When is a good time to use a target?

Ask yourself a few questions?

• Is there a major adverse consequence for failure?
  • Injury
  • Financial loss
  • Overwhelming stress for the learner
  • Other?
• Are my instructions difficult or subjective and would be made clear by a target?
• Why would I add in a target if I have to fade it back out?
• What will it take to teach the target behavior?
• What will it take to fade it out later?

Using a target will guarantee success, but there will also possibly be extra work in teaching it and fading it out. Only you can decide whether your teaching would benefit overall from using a target.