Below is a general skill sequence for getting learner’s started with dressing.
This skill area focuses on introducing the basics of dressing. The objectives are designed as concise and easily learnable units, laying the foundation for more advanced dressing programs. Before advancing, the learner needs to attain fluency in responding to specific prompts and must first become proficient in following simple, familiar routines. To supplement and enhance the learning process, it may be beneficial to work with the learner using uni-functional toys, which can help them understand and perform specific actions related to dressing.
How this skill area relates to your assessments!
This skill area aligns with various assessments and their respective domains, with milestone and domain codes provided for reference. Additionally, DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Autism are included to help clinicians identify how this skill area potentially supports medical necessity in relation to the diagnosis.
CDC Milestones: 30 months Movement/Physical Development · 3 years Movement/Physical Development
Skill type: Self-Care · Daily Living · Adaptive Skills
VB-MAPP (Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program)
Listener Responding, LR 8-M, Performs 10 specific motor actions on command (e.g., Show me clapping. Can you hop?)
AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)
Dressing, DR1, Pants up and down
Dressing, DR2, Pants on and off
Dressing, DR3, Shoes on and off
Dressing, DR4, Boots on and off
Dressing, DR5, Socks on and off
Dressing, DR7, Pullover shirts on and off
DSM-V Diagnostic Criteria for Autism
A2, Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.
CDC’s Developmental Milestones
30 months, Movement/Physical Development Milestones, Takes some clothes off by himself, like loose pants or an open jacket
3 years, Movement/Physical Development Milestones, Puts on some clothes by himself, like loose pants or a jacket
Treatment Plan Goal Ideas
This is a list of treatment plan goals. These are different from the goals you will find in the skill sequence below. Your treatment plan goals encompass any number of goals from the skill sequence. Sometime they will include multiple goals from the sequence (”Learner will label 5 toys”) and sometimes the treatment plan goal will be simply consist of a really important goal from the skill sequence (”Will label caregiver”). An analogy I like to use goes as follows: Each skill sequence goal (commonly known as a “target”) represent each stair in a flight of stairs. The treatment plan goal is the flight itself.
Treatment plan goal ideas for this particular skill area are as follows:
Learner will independently step into a pair of shorts and pull them up.
Learner will independently remove a pair of socks from their feet.
Learner will put on a hat when asked to do so.
Component Skills
Your learner may need to be fluent in these component skills first before introducing this goal/skill area. Component skills for this skill sequence may include skill areas that are fundamental to other areas. Fluency in the skill areas listed below may increase the likelihood that your learner will succeed in this skill sequence and those afterward.
Below is a possible skill sequence for working on increasing your learner’s ability to dress. Note that every learner is different and that you likely will need to tweak and vary some programming to their needs. Click the triangle icon to view the full description for each skill in the sequence/area.
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#1 Pulls up oversized shorts
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Have them step into a pair of oversized short pants so that the shorts are at their ankles.
Ask the learner to pull up their shorts. “Pull your shorts up!”
Learner should put one hand on the front side waistline of the shorts and another on the backside waistline.
Learner should then pull up.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Note: Their pants can be on when working on this skill since the shorts are oversized.
Note: Don’t miss an opportunity to work on this when the learner is actually dressing or finishing up in the restroom.
Materials
Research/Resources
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#2 Pulls down oversized shorts
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Have them step into a pair of oversized short pants.
Have them pull the pants up to their waist (you may have them do this).
Ask the learner to pull down their shorts. “Pull your shorts down!”
Learner should put one hand on the front side waistline of the shorts and another on the backside waistline.
Learner should then pull the shorts down (and not their pants or underwear).
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Note: Their pants can be on when working on this skill since the shorts are oversized.
Note: Don’t miss an opportunity to work on this when the learner is actually dressing or using the restroom.
Materials
Research/Resources
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#3 Pulls down oversized shorts, steps out
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Have them step into a pair of oversized short pants.
Have them pull the pants up to their waist (you may have them do this).
Ask the learner to pull down their shorts. “Take the shorts off!”
Learner should put one hand on the front side waistline of the shorts and another on the backside waistline.
Learner should then pull the shorts down (and not their pants or underwear).
Learner should then step out of the shorts (help them balance themselves).
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Note: Their pants can be on when working on this skill since the shorts are oversized.
Note: Don’t miss an opportunity to work on this when the learner is actually dressing or using the restroom.
Materials
Research/Resources
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#4 Steps into oversized shorts, pulls up
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present a pair of oversized shorts so that the shorts are on the ground. The shorts should be situated in such a fashion that the learner—while standing—can simply step into each “leg hole” and pull up.
Instruct them to put their shorts on. “Put your shorts on!”
Learner should step into the shorts, bend over, put one hand on the front waistline of the short and another on the back waist line, and pull up.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Their pants can be on when working on this skill since the shorts are oversized.
Don’t miss an opportunity to work on this when the learner is actually dressing or using the restroom.
Materials
Oversized shorts
Research/Resources
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#5 Steps into fitted shorts, pulls up
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present a pair of fitted shorts 🩳 (shorts that are their size) on the ground. The shorts should be situated in such a fashion that the learner—while standing—can simply step into each “leg hole” and pull up.
