Design and Evaluate Instructions and Rules in ABA Practice
You probably know the feeling: you give a direction, and it lands differently than you intended. Or you post a classroom rule expecting compliance, only to find staff interpret it three different ways. In Applied Behavior Analysis, how you design and deliver instructions and rules directly shapes whether learners understand what you’re asking—and whether they actually do it.
This article walks you through what instructions and rules are, why they matter, and how to write and evaluate them so they work reliably in your clinic, classroom, or home. Whether you’re training staff, working with clients, or coaching caregivers, these tools will help you set clearer expectations and reduce confusion that often leads to errors, safety risks, or problem behavior.
What Instructions and Rules Actually Mean in ABA
Let’s start with clarity, because these terms get mixed up often.
An instruction is a direct prompt to perform a behavior right now. When you say, “Pick up the toy and put it on the shelf,” you’re giving an instruction. It’s immediate, specific, and you expect action in the moment. Instructions are part of how we teach new skills and cue discrete behaviors.
A rule, by contrast, is a statement about a contingency that guides future behavior across multiple situations. A classroom rule like “Keep your hands to yourself” isn’t asking for action in one moment—it’s establishing an expectation that applies over time, in different contexts. Rules describe the relationship between what someone does, the conditions, and what happens as a result.
Here’s why the difference matters: instructions are scaffolds for teaching. Rules are guidelines that promote independence and transfer. Both only work if they’re crystal clear and paired with consistent follow-through.
In ABA, we also talk about rule-governed behavior—behavior controlled by a verbal or written description of a contingency rather than by direct experience with rewards or consequences. This is powerful because it lets people behave correctly in situations they’ve never encountered. But it only works if the rule is explicit and the actual contingencies match what the rule says.
The Core Components of a Strong Instruction or Rule
When you design an instruction or rule, you’re answering four key questions.
Who is doing the behavior? This is the actor. In most classroom or clinic settings, it’s the learner or staff member. Being clear about who is responsible prevents ambiguity.
What observable action happens? Use a verb that describes something you can see or measure. “Sit down,” “raise your hand,” “write your name”—these are observable. “Be respectful” or “have a good attitude” are not; they’re vague, and different people will disagree about what counts.
Under what conditions does it happen? Context matters. “Wash your hands after snack” is clearer than “wash your hands” because it specifies when. Defining the condition tells learners exactly when the rule applies.
How will you know it’s done correctly? This is your success criterion. Is it “100% accuracy,” “within 5 minutes,” “with both hands,” or “3 out of 5 trials”? Specific criteria help you and your team agree on what success looks like and make data collection easier.
A complete instruction or rule often includes one more element: the consequence or reinforcement. “If you keep your hands to yourself, you’ll earn 5 minutes of free play” tells the learner not just what to do, but why it matters to them. Pairing the rule with its actual reinforcing outcome builds credibility.
Let’s look at how this works in practice. A vague instruction: “Be good.” A clear instruction: “During group time, sit in your seat with your feet on the floor and raise your hand before speaking.” The second tells you who (you), what (sit, feet on floor, raise hand), when (during group time), and how you’ll know (those three visible actions).
Instructions as Antecedents: Setting Up for Success
Instructions are antecedent interventions. They happen before the behavior, designed to make the desired response more likely. Think of an instruction as an environmental setup that guides behavior without punishing mistakes.
When you deliver an instruction clearly, you reduce the chances a learner will guess wrong. You also reduce cognitive load—they don’t have to figure out what you want; you’ve told them plainly. This is especially important for learners still building language comprehension, those who struggle with transitions, or anyone learning something entirely new.
Good instructions paired with prompt fading also build independence. You start with a direct, explicit instruction or even a model. Over time, you fade to less intrusive prompts—maybe a gesture or a written cue—until the learner can respond to natural environmental cues alone. This progression from dependence to independence is a hallmark of effective teaching.
The format of an instruction matters too. A verbal instruction is quick and versatile, but over-reliance on it can create dependence on your voice. A written instruction (a visual cue, schedule, or checklist) supports independence but requires reading or picture comprehension. A modeled instruction (demonstrating the behavior) is powerful for learners who learn through imitation. Often the best approach combines formats—you model while saying the words, then fade both as the learner improves.
When to Use Rules and Instructions Versus Shaping
One of the most practical decisions in ABA is knowing when to use a rule or instruction versus when to let behavior develop through direct contingencies—what we call shaping.
Use instructions and rules when: The learner already has some foundation with the task, the behavior can be clearly stated and observed, and you need quick, reliable performance. Safety rules, classroom expectations, new staff procedures—these benefit from clear instructions paired with consistent reinforcement. Rules also shine when you want behavior to transfer quickly across different settings and people.
