Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners put on their own pants.

As your learner develops the ability to perform basic 1-2 step tasks, you may choose to begin teaching behaviors related to dressing. And, as the learner masters these basic behaviors, it may be time to teach the learner to engage in task sequences for dressing for particular clothing items (socks, shoes, t-shirts, and pants). This skill area targets helping learners practice and master the art of putting on their own pants. Note that the targets below are sequences (like a TA). Ensure that you offer adequate reinforcement after each step (if your learner is new to multi-step tasks). As the learner masters this skill area, you can set your sights on buttons, zippers, and snaps!

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 put on their own pants with minimal prompting across three different pairs of pants.
Learner will independently put on their own pants across three different pairs of pants.

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.

Intro to Reinforcer/Preference Expansion

Single Actions with Common Toys

Performs Preferred Action with Preferred Item (LR)

Performs Action During Familiar Routines (LR)

Intro to Dressing

Skill Possibilities

Below is a possible skill sequence for working on increasing your learner’s ability to follow instructions for putting on pants. 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 Lays our pants while seated

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#2 Grabs pants at waist while seated

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#3 Puts left leg in while seated

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#4 Pulls cuff over left foot while seated

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#5 Lifts right leg while seated

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#6 Pulls cuff over right foot while seated

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#7 Stands up and pulls up pants

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.