If you have a child in ABA therapy, or you’re researching it for the first time, you’ve probably come across the terms “shaping” and “chaining.” Maybe you heard them from a therapist, read them in a treatment plan, or saw them pop up in an online parent group.
But what do they actually mean? And more importantly, why does it matter for your child?
Shaping and chaining are two of the most practical teaching strategies in ABA. Understanding them can help you see what’s actually happening during your child’s sessions. Even better, you’ll know how to support that same learning at home.
Let’s break down what each method does, how they’re different, and when therapists reach for one over the other.
What Is Shaping in ABA?
Shaping is how we teach a behavior that doesn’t exist yet, or exists only in bits and pieces.
Think of it like sculpting. You start with a rough form and gradually refine it until you have exactly what you’re working toward. In ABA terms, that means reinforcing closer and closer attempts at a target behavior until your child can do the whole thing.
The technical phrase is “reinforcing successive approximations,” but what that really means is celebrating progress in small, achievable steps.
What Does Shaping Look Like? A Real Example
Let’s say your child is learning to say the word “water.” Right now, they might not say anything when they’re thirsty, or they might make a sound that’s nowhere close to the word.
Shaping works like this:
Step 1: Your child makes any sound when they want water. The therapist reinforces that immediately with access to water and praise, and maybe an additional motivator..
Step 2: Now the therapist waits for a sound that’s a bit closer. Maybe your child says “wa.” That gets reinforced.
Step 3: The bar moves again. Now we’re looking for “wa-wa” or “wata.”
Step 4: Finally, your child says “water,” and that becomes the new standard.
Each step builds on the last. Your child isn’t expected to say the full word right away, and that’s the beauty of it. Shaping meets them where they are and moves forward from there.
Why Shaping Works
Shaping is especially helpful for skills that feel too big or too hard to tackle all at once. Speech is a common example, but it’s also used for things like social skills, fine motor tasks, or even emotional regulation.
The key is that shaping focuses on one behavior at a time. We’re not teaching a routine or a sequence. We’re teaching your child to get better and better at doing something specific.
What Is Chaining in ABA?
Chaining is different. Instead of refining one behavior, chaining teaches a series of smaller steps that add up to a complete task.
If shaping is sculpting, chaining is more like building with blocks. Each step is a separate piece, but together they form something functional and meaningful.
What Does Chaining Look Like? A Real Example
Picture this: your child is learning to wash their hands independently. Right now, they might need help with every part of the process. Chaining breaks that down into manageable steps:
- Turn on the faucet
- Wet hands
- Apply soap
- Scrub for 10–15 seconds
- Rinse off the soap
- Turn off the faucet
- Dry hands with a towel
In chaining, each of these steps is taught individually, and then they’re linked together in order. Over time, your child learns to move through the whole sequence without prompts.
The Three Types of Chaining
Therapists have a few different ways to teach a chain, depending on what works best for your child:
Forward chaining starts at the beginning. Your child learns step one first (turn on the faucet), and once they’ve got that down, you add step two, then step three, and so on.
Backward chaining starts at the end. The therapist helps with every step except the last one. Your child learns to dry their hands independently first. Then you back up and teach the second-to-last step, and keep moving backward until they can do the whole thing.
Total task chaining teaches all the steps at once, with prompts and support as needed. Your child practices the entire sequence every time, and the therapist gradually fades out help as your child becomes more independent.
Why Chaining Works
Chaining is ideal for routines and daily living skills. Things like getting dressed, brushing teeth, packing a backpack, or making a snack. These are tasks your child will do over and over, and building independence in these areas makes a real difference in daily life.
Shaping vs. Chaining: What’s the Real Difference?
At first glance, both methods involve breaking things down and teaching step-by-step. So what actually separates them?
It comes down to what you’re teaching.
Shaping teaches one complex behavior. You’re working on a single skill and making it better over time. The child is learning to do something they couldn’t do before, or couldn’t do well.
Chaining teaches a sequence of simpler behaviors. You’re linking individual steps together to build a routine. Each step might be easy on its own, but the goal is for your child to complete the whole chain independently.
Another way to think about it:
| Shaping | Chaining |
| Focuses on one behavior | Focus is on multiple steps in order |
| Refines and improves over time | Links steps into a sequence |
| Example: Learning to say a word clearly | Example: Learning to brush teeth independently |
| Best for: Communication, social skills, motor skills | Best for: Daily routines, self-care tasks |
When Does a Therapist Choose One Over the Other?
It depends on the goal.
If your child is working on something that needs to be shaped and refined (like using a fork, making eye contact during conversation, or asking for help appropriately), shaping is the go-to.
If the goal is independence in a multi-step task (like getting ready for bed, setting the table, or following a morning routine), chaining makes more sense.
Sometimes, therapists use both. They might use shaping to teach your child how to squeeze toothpaste onto a brush, and then use chaining to teach the full toothbrushing routine.
How Parents Can Support Shaping and Chaining at Home
Your child’s therapy sessions are important, but the real magic happens when skills start showing up in everyday life. And you don’t need to be a trained therapist to reinforce what your child is learning.
