Graduated guidance
A physical prompting procedure in which the RBT gives only as much hands-on help as needed during the response and reduces it immediately as the learner starts to perform independently.
In graduated guidance, the RBT starts with as much physical guidance as needed and adjusts it moment to moment within the response. When the learner begins to move correctly, the RBT lightens the pressure and may move their hands to a less guiding position, such as from the hands to the wrist, then the forearm, then the shoulder. When the learner stops or starts to make an error, the RBT provides more guidance again. The last stage is often shadowing: keeping a hand close to, but not touching, the learner's hand.
Graduated guidance differs from most-to-least prompting because the level of help is adjusted continuously during each response rather than through set prompt levels across trials. It is often used for motor skills and chained tasks, such as eating with a spoon or dressing.
Physical guidance requires care and respect. The RBT uses gentle, minimal pressure, watches for signs that the learner is resisting or withdrawing assent, and follows the plan's rules for when to stop. Graduated guidance should never be used to force a learner through a task.
Example and non-example
| Example | While teaching a child to scoop with a spoon, the RBT starts with their hand over the child's. As the child begins to scoop, the RBT relaxes their grip and moves their hand to the child's wrist, then hovers just above the child's hand. |
|---|---|
| Non-example | The RBT uses full hand-over-hand guidance for one session, a light touch for the next three, and a point after that. Changing prompt levels by session is most-to-least prompting. |
Don't confuse it with
| Most-to-least prompting | Most-to-least moves through set levels across trials or sessions; graduated guidance adjusts physical help within each response. |
|---|---|
| Physical prompt | A physical prompt is any touch that guides the response; graduated guidance is a procedure for delivering and fading physical prompts moment to moment. |
Test yourself
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Question 1While teaching a client to use a spoon, an RBT keeps their hand close to the client's hand. The RBT guides only as much as needed at each moment, lightens the touch as soon as the client starts the motion, and moves the hand away as the client continues alone. Which procedure is this?
Show answer
A: Graduated guidance. Graduated guidance gives physical help only as needed and reduces it immediately as the learner begins to respond, sometimes ending with the RBT's hand simply following, or shadowing, the learner's movement.
- B: Most-to-least prompting steps down prompt levels across trials or sessions by a criterion; here help changes moment to moment within one response.
- C: A full physical prompt guides the whole response; here help is lessened during the response.
- D: Least-to-most prompting waits for an independent attempt and then adds help; here help starts close and is reduced.
Task C.7 · 40-hour curriculum section E
Answer every question to see your score.
On the RBT exam
This term belongs to task C.7 Prompting and prompt fading in content area C, Behavior Acquisition, which is 19 of the 75 scored questions.