What is a task analysis in ABA?
A task analysis is the breakdown of a multi-step skill, such as handwashing or getting dressed, into the individual steps that make it up, so each step can be taught, prompted, and measured on its own.
Writing one means listing the steps of a routine in the order they happen, at whatever level of detail the learner needs. The same skill might be six steps for one client and fifteen for another.
Teaching then follows one of a few patterns: forward chaining teaches the first step to independence before adding the next, backward chaining starts at the last step so the learner always finishes the routine, and total task teaching runs the whole sequence each time with prompting where needed.
Because progress is tracked step by step, the data shows exactly where a routine breaks down instead of only whether it was completed - which is what makes the next teaching decision obvious.