Task Analysis
Overview
Task analysis is the process of breaking a skill into smaller, more manageable steps in
order to teach the skill. As the smaller steps are mastered, the learner becomes
increasingly independent in his or her ability to perform the larger skill.
Pre-Assessment
Pre-Assessment
Prior to implementing a task analysis the instructor must know the
____________________ needed to complete the task.
Select an answer for question 458
Task analysis is only a useful practice to teach life skills tasks.
Select an answer for question 459
How many steps should a task analysis include?
Select an answer for question 460
To encourage generalization, learners should:
Select an answer for question 461
The steps in a task analysis should always be represented
Select an answer for question 463
With what age of learner is task analysis an effective instructional practice?
Select an answer for question 464
The best environment to teach a task analysis is
Select an answer for question 465
The following evidence based practice can be used to teach a skill that has been task
analyzed:
Select an answer for question 466
Why Use Task Analysis?
Task analysis is an effective way to plan the teaching of skills that require several steps
to be performed in a certain order (chained behaviors) such as telling time, tying shoes,
or doing long division, as well as larger more complex tasks (e.g. preparing and serving
a meal, or cleaning a cafeteria).
Task analysis can often be used to take a much larger group of skills (such as those
used in a complex vocational task like cleaning a cafeteria) and break them down into
phases. The phases can be taught as smaller sections helping to assist in mastering of
the larger task. For example, one might teach a vocational task of cleaning the cafeteria
by teaching someone to first prepare materials (phase 1), then clean the cafeteria
(phase 2), and last, put away the materials (phase 3). The practice of task analysis can
be used to effectively plan for the teaching of academics and life and vocational skills.
Task analysis can be used with children and youth across the autism spectrum.
In What Setting and With Which Ages
Can Task Analysis Be Effectively Used?
Task analysis can be used in school, home, or community settings. Generalization of
skills is most likely to occur when the skill is taught in multiple settings.
The evidence base shows that task analysis is an effective practice to use at the
preschool, elementary, and middle school levels. It is reasonable to assume that it
would be an effective practice for older learners, as well.
How is Task Analysis Implemented?
Task analysis can be used with a variety of behaviors ranging from
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self-help skills (drinking from a cup),
to life skills (shopping at the grocery store),
and even academic skills (writing a research paper).
An instructor task analyzing a skill must first list out the steps, in the correct sequence,
necessary to perform the skill. In order to check accuracy, the instructor might read the
steps to a colleague and ask them to either perform the task or give feedback on the
accuracy of your steps.
It is also essential to determine the skills a learner must already have in place in order
to successfully complete the task analyzed skill. These skills are referred to as
prerequisites. For example, one could not teach students to print their names if
they have not mastered the skill of holding a pencil. Holding the pencil would be the
prerequisite skill that the student would need to engage in the task of printing. Once the
prerequisite skills are identified, the instructor should also list any materials that would
be necessary to complete the task.
Once the task analysis has been created, an instructor decides the methods he or
she will use to teach the task. There are a number of evidence based practices that
can be used in the instruction of a skill that has been task analyzed including, but not
limited to: visual schedules, video modeling, social narratives, discrete trial training,
pivotal response training, and time delay. After selecting a method, the instructor
decides how he or she is going to teach the task.
The task analyzed skill is taught as a chain of behaviors. There are three main
procedures for teaching behaviors in a chain. An instructor might choose to teach the
skill in
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a backward chain,
a forward chain,
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or as a total task.
Deciding the chaining procedure that will be used depends upon the individual learner
profile and the task that is being taught.
