Below is a general skill sequence for teaching learners to put on and buckle a belt.
Putting on a belt is one of the last pieces of a full dressing routine. It asks a learner to feed a strap through several small loops they can't fully see, then work a buckle with both hands. This skill area uses backward chaining: the learner first finishes buckling a belt that is already threaded, then learns to thread the loops, until they can put on and buckle a belt on their own as part of getting dressed.
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.
VB-MAPP (Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program)
- Listener Responding, LR 4-M, Performs 4 different motor actions on command without a visual prompt (e.g., Can you jump? Show me clapping)
AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)
- Dressing, DR29, Selects own clothes and dresses self.
- Dressing, DR18, Hooks and unhooks fasteners
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
- 3 Years, Movement/Physical Development, Puts on some clothes by himself, like loose pants or a jacket.
Treatment Plan Goal Ideas
Select treatment plan goals that accurately encompass what you think the learner can accomplish in this skill area over the course of an authorization period (usually 6 months).
Treatment plan goal ideas for this particular skill area are as follows:
Learner will buckle and unbuckle a pre-threaded belt while wearing pants with no more than 1 verbal prompt.
Learner will independently thread a belt through all belt loops while wearing pants.
Learner will independently put on and buckle a belt across 2 different belts.
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.
Start at the top. Each indent is the next step.
Skill Possibilities
Below is a possible skill sequence for working on increasing your learner’s ability to put on a belt. 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.
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.
Composite Skills
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.
Tucking in Shirts (Coming Soon!)
Dressing Self (Advanced TA) (Coming Soon!)
Follow the link below to better understand component-composite analysis.
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