Brushing Hair

We all know that our learner must acquire appropriate language skills in order to make their needs and wants known appropriately and free of problem behavior. It is also equally important that our learners acquire the skills required for maintaining their appearance. Here is a basic sequence for teaching your learner how brush their hair...



Brushing Hair

Setting: In the bathroom facing the mirror.

S^D: “Brush your hair.”

R: Learner completes the activity independently.

Task Analysis

1. Get the hairbrush.

2. Step 1 with bringing the hairbrush to her head.

3. Steps 1-2 with brushing the right side of her head (if she is right handed) with a downward motion five times.

4. Steps 1-3 with brushing the back of her head with a downward motion five times.

5. Steps 1-4 with brushing the left side of her head (without placing the brush in her opposite hand) with a downward motion five times.

6. Steps 1-5 with putting the hairbrush away.

7. Generalize this skill across hairbrushes, people and locations.

Data Collection: task analysis data sheet scored C = correct, I = incorrect, P = prompted

● Approximately 15 minutes prior to having Learner practice this program, brush Learner’s hair so that it is (for the most part) free of tangles in order to avoid discomfort while she practices brushing her own hair.

● If Learner has difficulty with any one specific step in the chain, isolate that step, use mass trials and track the data separately.  If this is required, there should be two graphs; the first will track the percentage correct for the entire chain and the second will track the percentage correct for the individual step that has been isolated.

Good Luck!

Ray Cepeda

Executive Director

Brooklyn Autism Center