In a backward chain, the instructor asks learner to master the steps at the end of the
behavioral chain. The instructor provides assistance through the initial steps of the task
analysis until he or she gets to the last step that the student is not able to do
independently. It is on this last step that the instructor prompts the student to perform
the step, and then reinforces the student. When teaching dressing, for example, a
teacher might assist a student with putting arms into a t-shirt and placing the shirt over
his head. The learner would then be expected to complete the last step identified in the
task analysis (pulling the shirt down over his torso) independently in order to be
reinforced. After the last step in the task analysis is mastered, each previous step in the
chain is added one at a time. An advantage to backward chaining is that the targeted
skill leads immediately to the terminal reinforcer connected to completing the whole
chain. For example, if you are teaching a learner to use a vending machine, the student
obtains the purchased item and can eat or drink it, after the last step of the chain.
Forward chaining starts by teaching, and reinforcing, the initial steps in the chain first.
The instructor finds the first step in the chain that the learner needs to learn and then
the instructor works forward through the task analysis. For example, in handwriting, the
first targeted step might be to have the student to independently pick the pencil up using
a tripod grasp. As he or she masters this first step, the instructor adds the next step in
the chain. In a forward chaining approach, the instructor will then guide the learner
through the remaining steps of the task analysis.
The final way to teach chaining is through a total task presentation. A total task
presentation requires the student to perform the entire task until the chain is learned.
There is supplemental reinforcement supplied at each step in the task. Total task
presentation is the method most frequently used to teach functional skills to learners
with disabilities. The disadvantage to a total task presentation is that the supplemental
reinforcers at each step will need to be faded as the learner acquires the skill. It is also
important to keep in mind that the instructor needs to plan to provide the strongest
reinforcement as the reinforcer applied at the end of the task.
Selecting a teaching method chaining procedure will depend upon the unique needs of
the learner and the type of skill being taught. An instructor will use his or her
professional judgment and experience in selecting the most appropriate procedure and
method to best teach the task analyzed skill.
Step-by-Step Instructions for
Implementation
Task analysis is the process of breaking a skill down into smaller, more manageable
components. Once a task analysis is complete, it can be used to teach learners with
ASD a skill that is too challenging to teach all at once. Other practices, such as discrete
trial training, video modeling, and reinforcement, can be used to teach the individual
steps, building one upon another, until the skill is complete.
Step 1. Identifying the Target Skill
Teachers/practitioners identify the target skill that they want to teach the learner
with ASD.
Using the learner's Individual Education Plan (IEP)/Individual Family Service Plan
(IFSP) goals, teachers/practitioners should identify the skill that the learner needs to
acquire. The target skill should consist of a series of chained discrete steps. A single
independent skill is not appropriate for task analysis, nor is a task with multiple variables
and/or outcomes.
Of course, all instruction should be individualized. For example, a skill that may be too
complex for one learner may be manageable for another (see examples on the right).
Skills that require a task analysis typically consist of multiple parts that come together to
make up a larger skill (e.g., washing dishes, putting on a coat).
Task analysis is frequently used to teach self-help and other adaptive skills.
Step 2. Identifying the Prerequisite Skills
of the Learner and the Materials Needed
to Teach the Task
Teachers/practitioners determine whether the learner has the required
prerequisite skills needed to learn the task.
Teachers/practitioners define the necessary materials needed to teach the task.
Using the learner's present level of performance on IEP/IFSP goals,
teachers/practitioners should identify the prerequisite skills that are necessary for the
learner to have in order to perform the target skill. Often this is done by collecting
baseline data on performance of the target skill. The skills that are already mastered do
not need to be included as part of the task analysis.
Once the prerequisite skills are identified, the instructor can decide how much detail the
task analysis will include. For example, if he or she is teaching coin counting, the
teacher would first assess whether learner could identify coins and their values and
whether he or she could count by 1's, 5's and 10's. These skills are the prerequisites to
coin counting. If the prerequisite skills are not mastered, they should be included as part
of the task analysis. Sometimes, if there are too many prerequisite skills that need to be
learned, the target skill itself might need to be changed. In the example of coin counting,
if a learner does not identify coins and their values and/or counting by 1's, 5's, and 10's,
these skills should be taught before teaching the skill of coin counting.
