Fading

Description of the Strategy

Fading is the gradual transfer of control from one stimulus to another. The procedure is useful when a stimulus or prompt exerts control over a desired response, and the goal is to shift that control to a different stimulus that occurs in the natural setting. The first step is to identify stimuli in the presence of which the target response occurs. Frequently, the response can be emitted in the presence of “prompts,” stimuli that guide the response. The prompts could be physical, gestural, verbal, or modeled. The prompt could even be a general setting that evokes the behavior. Prompts facilitate correct performance and provide the opportunity for reinforcement. For example, a child may ride a two-wheel bicycle while a parent runs alongside and holds the handlebars with two hands, or a child with selective mutism may speak in the presence of his or her parents but not when the parents are absent. In each case, the target response occurs, but not in the desired natural setting.

The second step is to identify a stimulus in the presence of which the response should occur. To maintain the response, select a stimulus, or setting, that the child encounters in the natural environment. For example, the goal is for the child to ride the bicycle without the parent's physical prompt, and the goal is for the child with selective mutism to speak in the presence of the teacher at school.

Select an effective reinforcer and then implement the fading procedure. Start with the stimulus or prompt that currently has control over the behavior. The response is emitted and reinforced. Then successively remove, or fade, the prompt. Specific dimensions of the stimulus prompt or entire settings can be faded. For example, the parent may run alongside the bicycle holding a handlebar with one hand instead of two. Or the parent and the child with selective mutism may visit the teacher in the classroom. While the three of them converse, the parent may momentarily step away a few feet while the teacher and child continue talking. In some cases, a new stimulus is gradually introduced or faded in. For example, the teacher may also gradually move closer to the child with selective mutism. Across many learning trials, the prompts that control the behavior are gradually faded away (or faded in) until the desired stimulus (i.e., the bicycle or the teacher in these examples) controls the response. Fading steps are gradual, so an advantage of fading is that children may learn to make the desired response in the presence of new stimuli without committing many errors. This is important because errors use time, prevent positive feedback, and can elicit emotional responses incompatible with learning.

Research Basis

Although an abundance of research supports the effective use of fading, there is little research to guide the rate at which fading should be carried out. If there are too few steps or if the prompts are faded too quickly, then the child will make errors and the program may have to revert to earlier steps. Conversely, if there are too many steps or the fading is too slow, then the child may become dependent on the prompts.

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