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Discrete ‐ trial teaching is a strategy frequently used to teach functional skills to individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Research has shown that the within ‐ trial components of the procedure should be administered with ≥90% treatment integrity to facilitate optimal learning. Usually within ‐ trial treatment integrity is measured using whole ‐ session methods such as percentage of trials correctly administered. This study demonstrated one ‐ step Markov transition matrices as a method of assessing within ‐ trial treatment integrity. All components of discrete trials were coded and time ‐ stamped from video recordings of therapist–learner dyads in their typical setting (home or school). Several types of within ‐ trial treatment integrity errors were identified using the Markov transition matrices, error sequences that could not be identified using a percentage correct analysis. Better identification of errors has the potential both to enhance treatment integrity and to gain efficiency by targeted retraining of therapists. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]