After identifying the learner's prerequisite skills and the skills that need to be taught, the
instructor should identify the materials he or she will need to teach the task. The
materials will depend on the unique needs of the learner as well as the resources
available to the instructor. For coin counting, one might select a set of simulated coins,
purchasing items, and worksheets. If the students have difficulty generalizing skills to in
vivo environments, the instructor might choose to use real coins, and practice
purchasing items in school and community based instruction settings.
Step 3. Breaking the Skill into Parts
In Step 3, teachers and other practitioners break the skill down into smaller steps so
that a learner can successfully demonstrate the skill by following the steps.
Teachers/practitioners break up the target skill into more manageable parts by:
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completing the skill themselves and recording each step; or
observing another person (in real time or via video) complete the activity
andrecording the steps.
Teachers/practitioners confirm that each part consists of a single, individual skill.
Brushing Teeth
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Obtains materials
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Takes cap off toothpaste
Puts paste on brush
Replaces toothpaste cap
Wets brush
Brushes left outer surfaces
Brushes front outer surfaces
Brushes right outer surfaces
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Brushes lower right chewing surfaces
Brushes lower left chewing surfaces
Brushes upper left chewing surfaces
Brushes upper right chewing surfaces
Brushes upper right inside surfaces
Brushes upper front inside surfaces
Brushes upper left inside surfaces
Brushes lower left inside surfaces
Brushes lower front inside surfaces
Brushes lower right inside surfaces
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Rinses toothbrush
Wipes mouth and hands
Returns materials
(Matson et al., 1990)
Setting the Table
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Puts down the placemat
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Places the large plate in the center of the placemat
Puts the small plate in the upper left hand side of the placemat
Puts the butter knife on the small plate
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o
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Places the napkin to the left of the large plate
Puts the knife and spoon to the right of the large plate
Puts the fork to the left of the large plate on the napkin
Puts the dessert spoon and fork horizontally at the top of the large plate
Puts the glass to the upper right of the large plate near the tip of the knife
(Goodson et al., 2006)
Play Activity with Trains
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Asks peer to play
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Tells peer, "Let's play trains"
Gives peer at least two tracks
Tells peer, "Let's make a train"
Asks peer for train pieces
Puts train pieces together with peer's pieces
Asks peer for animals to put on train
Moves train around track
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Tells peer, "Your turn!"
Tells peer, "That was fun!"
(Liber et al., 2008)
Step 4. Confirming that the Task is
Completely Analyzed
In Step 4, teachers/practitioners confirm that the steps of the target skill are represented
accurately and completely.
Teachers/practitioners confirm that the task is completely analyzed by having
someone follow the steps exactly.
By having a colleague or another student follow the steps of the task analysis, teachers/
practitioners can make certain that all steps of the skill are included and that the end
result is accurate and complete. Even if a skill is relatively simple, it is easy to leave out
steps. Having another person follow the steps exactly as written confirms whether the
task analysis is accurate. If needed, teachers/practitioners revise the steps based on
the feedback obtained through the trial.
Step 5. Determining How the Skill Will be
Taught
In Step 5, teachers/practitioners decide how the steps identified in the task analysis will
be taught. In deciding, the teacher/practitioner needs to decide whether the task is
manageable or needs to be broken down into phases, the procedure they will use for
chaining the behavior (total task, backwards, or forward chaining), and the evidencebased practice they will use to teach the skill. Before making these decisions, it is
important to consider learner differences, goals, and experiences. Using professional
judgment and understanding the learner's individual needs are important when selecting
the most appropriate evidence-based practice and implementation strategy.
Teachers/practitioners select the appropriate teaching method by matching the
method to:
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the learner's temperament;
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the learner's learning style;
the history of what has and has not worked for this learner;
the learner's IEP/IFSP; and
the environments within which the learner functions.
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Teachers/practitioners present the steps of the task analysis to learners in an age
and developmentally-appropriate manner.