Instruct them to put their shorts on. “Put your shorts on!”
Learner should step into the shorts, bend over, put one hand on the front waistline of the short and another on the back waist line, and pull up.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Don’t miss an opportunity to work on this when the learner is actually dressing or using the restroom.
Materials
Oversized shorts
Research/Resources
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#6 Pulls down fitted shorts, steps out
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
The learner should be wearing fitted shorts.
Ask the learner to pull down their shorts. “Take the shorts off!”
Learner should put one hand on the front side waistline of the shorts and another on the backside waistline.
Learner should then pull the shorts down (and not their underwear).
Learner should then step out of the shorts (help them balance themselves).
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Don’t miss an opportunity to work on this when the learner is actually dressing or using the restroom.
Ensure that the client’s privacy and dignity are respected. Always check with your supervisor to ensure a skill like this is appropriate.
Materials
Research/Resources
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#7 Pushes elastic down on sock
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Ensure that they are wearing socks.
Instruct them to sit down and take their sock off.
Learner should sit down.
Learner should bend their knee.
Learner should tuck their thumbs inside the elastic of the sock and push the elastic down so that their heel is exposed.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Don’t miss an opportunity to work on this when the learner is actually dressing/undressing.
Materials
Socks
Research/Resources
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#8 Pushes elastic down, pulls toe on sock
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Ensure that they are wearing socks.
Instruct them to sit down and take their sock off.
Learner should sit down.
Learner should bend their knee.
Learner should tuck their thumbs inside the elastic of the sock and push the elastic down so that their heel is exposed.
Learner should then grab the toe of the suck and pull until the sock is completely removed.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Don’t miss an opportunity to work on this when the learner is actually dressing/undressing.
Materials
Socks
Research/Resources
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#9 Pulls arms out of coat/jacket
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Ensure that the learner is wearing a coat or jacket (unzipped/unbuttoned).
Instruct them to take off their jacket.
Learner should grab the outside sleeve of the jacket with their opposite hand as they pull their other arm out.
They should repeat this for the other arm.
Prompt learner to hand the jacket up.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Don’t miss an opportunity to work on this when the learner is actually coming in from outside.
Materials
Socks
Research/Resources
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#10 Puts on ball cap
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Present a hat to the learner.
Instruct them to put it on. “Put your hat on!”
Learner should grab the cap and put it on their head so that the bill faces forward.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the hat is adjusted to a size that is comfortable (not too tight).
This program acts as a beginning stage for more sophisticated “hat” programs. The bill functions as a stimulus for the learner to hold on to as they put the hat on.
Hats can be vital in keeping a learner warm or protecting them from the sun.
Materials
Ball cap
Research/Resources
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#11 Pulls t-shirt over their head
How to Run
Gain the attention and motivation of the learner.
Put a large t-shirt over their head so that their head is in the short and “head hole” sits on top of their head.
Instruct them to put it on/pull their head through. “Pull your head through/Put your shirt on.”
Learner should grab either side of the neck line and pull it down over their head.
Reinforce the learner contingent on desired response.
Additional Notes
Ensure that the t-shirt isn’t too tight.
Run this program quickly so that the learner doesn’t spend too much time inside the shirt.
Materials
T-Shirt/Polo shirt
Research/Resources
Concurrent Skills
Working on these skills at the same time could help with goal mastery. Maybe your learner has mastered these skills already. Perhaps they are already listed as component skills above. That’s okay! Targeting other learning channels might help your learner.
These are the possible next steps for learners who have mastered, or are mastering, the skills listed above. Note that new skill areas may require fluency in other component skills not listed above. Also, you can introduce composite skill sequences prematurely to keep your learner progressing, as generativity may occur earlier than expected.
Follow the link below to better understand component-composite analysis.
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Research and Resources
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Disclaimer
Consistent with ethical obligations outlined by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB), users acknowledge that goal selection/direction is the responsibility of the BCBA. Users understand that goals should be tailored to the learner while ultimately involving the input of clients/stakeholders. Users understand their ethical obligations to the client/stakeholder concerning the selection, implementation, design, and minimization of risk regarding behavior change interventions as outlined in BACB Code. As such, this skill sequence serves as a general framework for generating ideas around this particular skill area and not as an assessment or curriculum.
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Intro to Reinforcer/Preference Expansion (RD-010)
Single Actions with Common Toys (PL-010)
Performs Preferred Action with Preferred Item (LR) (RC-010)
Performs Action During Familiar Routines (LR) (RC-060)
Intro to Sitting (RD-060)
Intro to Handholding (SF-010)
Intro to Token Economies (RD-040)
Performs Gross Motor Action (LR) (RC-020)
Performs Action with Multi-Functional Toys (RC-080)
Approaching Others When Asked (SO-020)
Intro to Toileting (SC-070)
Intro to Wiping (SC-010)
Putting On Shoes (SC-080)
Putting On Pants (SC-110)
Putting On T-Shirts (SC-100)
Putting On Socks (SC-090)
Intro to Hangers (SC-120)