Use shaping when: The behavior is brand new or the learner can’t yet reliably do what the instruction asks. A child learning to tie shoes, a client building tolerance for a medical procedure, or an employee learning a complex multistep process—these often need shaping. You reinforce small improvements over time, gradually raising the criteria, until the full behavior emerges.
The decision often comes down to this: Can you describe the target behavior clearly enough that the learner can actually do it if they understand your instruction? If yes, start with a rule or instruction. If the learner isn’t close to the full behavior yet, shaping is more humane and effective.
In reality, most meaningful learning uses both. You might use shaping to build foundational behavior, then add a rule or instruction to promote consistency and transfer. You might give an instruction, then fine-tune performance through reinforcement of approximations. The art is matching your teaching method to where the learner is right now.
Real Examples: Instructions and Rules at Work
A two-step classroom instruction: You’re teaching a child to clean up after a snack. The instruction: “First, put your plate in the sink. Then, wipe your hands on the paper towel.” You say this clearly, maybe pointing to the sink and the towel dispenser. You wait 5 seconds for it to register. As the child moves, you give specific praise: “Great—you put the plate in the sink. Now wipe your hands.” Over days, you fade the words until the child moves through the routine with just a gesture or a visual schedule.
A classroom rule with reinforcement: Your group has the rule “Hands, feet, and objects to yourself.” You’ve taught it explicitly—showed what it means, practiced it, discussed why it matters. Now you catch kids following it. “I see you kept your hands to yourself during our activity—that’s one of our rules, and it helps everyone feel safe. You earned a point toward free choice time.” The rule is simple and observable, and the reinforcement is real and timely. Staff apply it consistently, and over weeks, the rule works because the contingencies match what the rule promises.
A written instruction for staff: New RBTs need to follow a protocol for token reinforcement. You don’t just email a paragraph—you create a one-page checklist: “After the learner completes the task correctly, deliver the reinforcer within 3 seconds and say ‘[Learner name], great work—you earned a token.'” You model it during training, have the new staff member rehearse with you and a mentor, and give feedback on the spot. Then you collect fidelity data weekly for the first month.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Vague rules: “Be respectful,” “use a good voice,” “make good choices”—these sound professional, but they’re not observable. Different staff will interpret them differently, and learners won’t know exactly what you want. Instead, describe the specific behavior: “Raise your hand and wait to be called on before speaking,” “use a quiet voice during group time,” “ask an adult before using someone else’s materials.” Specificity is kindness; it removes guesswork.
Too many rules at once: Posting ten rules in a classroom or expecting new staff to master five complex procedures on day one is overload. Keep core rules to three to five items, teach each one explicitly, and practice before you expect mastery. Add rules gradually once earlier ones are solid.
Rules that contradict actual contingencies: You post “No running” but allow running during recess games. You tell clients screen time is only after homework, but give in when they push back. When the rule doesn’t match what actually happens, learners stop believing it. They follow the real contingencies instead. Before you post or teach a rule, check: Will staff and other adults actually follow through? If not, revise the rule or commit to the contingencies.
Forgetting to pair the rule with reinforcement: Rules only influence behavior if actual consequences match what the rule describes. Tell staff, “If clients follow the rule, reinforce it specifically and immediately. If they don’t, follow your protocol—but don’t assume the rule alone will work.”
Mixing multiple behaviors in one instruction: “Sit down, be quiet, and pay attention” asks for three things at once. For some learners, this is fine. For others—especially those with attention or working memory challenges—it’s overwhelming. Break it into one-step instructions, or bundle only closely related actions: “Sit down with your feet on the floor.”
Evaluating Whether Your Instructions and Rules Actually Work
Designing a good instruction or rule is half the work. The other half is checking whether it’s working and adjusting based on data.
Start with baseline data. Before you implement a rule or instruction, count or measure the target behavior for several days. How often do learners currently comply? How often does the problem behavior occur? This gives you a starting point for comparison.
After you implement with fidelity, collect the same data using the same method. Do you see a change? If compliance went up, the rule is working. If it stayed the same or got worse, something needs adjustment.
Then ask: What’s the most likely cause? Is the instruction clear enough? Do learners understand it? Are staff delivering reinforcement consistently and immediately? Are the contingencies real, or has the learner learned they can ignore the rule?
If your data shows the rule is working, keep it and keep reinforcing it. If not, revise. Maybe the instruction needs to be simpler or more specific. Maybe you need a visual support or smaller steps. Maybe the reinforcer isn’t actually reinforcing anymore. Maybe the rule conflicts with something else in the environment.