Teachers/practitioners must decide how the steps of the task analysis will be
represented for learners. A learner who reads may have the steps written out. Another
learner may require pictures to represent the steps. Yet another learner may benefit
from a video model. Regardless of the format, the steps should be provided in an
efficient, clearly understood manner that does not attract undue attention to learners.
Step 6. Implementing Intervention and
Monitoring Progress
As noted in Step 5, a number of evidence-based practices, including prompting and
reinforcement, may be appropriate for teaching specific skills. Please use resources
(steps, implementation checklists, and data collection sheets) developed by the National
Professional Development Center on ASD in this module to assist in teaching skills and
monitoring learner progress.
Teachers/practitioners implement the evidence-based practices identified as
appropriate to teach the target skills using the steps for implementation and
implementation checklist for the selected practices.
Teachers/practitioners follow appropriate data collection procedures to monitor
learner progress for the specific evidence-based practices chosen to teach the
target skills.
Case Study Examples
Module authors provide two case examples to illustrate how task analysis might be
implemented. Jake's first grade teacher has asked the special education teacher for
help with Jake's morning routine. When Jake enters the classroom in the morning,
instead of putting his materials in his cubby, he moves directly to the library area where
he becomes engrossed in the books about trains.
Alice's middle school teacher volunteered to teach his students the task of filling the
snack machines as an opportunity to teach pre-vocational skills. In exchange, the
student will be allowed to select one item from the snack machine at the conclusion of
the vending machine job. Since Alice loves to purchase from the vending machine and
has a targeted goal in her IEP to perform a pre-vocational routine, her teacher decides
she will be an ideal candidate for the job.
Jake
Case Study: Jake
Jake is a six year old student attending a first grade classroom. He has a primary
diagnosis of autism. Jake is successfully integrated into a general education classroom
for most of his school day and follows the basic first grade schedule for classes. He
receives support from the special education teacher to address the goals and objectives
on his IEP. Jake's special education teacher is aware that Jake does not easily pick up
the general classroom routines. Jake's first grade teacher has asked the special
education teacher for help with Jake's morning routine. When Jake enters the
classroom in the morning, instead of putting his materials in his cubby, he moves
directly to the library area where he becomes engrossed in the books about trains. His
teacher has to direct the paraprofessional in the classroom to give Jake a daily reminder
to put his materials in his cubby and then attend to the first task of the morning routine.
It typically takes several redirections to get Jake to put away the books and perform the
morning routine. Jake is often frustrated by the paraprofessional's reminder. The IEP
team decides that Jake would benefit from having a visual support for the morning
routine to help him learn the behaviors that are expected of all first graders when they
first enter the classroom. Jake's special education teacher volunteers to design a
schedule that uses both pictures and words. She knows that she needs to
accommodate Jake's beginning reading skills with picture reminders. She and the
teacher sit down to develop a list of the steps that each child takes in their morning
routine. They come up with the following list:
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Put communication folder in the basket
Put lunch bag in basket/choose hot lunch item
Hang coat on hook
Hang backpack on hook
Sit at desk
Compete seat work
Library time
Once they have completed the task analysis of the first grade morning routine, Jake's
special education teacher checks the accuracy of the list by observing the other
students on the following school day as they complete the routine. She confirms that all
the necessary steps are included so that Jake will be able to successfully complete the
task. Jake's teacher posts the visual support so that it is visible to all the students
entering the classroom.
She stands at the front door that morning to prompt all students to check the visual
support and make sure that they have completed all the steps before they sit down at
their desks and get started on the day. Jake immediately notices the visual support and
points to each successive step. He proceeds to follow each step on the routine,
stopping after each one to check for the next step on the schedule. Initially, he needs to
be cued two times to refer to the steps. Jake completes the routine successfully with
prompts from the paraprofessional. He does not visit the classroom library until he has
completed his classroom seatwork. Jake's teacher is thrilled with his success. Jake's
teacher asks the paraprofessional to record the number of prompts Jake requires to
correctly perform the steps in his morning routine task analysis. The paraprofessional
watches Jake every Monday and Wednesday and records the number of prompts on a
data sheet. After two weeks of data, the team reviews the information and notes that
Jake has independently completed his morning routine and the last three days of data
collection. Not only is the teacher thrilled with Jake's ability to start his day
independently, she notes that she no longer has to remind other first graders to take
care of their lunch or turn in their communication folders.
