errorless

Errorless learning is a teaching approach used primarily in applied behavior analysis and special education, designed to minimize errors during skill acquisition. In errorless procedures, prompts and cueing are provided to ensure the learner makes a correct response, and prompts are gradually faded as performance improves. The goal is to reduce the likelihood of reinforcing wrong responses and to promote quick, reliable acquisition of new skills.

Promoting accuracy often involves a prompting hierarchy and careful task sequencing. Teachers or therapists may begin with strong prompts (such as modeling or physical guidance) and progressively reduce support through least-to-most or most-to-least fading strategies. Immediate reinforcement for correct responses and brief, clear feedback help strengthen the correct behavior.

Applications include acquisition of daily living skills, communication, academics, and vocational tasks, particularly for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, or learning difficulties. Errorless methods are commonly used in one-on-one instruction, small-group settings, and structured teaching programs.

Criticism centers on potential prompt dependency, slower generalization to novel situations, and increased instructional time. Critics also note that over-reliance on prompts may not reflect real-world variability, though proponents argue that errorless learning can be a foundation that is later followed by strategies to promote generalization and independent performance.

See also: prompting, prompt fading, discrimination training, shaping, applied behavior analysis.