Now let's look at how to perform backward chaining. The definition of backward chaining is linking together behaviors beginning with the last behavior in the chain. Let's go through the procedure with the same example of washing hands in order to see how this type of chaining differs from forward chaining. First, prompt your student to perform all the behaviors in the chain in order except for the last behavior and then reinforce your student's independent performance of the last behavior. Wash hands! Okay, we're going to turn water on. Get soap! Rub hands! Cut, cut, cut, scrub! Rub, rub! Excellent! Water off! Great job! Your hands are all clean out! Here is your fruit treat. In this example, we see the instructor prompting the student to turn on water, get soap, rub hands, rinse hands, and turn off water. The instructor stops before the last behavior and the student must complete the last behavior of drawing hands independently in order to receive reinforcement. Then, reinforce your student's independent performance of the next to last and last behaviors in order. Wash hands! You're going to turn water on. Get soap! Rub your hands! Rub, rub, rub, rub, rub, scrub, scrub! Great job! You remember it all by yourself! That's excellent! Here's your fruit treat! Now you see the instructor prompts the student to turn on water, get soap, rub hands, and rinse hands. But then stops so that the student must complete the last two behaviors of turning off water and drawing hands in order to get the reinforcer. Then, reinforce your student's independent performance of the last three steps in order and continue in this manner until your student can complete the entire chain independently following the SD. An advantage of using backward chaining is that the reinforcement always falls at the end of the chain, allowing you to use a variety of reinforcers.