan, behavior plan or session notes |
| What the IEP says | The step count in the criterion, such as "11 of 12 steps independently" | Usually not named in the goal; sometimes in objectives or specially designed instruction |
| What gets scored | Every step, every time | Depends on the chain; see the scoring rules below |
| Example | Handwashing in 10 steps, each marked I or a prompt code | Teach step 10 (throw away towel) first, then steps 9 and 10, then 8 to 10 |
| Basis | Behavior analytic practice; the IEP must state how progress is measured[2] | Behavior analytic teaching practice[1] |
The three chaining types
Forward chaining
The student learns step 1 first. The adult prompts or completes the remaining steps. Once step 1 meets its criterion, teaching moves to steps 1 and 2, and so on. It fits routines where the early steps are easy to start and the student needs a success at the start, such as setting up a work station.
Backward chaining
The adult does or prompts every step except the last one, which the student completes. Then the student does the last two steps, then the last three. The student finishes the routine on every trial, so the natural reward (clean hands, a zipped coat, a finished snack) comes right after their own work. It fits routines with a clear finish and a student who leaves tasks undone. See backward chaining and forward chaining in the glossary.
Total task
The student goes through every step on every trial, with prompts only on the steps they cannot do yet. It fits students who already do several steps, and routines that happen often enough to teach all steps each day, such as arrival or handwashing.
How to score each approach
The scoring rule is where these two ideas meet on paper. Get it wrong and the graph shows the teaching plan, not the student.
| Approach | What to score | What the graph looks like early on |
|---|---|---|
| Task analysis probe (no teaching) | Every step, as I, a prompt code, or not done | A baseline of steps done alone |
| Total task | Every step, every trial | A steady climb, step count rising each week |
| Forward chaining | The target step on every trial, and a full probe of all steps once a week | Stair steps, as untaught later steps stay low |
| Backward chaining | The target step on every trial, and a full probe of all steps once a week | Stair steps, filling in from the end of the list |
The weekly full probe is the number that goes in the progress report. Steps the adult completed as part of a chain are not independent steps, even though the routine got done. Mark them A (adult completed) so no one counts them. The task analysis data sheet and the task analysis measurement page cover the marks.
Three classroom scenarios
Scenario 1: Coat at dismissal. Jalen, a fictional kindergartner, puts his arms in his coat but never zips it, and the bus line leaves. His teacher lists 7 steps, and the baseline shows he does steps 1 to 4 alone. Answer: backward chaining. The teacher starts the zipper and Jalen pulls it up (step 7). Finishing the zipper is what lets him join the line, so the reward is built in. Once step 7 holds for 3 days, he also connects the zipper (step 6).
Scenario 2: Making a sandwich in a transition program. A fictional 19-year-old does 9 of 14 steps alone, and the misses are spread across the routine. Answer: total task. She already knows most steps, and the misses are scattered, so teaching one link at a time would waste the steps she has. She goes through all 14 steps every session with prompts only at the missed ones.
Scenario 3: The OT asks for "a task analysis" for handwriting setup. The OT wants to know which parts of setting up paper and pencil a student misses. Answer: task analysis alone. No chain is needed yet. The OT lists 6 steps, probes 3 times and uses the data to decide whether to teach the whole setup or one part.
Writing a backward chaining IEP goal
The goal usually names the full routine and the independent step count, not the chain. The chain belongs in the teaching plan, and the objectives can follow the chain.
- Weak: "Jalen will zip his coat using backward chaining."
- Measurable goal: "At dismissal, given his coat, Jalen will complete 7 of 7 coat steps independently on 4 of 5 consecutive school days, as measured by a task analysis data sheet."
- Objectives that follow the chain: Jalen will complete steps 6 and 7 independently by the first report, steps 5 to 7 by the second, and all 7 by the third.
The weak version names a method but no criterion, so it cannot be measured. The goal checks the outcome. The objectives show the backward order. For dressing goal wording, see the dressing goals page. The handwashing task analysis and brushing teeth task analysis show full step lists you can chain.
When you need both
Most of the time. Write the task analysis first and run a baseline probe of every step. Then pick the chain from the data: backward when the student stalls before the finish, forward when they stall at the start, total task when they already do many scattered steps. Keep the weekly full probe going whichever chain you pick, and graph it. Prompt levels within each step follow the prompt hierarchy your team already uses.
Frequently asked questions
Is chaining the same as task analysis?
No. A task analysis is the list of steps and the sheet you score them on. Chaining is the teaching method that decides which steps you teach first and what the adult does with the others.
Should the IEP goal name backward chaining?
Usually not. The goal should name the routine, the conditions and the number of steps done independently. Put the chain in the teaching plan, and let the objectives follow its order if that helps the team.
How do I score steps the adult completes during a chain?
Mark them as adult completed, not independent. Score the target step on every trial, and run a full probe of all steps once a week. The weekly probe is the number to graph and report.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Task analysis measurement guide
- Task analysis data sheet
- Task analysis in the IEP glossary
- Backward chaining in the IEP glossary
- Forward chaining in the IEP glossary
- Dressing goals (functional skills)
Related guides
- IEP data collection: methods, sheets and schedules that hold up
- Task analysis examples for life skills goals
- Task analysis for washing hands (printable steps)
- Task analysis for brushing teeth (printable steps)
- Prompt hierarchy examples for IEP data
Sources
- About Behavior Analysis, Behavior Analyst Certification Board
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- Task Analysis (AFIRM Module), AFIRM, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, UNC Chapel Hill
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.