Fading

Definition

Fading, an applied behavior analysis strategy (ABA), is most often paired with prompts, another ABA strategy. Fading refers to decreasing the level of assistance needed to complete a task or activity. When teaching a skill, the overall goal is for the student to eventually engage in the skill independently. For example, when a skill is taught using a hand-over-hand prompt, the prompt should be withdrawn as soon as possible so the student can perform the task without prompts.  As an individual gains mastery of a skill at a particular prompt level, the prompt is faded to a less intrusive prompt (i.e., from hand-over-hand to touching a hand). This ensures that the individual does not become overly dependent on a particular prompt when learning a new behavior or skill.

How to Use

One of the first decisions that should be made when teaching a new behavior is how to fade the prompt or prompts. A plan should be in place to fade the prompts in an orderly fashion. For example, fading the physical prompt of guiding a child’s hands may follow this sequence: (a) supporting wrists, (b) touching hands lightly, (c) touching forearm or elbow,

and (d) withdrawing physical contact altogether. Fading ensures that the child does not become overly dependent on a particular prompt when learning a new skill.

The Steps of Fading Include:

1.Identify the behavior to be taught and the type and level of prompts needed for the student to complete the task independently.

2.Identify the process that will be used to fade the prompt or prompts.

3.Identify criteria that will indicate that the prompt or prompts can be faded (i.e., 80% accuracy over three days).

4.Put process into effect.

5.Take data.

6.Fade prompts as planned.

When to Use

Fading can be used at home or in the school enviorment when teaching new skills through the use of prompts.  It is important to systematically withdraw or fade these prompts so that the individual can perform skills independently.

Examples

The following is an example of fading a visual prompt when teaching a student to write the letter A.

ILLUSTRATION 2: FADING GESTURAL PROMPT

This sequence shows one method of fading a gestural prompt. The target is to teach a student to recognize a picture of a fire truck. The arrow represents a gesture toward the object.

ILLUSTRATION 3: FADING PROXIMITY PROMPT

This illustration shows the placement of pictures/objects from close proximity to the student and increasing the distance from him.

Resource List-

·Autism Internet Modules (AIM) www.autisminternetmodules.org. The Autism Internet Modules were developed with one aim in mind: to make comprehensive, up-to-date, and usable information on autism accessible and applicable to educators, other professionals, and families who support individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Written by experts from across the U.S., all online modules are free, and are designed to promote understanding of, respect for, and equality of persons with ASD.

·Evidence-Based Practice Briefs http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/content/briefs

·Indiana Resource Center for Autism (IRCA) http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=32/.  The Indiana Resource Center for Autism staff’s efforts are focused on providing communities, organizations, agencies, and families with the knowledge and skills to support children and adults in typical early intervention, school, community, work, and home settings.

IRCA Articles: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=273

·Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism www.txautism.net. The Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism in conjunction with the network of Texas Education Service center with a grant from the Texas Education Agency has developed a series of free online courses in autism.

Data Collection

Each step of the task is marked with the level of prompting needed to complete the task.  The goal is complete independence

Levels of Prompting-

•  I – Independently            

• V – Verbal/signed prompt      

• M – Modeled prompt

• T – Touch Cue                    

• PP- Partial Physical prompt

• F – Full physical guidance

Check on prompting page to be consistent with wording

Summary

Fading, an applied behavior analysis strategy (ABA), is most often paired with prompts, another ABA strategy. Fading refers to decreasing the level of assistance needed to complete a task or activity. When teaching a skill, the overall goal is for the student to eventually engage in the skill independently. For example, when a skill is taught using a hand-over-hand prompt, it should be withdrawn as soon as possible so the student can perform the task without prompts. Thus, as an individual gains mastery of a skill at a particular prompt level, the prompt is faded to a less intrusive prompt (i.e., from hand-over-hand to touching a hand). This ensures that the individual does not become overly dependent on a particular prompt when learning a new behavior or skill.

For example, fading the physical prompt of guiding a child’s hands may follow this sequence: (a) supporting wrists, (b) touching hands lightly, (c) touching forearm or elbow, and (d) withdrawing physical contact altogether. Fading ensures that the child does not become overly dependent on a particular prompt when learning a new skill (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007).

One of the first decisions that should be made when teaching a new behavior is how to fade the prompt or prompts. A plan should be in place to fade the prompts in an orderly fashion.

1.Banda, D. R., McAfee, J. K., & Hart, S. L. (2012). Decreasing self-injurious behavior and fading self-restraint in a student with autism and Tourette syndrome. Behavioral Interventions.This clinical case study was conducted with a student diagnosed with autism and Tourette syndrome who displayed severe self-injurious behavior (SIB). Behavioral assessments and observations suggested that the student demonstrated less SIB during a self-restraint, where he wrapped his hands tightly in a large blanket. The study used an ABAB design with fading to reduce the size of the blanket to keep rates of SIB low. In addition, they also used a fixed interval reinforcement schedule and extinction during the intervention/restraint phases. Results indicated that the student maintained near-zero rates of SIB for 6 months after use of the blanket was eliminated.

2.Knox, M., Rue, H. C., Wildenger, L., Lamb, K., & Luiselli, J. K. (2012). Intervention for food selectivity in a specialized school setting: Teacher implemented prompting, reinforcement, and demand fading for an adolescent student with autism. Education and Treatment of Children, 35(3), 407-418.This study evaluated teacher implemented procedures at a specialized school. The participant was an adolescent girl who had autism, chronic food selectivity, and disruptive mealtime behavior. Before intervention, she ate a restrictive diet comprised primarily of "crunchy" foods. During intervention, teachers applied paced-prompting, differential positive reinforcement, and demand fading to gradually increase the quantity of novel foods the girl consumed. Her improved consumption maintained seven-months post-intervention. The study discusses elements of the intervention plan and a focus on natural-setting feeding research.

3.Penrod, B., Gardella, L., & Fernand, J. (2012). An evaluation of a progressive high-probability instructional sequence combined with low-probability demand fading in the treatment of food selectivity. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 45(3), 527-537.The present study extended previous research on the high-probability instructional sequence by combining this procedure with low-probability demand fading with two boys with autism (9 and 10-years-old) who had a history of food selectivity and engaged in active food refusal behaviors when presented with novel foods. Response requirements were faded gradually from responses the child would tolerate (e.g., touching the food) to the final requirement of chewing and swallowing the food. The antecedent-based intervention was implemented in the absence of escape extinction and was effective in increasing food consumption for both participants.

4.Pollard, J. S., Betz, A. M., & Higbee, T. S. (2012). Script fading to promote unscripted bids for joint attention in children with autism. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 45(2), 387.This study used a script-fading procedure to teach three children with autism to initiate bids for joint attention. The study examined the effects of (a) scripts, (b) varied adult scripted responses, and (c) multiple-exemplar script training on promoting unscripted language during bids for joint attention. All three participants learned to initiate bids for joint attention, and the response generalized to untrained stimuli, conversation partners, and the classroom environment.

5.Thomas, B.R., Lafasakis, M., Sturmey, P. (2010). The effects of prompting, fading, and differential reinforcement on vocal mands in non-verbal preschool children with autism spectrum disorders. Behavioral Interventions, 25, 157-168.This study reported the successful use of a behavioral intervention package involving prompting, fading of prompts, and differential reinforcement to teach requesting behaviors to three 3-year old children with ASD. In a multiple-baseline-across-participants design, the authors found that requests were learned following the introduction of teaching and generalized to situations outside the teaching environment.