Imagine you’re teaching your child a new skill. Perhaps it’s riding a bike, putting on socks or answering personal information questions. Would you jump in and do it for them or give them the answer right away? Would you stand back and let them figure it out on their own? Or would you give just enough guidance to help them learn independently? That middle ground is key to skill development — and it’s where prompting comes in.
When used effectively, prompts help children learn new skills while building confidence and independence. Prompting, along with gradual fading, allows children to experience success without becoming reliant on help.
What is Prompting?
Prompting is a teaching strategy that involves using cues or assistance to help an individual complete a task or demonstrate a skill. Prompts guide children toward the correct response so they can practice and learn. For example, when teaching a child to match pictures, a behavior technician may point to the correct match. The child responds correctly and receives reinforcement.
There are several types of prompts that ABA therapists, teachers and parents can use, including:
Verbal prompts: A spoken word or instruction used to guide the correct response.
Example: A child is learning to tell others their name. His mother asks, “What’s your name?” and then immediately says, “James,” to prompt the response.
Modeling: Demonstrating the skill for the child to imitate.
Example: A BCBA is teaching a child to brush their teeth. They show a video or demonstrate the steps, and the child watches and follows along.
Gestural Prompts: Pointing or signaling what to do.
Example: A parent tells their child to get their coat and points to where it is.
Physical Prompts: Physically guiding the individual to engage in the behavior.
Example: A teacher gently guides a student back into line by placing a hand on their shoulder.
Visual Prompts: Pictures, symbols or other visual aids.
Example: A first-then board with a picture of a task on the ‘first’ side and a picture of the child’s preferred activity on the ‘then’ side.
Positional Prompts: Arranging materials in a way that increases the likelihood of the correct response.
Example: When teaching a child to identify a picture of a dog, the dog picture is placed closer to them than other pictures.
Finding Balance: Avoiding Prompt Dependence
A common challenge parents face is knowing how much to prompt. If you provide too much support, your child may become dependent on prompts and wait for help instead of responding independently. On the other hand, if you remove prompts too quickly, your child may struggle, and the skill may not stick.
The key is finding a balance. Prompts should be used to set your child up for success, but they should also be faded over time. This means gradually reducing the level of support as your child learns the skill.
For example, if you’re teaching your child to put on their shoes, you might initially guide their hands (physical prompt). As they begin to learn, you could switch to a gestural prompt, like pointing to the shoes. Eventually, you can fade prompts altogether as your child becomes more independent.
How to Use Prompts at Home
Here are some strategies you can use to more effectively implement prompts with your child:
- Give your child a chance to try. If you’re unsure whether your child can complete a task, start by allowing them to try on their own. Based on their response, you can determine whether prompting is needed.
- Use the least amount of help needed to be successful. Find that sweet spot of just enough support to be successful, but not so much that they become prompt dependent.
- Fade your prompts gradually. As your child shows success, slowly reduce your level of support. This helps build independence.
- Be consistent. Consistency across people and settings helps your child understand what to expect. If your child is working on similar skills at school or in therapy, talk with their teacher or provider about the level of prompting they’re using. Using similar prompts and expectations across environments can help your child learn quicker and generalize skills more effectively.
- Reinforce success. Don’t forget the key to behavior change: reinforcement! Acknowledge and reinforce your child’s success as they learn new skills. Even small steps count.
Support Learning With Prompts
The goal isn’t to provide constant help, but to offer just enough support for your child to be successful. Then, gradually fade that support as they become more independent.
If you’re looking for additional support in teaching your child new skills, our team of ABA professionals at Quest Kids Therapy can help. Our experienced clinicians work with children to build essential skills, from communication to daily living. Best of all, they work with you as the caregiver to ensure carry-over from therapy to home. Contact us today to learn how we can support your family.