This cycle—baseline, implement with fidelity, measure, adjust—is how you move from a rule that looks good on paper to one that works in real life.
Ethical Considerations: Respect and Autonomy
Rules and instructions are powerful tools. That power carries ethical responsibility.
First, involve the people affected when you can. If you’re creating a classroom rule, ask students what they think matters. If you’re training staff on a new procedure, explain the why and invite questions. People follow rules they understand and help create. They resist or resent rules imposed without explanation.
Second, check that your rule or instruction is actually teaching a skill or supporting safety—not just controlling behavior for its own sake. The distinction matters. “Raise your hand before speaking” teaches communication respect and reduces chaos; that’s legitimate. “Sit perfectly still and don’t move your eyes” during a task isn’t teaching a skill; it’s coercion. Ask yourself: What is the learner actually learning here? Are there other ways to achieve the goal that respect their autonomy more?
Third, watch for unintended side effects. Sometimes a rule meant to teach responsibility instead teaches avoidance or learned helplessness. “If you don’t finish your work by 3 PM, you stay after school” might lead some kids to give up early. If you see escape, avoidance, or escalating problem behavior after introducing a rule, pause and reassess. The goal is teaching and growth, not compliance at any cost.
Finally, make sure instructions and rules are appropriate to the learner’s developmental level, language ability, and cultural context. An instruction that works for a teenager may be too complex for a 4-year-old. A rule that makes sense in one cultural setting may feel disrespectful in another. Adapt.
FAQs: What Practitioners Actually Ask
How is an instruction different from a prompt? An instruction is the direction itself. A prompt is a support that helps someone follow an instruction. You give the instruction (“Put on your shoes”), and if the learner doesn’t respond, you add a prompt—maybe pointing to the shoes, modeling the action, or guiding their hands. Prompts help; instructions tell.
How do I write an instruction that’s measurable? Use the ABCD framework: Actor (who), Behavior (what specific action), Condition (when/where/with what), and Criterion (how well or how many times). Example: “Given a list of 10 spelling words, the student will write each word correctly, with 100% accuracy, in under 10 minutes.” That’s measurable—you can watch and count.
When should I write a rule instead of teaching through direct consequences? Use a rule when the learner can understand language about contingencies and when you need quick, reliable performance across different people and settings. A safety rule is almost always rule-based—you can’t wait for a learner to touch a hot stove to learn. Prefer direct consequence-based teaching when the learner is still building foundational skills or when the behavior is entirely new.
How do I know if my rule is actually working? Collect data before and after. Are learners complying more often? Is problem behavior decreasing? Is fidelity high—are staff following through? If the answer to all three is yes and the change is meaningful, it’s working. If not, investigate the likely culprit (clarity, learner skill, staff fidelity, or contingency strength) and adjust.
What if a rule creates escape or avoidance behavior? This signals a need to pause. The rule may be unclear, too hard, or paired with a consequence that’s more aversive than the learner can handle right now. Revisit the rule and contingencies. Consider smaller steps. Ensure reinforcement is actually reinforcing. Consider whether a rule-based approach is the right fit—maybe shaping with gentler steps is better.
Can clients create their own rules for self-management? Absolutely. This builds responsibility and buy-in. Work with the client to identify a goal, then help them write a specific, measurable rule and a way to track progress. “I will practice my social script for 10 minutes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and give myself a checkmark each time” is a client-created rule. You support, teach, and coach the follow-through.
How many rules should I post in a classroom or clinic? Three to five core rules are ideal. Each should be taught explicitly, practiced until mastery, and reinforced consistently. More rules dilute the teaching and make it harder for staff to focus on reinforcement. Start small and add only when you can teach and reinforce each one well.
Key Takeaways
Good instructions and rules are specific, observable, and paired with consistent reinforcement. When they’re clear and contingencies match the promise, they reduce confusion, build independence, and help learners succeed.
Choose instructions for immediate, discrete tasks and rules for expectations that guide behavior across time and settings. Always check fidelity—are staff actually implementing the instruction or reinforcing the rule?—because a great instruction with poor follow-through won’t work.
Involve learners and caregivers in creating rules when you can, keep the number manageable, and evaluate using data. If a rule isn’t working, the solution usually isn’t harsher enforcement; it’s clarifying the instruction, checking contingencies, or teaching the skill differently.
The goal is teaching, growth, and independence. A rule that reduces a learner’s autonomy or requires constant enforcement isn’t serving that purpose. Keep learner dignity at the center as you design.