Supporting Shaping at Home
Let’s say your child is working on saying “please.” At first, any attempt (a sound, a gesture, a partial word) gets acknowledged and reinforced. As they improve, you naturally start waiting for closer attempts before you respond.
You’re already doing this in small ways. When your toddler reaches for something and you say, “Can you say ‘up’?” and then celebrate when they try, that’s shaping in action.
The key is consistency. If your therapist is reinforcing “puh” as a step toward “please,” you can do the same at home. Over time, you’ll raise the bar together as your child gets closer to the full word.
Supporting Chaining at Home
Chaining is all about routines, and routines are everywhere. Morning routines. Bedtime routines. Snack time. Getting ready to leave the house.
Pick one routine your child is working on in therapy and break it into the same steps at home. If they’re learning to put on their shoes using backward chaining, let them finish by fastening the velcro strap independently, even if you help with the rest.
Visual supports can be a game-changer here. A simple checklist with pictures for each step (turn on water, pump soap, scrub hands) gives your child a guide they can follow. Some families laminate these and stick them near the bathroom sink or on the bedroom wall.
For more strategies on supporting your child’s progress, check out our ABA parent resources.
How United Care ABA Supports Your Child’s Learning
Of course, knowing these strategies is one thing. Having a team that applies them thoughtfully and helps you use them in your daily life is another.
Every Child’s Learning Style Is Unique
Some children respond beautifully to shaping for communication but need chaining’s clear structure for daily routines. Others excel with backward chaining for one task and forward chaining for another. Our therapists observe how your child learns best and adjust accordingly.
We Partner with Parents Every Step of the Way
Our BCBAs don’t just choose shaping or chaining and move on. They walk you through why they’re using a particular approach for your child’s goal and what progress looks like along the way. When you understand the strategy behind the teaching, you become part of the team.
Supported by a Larger Healthcare Network
United Care ABA is part of a larger healthcare organization, which means our therapists have access to ongoing training, specialized resources, and experienced colleagues to consult with. Your child gets the benefit of a team that’s constantly growing and learning together.
Why This Matters Beyond Therapy Sessions
Understanding shaping and chaining doesn’t just help you follow along in therapy. It changes how you see progress.
You’ll start noticing the small wins. The way your child’s attempt at a word gets clearer each week. The way they remember to grab the towel after washing their hands without being told. These aren’t accidents. They’re the result of intentional, thoughtful teaching.
And when you understand the strategy, you become part of the teaching team. You’re not just waiting for skills to emerge. You’re actively reinforcing them in the moments that matter most.
United Care ABA’s Approach to Shaping and Chaining
Shaping and chaining are evidence-based strategies that have helped thousands of children build communication skills and independence. They work.
At United Care ABA, our experienced BCBAs know how to apply these methods in ways that fit your child’s learning style. But expertise is only part of it. We also believe you should be an informed partner in your child’s care. We take time to explain what we’re doing, answer your questions, and make sure you feel confident in the approach.
Beyond therapy sessions, we give you practical tools to reinforce your child’s learning at home. When you understand how shaping and chaining work, you can use those same strategies during daily routines – and that’s where real, lasting progress happens.
Next Steps for Your Family
At United Care ABA, our experienced team of BCBAs and therapists partners with families to create individualized plans that meet your child where they are and help them build real, meaningful skills.
If you’re considering ABA therapy or have questions about whether shaping or chaining might be right for your child, we’re here to help. Reach out to us to get started or call us at 1 (877) 950-0222 to talk through what support might look like for your family.
You’re not in this alone. United Care ABA is here as your partner in care, every step of the way.
Shaping and Chaining FAQs
Can Shaping and Chaining Be Used Together?
Absolutely. In fact, they often are.
Imagine your child is learning to make a sandwich. That’s a chaining task because there’s a clear sequence of steps. But within that sequence, one of the steps might be spreading peanut butter with a knife. If your child is still learning the motor coordination for that, the therapist might use shaping to help them get better at the spreading motion.
So chaining gives you the roadmap, and shaping fine-tunes the skills along the way.
Which Method Is Faster?
This is one of the most common questions parents ask, and the honest answer is: it depends.
Shaping can take time because you’re building a behavior from scratch or refining something that’s inconsistent. Progress might be gradual, especially if the skill is complex.
Chaining can sometimes feel faster because you’re working with behaviors your child can already do. You’re just teaching them to do those behaviors in the right order. But if the chain is long or your child struggles with one particular step, it can take a while too.
The better question isn’t which is faster, but which is the right fit for the skill you’re teaching. A good therapist will choose the method that sets your child up for success, not the one that checks a box the quickest.
How Do You Know Which Is Right for Your Child?
You probably won’t need to make this call on your own. Your child’s BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) or therapist will assess the skill, consider your child’s learning style, and recommend an approach.
But it helps to understand the logic so you can ask good questions and feel confident in the plan.
If your child needs to learn something new or improve how they do something, shaping is likely the answer.
If your child needs to complete a task with multiple steps in order, chaining is the way to go.
And if you’re ever unsure why a therapist chose one method over another, ask. A good therapist will be happy to explain their reasoning and show you what success looks like at each stage.