Alice
Case Study: Alice
Alice is a middle school student who has been diagnosed with autism. She attends a
life-skills classroom at her neighborhood middle school. Alice's teacher has worked with
school administration to seek out pre-vocational opportunities for his students in and
around the middle school environment. He determined that the school could save
money if they filled their own snack machines. Alice's teacher volunteered to teach his
students the task of filling the snack machines as an opportunity to teach pre-vocational
skills. In exchange, the student will be allowed to select one item from the snack
machine at the conclusion of the vending machine job. Since Alice loves to purchase
from the vending machine and has a targeted goal in her IEP to perform a prevocational routine, her teacher decides she will be an ideal candidate for the job. He
begins designing the vocational task by assessing Alice's prerequisite skills in relation to
the task. Alice has a sight vocabulary of 20 high frequency words and is able to sort
items by category. She currently is able to attend to a highly motivating task for up to 10
minutes at a time. With this information, Alice's teacher structures the task. He
determines that he will break the task into 10 minute phases with breaks in between. He
designs a task analysis in the following phases:
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Gather materials
Fill machine
Clean up
For each phase, Alice's teacher creates a separate task analysis. Steps are represented
by the visual support of a photo paired with a written direction (for Alice and the
assisting staff person to reference). Her teacher attempts to use as many of Alice's high
frequency words as possible, but uses pictures as an additional support for the words
that she does not have in her sight vocabulary. Her teacher decides to teach Alice the
"clean up" phase of the task. That way, Alice can always end the activity by purchasing
a vending machine item from the filled machine. Alice's teacher knows that purchasing
and eating an item from the vending machine will be very reinforcing for Alice. The
teacher determines that the activity should be presented as a total task. The teacher
instructs the staff to teach Alice phase three of "clean up" using least-to-most
prompting. That way, Alice is given the opportunity to perform the steps she knows how
to do, and she is given the least intrusive support to perform those that she does not
know as well. Since Alice is highly motivated by adult praise, she is given verbal praise
as reinforcement for completing each step of the task analysis. Alice is provided the
following visual support:
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Close front of machine
Put key in keyhole
Turn the key
Remove key
Stack boxes
Carry boxes to recycling area
Recycle boxes
Alice and a support staff person spend two weeks practicing the seven step routine
each day. The staff takes data on Alice's performance on the task analysis by recording
the level of prompting required to facilitate a correct response for each step in the chain.
The data to the right are collected:
Note that the data collection sheet shows the task analyzed steps in a list starting from
the bottom of the sheet and going up. The data sheet allows the team to graph the
number of steps performed independently right on top of the data collected. To meet the
criteria for the goal, learner's need to independently complete all of the steps. Alice's
team reviews the graph of the data and decides that she is making steady progress on
the skills needed to do the third phase of the task. The team decides to review another
two weeks of data before adding the second phase of the job. If she has progressed to
90% or better, they will begin teaching Alice how to fill the vending machines.
Summary
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Task analysis is the process of breaking a skill into smaller, more manageable
steps in order to teach the skill.
Task analysis can be used to teach communication, life, and vocational skills, as
well as academics, to learners with ASD.
Task analyzing a skill requires choosing a task, assessing the learner's prerequisite
skills, breaking the task into steps (and sometimes phases), choosing a method of
instruction, teaching the task, and monitoring learners' progress on a regular basis.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. What types of skills are appropriate to task analyze?
