Big progress doesn’t always come in the form of big leaps. Wins often come from small, consistent steps. That’s what makes the ABA technique of shaping so powerful. When teaching complex skills, shaping allows children to gradually build toward an end goal rather than trying to learn everything at once. This approach can make learning feel more achievable and a lot less frustrating for both you and your child.
What is Shaping?
Shaping is a strategy for teaching new skills by gradually reinforcing steps toward a target skill. Instead of expecting the whole skill all at once, shaping focuses on small, achievable steps that build toward the final goal. Let’s break that down with a few examples.
Example 1:
A child is just starting to learn to talk and is working on saying “mama.” Because their vocal-verbal skills are still developing, the parent doesn’t expect them to say the whole word right away. Instead, she shapes it step by step, like this:
Mom: Say “mmm”
Child: Mmm
Mom: (provides reinforcement) Woo hoo, super job saying “mmm”!
Once the child can consistently say “mmm,” the mom moves to the next step, teaching and reinforcing when her child says “ma,” and then “mama.” Each subsequent step closer to saying “mama” is celebrated, with the mom showing lots of enthusiasm to reinforce her child’s success.
Example 2:
A child has trouble sitting still for meals, learning activities, or other events and can only stay seated for about 20 seconds at a time. A BCBA uses shaping to gradually increase the child’s tolerance to sitting for age-appropriate durations.
First, the child receives reinforcement for sitting for 25 seconds. Once that’s mastered, the goal increases to 30 seconds, then 45 seconds, and so on. As the child masters each step, the BCBA continues increasing the duration, reinforcing success at each level. Eventually, the child can sit at the table for 15 minutes.
Benefits of Using Shaping
There are many benefits to using shaping to teach skills. Most notably, shaping allows for the development of complex skills through a gradual approach, reducing frustration for both the learner and the parent or therapist.
Shaping also increases motivation and builds confidence as each small step is mastered. If a skill is far beyond a child’s current abilities, they’re less likely to experience success. But if you break that skill down into manageable steps and reinforce each subsequent step, they’re much more likely to make progress.
How Parents Can Use Shaping at Home
Shaping is a simple but effective tool to keep in your back pocket. Here are a few general tips for using shaping outside of therapy sessions.
- Identify a target skill: Decide what the end goal is that you want your child to be able to do.
- Determine a baseline: Look at what your child can currently do in relation to that goal.
- Break the skill into small steps: Think through the smaller, achievable steps that will lead up to the final skill. Start with a step that feels easy for your child, as the goal is to build momentum.
- Reinforce the current step: Provide reinforcement when your child is successful. Once they master a step, you’ll no longer reinforce previously mastered steps. Instead, reserve that reinforcement for the current stage they’re working on.
Helping Your Child Make Progress with Shaping
If your child struggles to learn new skills or becomes frustrated along the way, they’re not alone. Every child learns at their own pace, and pushing too quickly can sometimes make learning harder. Shaping offers a supportive approach by teaching skills step by step.
At Quest Kids Therapy, our team of ABA providers uses shaping and other evidence-based strategies to help children build skills and improve behaviors that impact daily life. We meet each child where they are, breaking skills down into achievable steps, making progress feel possible. If you’re looking for support, we’re here to help your child build confidence and gain meaningful skills, one step at a time. Contact us today to learn how we can support your family.