What involves providing assistance or cues to support a learner's behavior in ABA?

The process of providing assistance or cues to enhance a learner's behavior in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is known as prompting. This method involves giving learners the necessary support to help them successfully engage in a desired behavior, which may include verbal instructions, physical guidance, or visual cues. The goal of prompting is to facilitate learning by making it easier for the learner to respond correctly, ultimately leading to independence as they require fewer prompts over time.

In this context, prompting plays a crucial role in skill acquisition, as it helps bridge the gap between the learner's current level of performance and the desired level of mastery. By strategically fading prompts, practitioners can encourage learners to rely less on external cues and more on their own abilities, reinforcing their confidence and competence in executing the desired behavior independently. This gradual withdrawal of support promotes generalization and maintenance of skills learned in different settings or with varying degrees of assistance.