A. Task analysis is a flexible tool that can be used to teach many different kinds of
skills. The evidence base demonstrates effective use of task analysis in teaching social
skills, self help skills, and life skills.
Q. How many steps should I write down when I do a task analysis?
A. Because task analysis is a starting place in many teaching practices, it has broad
applications in instructional design. There are no set rules on how many steps are
involved in a task. An instructor has to use his or her best professional judgment in
designing a task analysis that will benefit the targeted learner. It is essential that the
task analysis contains all the most important steps needed for the learner to correctly
perform the task. If the task design is complex, instructors will often break the analysis
down into phases in order to teach the complex task in a series of manageable chunks.
Q. My student always forgets to turn in his homework. How would a task analysis
help him?
A. Task analysis can be a useful tool for teaching daily routines. The teacher first needs
to determine the student's prerequisite skills in order to write an effective task analysis.
In the case of a student forgetting to turn in homework, it is first important to gather
information about which steps in the task are being missed or forgotten. A teacher can
do this by observing the student, gathering information from teachers and parents, and
even interviewing the student. Once the instructor has the information needed, they can
create a list of behaviors that are required to complete and turn in homework in the
individual setting. After creating and verifying the steps needed, the teacher can select
the instructional strategy. Based on their knowledge of the student and their particular
difficulty with homework, this might take the form of a social narrative, visual strategy,
self management tool, or video model.
Discussion Questions
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1. Why is it important to determine the prerequisite skills prior
to writing a task analysis?
A correct answer will include the following:
o
to determine the skills needed to perform the task;
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to assess the learner's skill set as it relates to the task; and
to ensure that the learner can be successful at all of the task analysis
steps
o
2. What are important considerations in the selection of the
instructional method used in teaching a task analysis?
A correct answer will include the following:
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ease of instruction;
learner interests;
learner preferences; and
learner prerequisite skills.
3. What are important considerations regarding generalization
when teaching a task analysis?
A correct answer will include the following:
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the learner is taught the task analysis in multiple environments;
the learner is taught the task analysis with multiple instructors; and
the task analysis is taught in all environments that the target behavior is
typically observed.
4. Why is it important to be aware of the level of prompting
necessary for the learner to perform the task analysis?
A correct answer will include the following:
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o
5.
teachers/practitioners need to identify the level of prompting that will
result in a correct response from the learner;
consistently using too many prompts makes it hard for the learner to
perform the task analysis independently; and
an awareness of the amount and type of prompting used with each
learner allows the teacher to thoughtfully fade prompts as the training
continues.
Post-Assessment
7. Post-Assessment
8. Prior to implementing a task analysis the instructor must know the
___________________ needed to complete the task.
9. Select an answer for question 467
10. Task analysis is only a useful practice to teach life skills tasks.
11. Select an answer for question 468
12. How many steps should a task analysis include?
13. Select an answer for question 469
14. To encourage generalization, learners should:
15. Select an answer for question 470
16. The steps in a task analysis should always be represented
17. Select an answer for question 471
18. With what age of learner is task analysis an effective instructional practice?
19. Select an answer for question 472
20. The best environment to teach a task analysis is
21. Select an answer for question 473
22. The following evidence based practice can be used to teach a skill that has been
task analyzed:
23. Select an answer for question 474
Citation and References
If included in presentations or publications, credit should be given to the authors of this
module. Please use the citation below to reference this content.
Szidon, K., & Franzone, E. (2010). Task Analysis: Online Training Module. (Madison,
WI: National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders,
Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin). In Ohio Center for Autism and Low
Incidence (OCALI), Autism Internet Modules, www.autisminternetmodules.org.
Columbus, OH: OCALI.
References
Alberto, P.A. & Troutman, A.C. (2006). Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers (7th ed.)
New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Browder, D., Trela, K., & Jimenez, B. (2007). Training teachers to follow a task analysis
to engage middle school students with moderate and severe developmental disabilities
in grade appropriate literacy. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities,
22(4), 206-219.