Reinforcement Strategies

Definition: Reinforcers can be thought of as any event following a behavior that increases the probability that the behavior will occur again. For many students, especially those with ASD, reinforcement is critical to the learning process. Consequently, if additional opportunities for direct instruction are to be created for these students in the least restrictive settings, teachers need to identify the least intrusive methods of reinforcing desired behaviors and skills.

In the past, guidelines for Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) emphasizing the young child’s natural motivation to learn from meaningful activities were narrowly interpreted as an indictment of the use of external reinforcement. However, more recent publications (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1993; Kostelnick, Stein, Whiren, & Soderman, 1993) suggest that individual differences in children call for different levels of adult support, including positive verbal communication (i.e., encouragement and praise), consistent consequences to teach appropriate behavior, and direct instruction in the form of simple, positive statements (Kostelnick et al., 1993). The positive reinforcement strategies included here are supported by a significant body of research attesting to their power in changing behavior in children (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 1987).

The four reinforcement strategies to be discussed here include:

• Differential reinforcement
• Correspondence training
• Behavioral momentum
• Response shaping

Reinforcement Strategy #1: Differential Reinforcement

Definition: “Reinforcement is provided for skills when they occur at the appropriate times and places, and it is not provided when they do not” (Wolery & Fleming, in Bailey & Wolery, 1992, p. 387). At least four types of differential reinforcement have been used successfully with young children: differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO), differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviors (DRI), differential reinforcement of alternative behaviors (DRA), and differential reinforcement of low rate behaviors (DRL) (For more in-depth information on differential reinforcement, please refer to lesson "Differential Reinforcement" in Behavioral Interventions module or click here).

Example #1: Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviors (DRO) - Reinforcement is delivered at fixed intervals when a problem behavior has not occurred. For example, using a timer, the teacher provides a signal (e.g., eye contact, “thumbs up”) to a target student during circle time whenever the student goes 5 minutes without putting her thumb into her mouth. (Note: The initial interval for receiving reinforcement should be slightly less than the average length of time between episodes of the target behavior.)

Example #2: Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible or Alternative Behaviors (DRI /DRA) - These two strategies are similar: they involve reinforcing appropriate behavior rather than the absence of problem behavior. By reinforcing behaviors that are either incompatible with or an alternative to the problem behavior, it is anticipated that appropriate behaviors will eventually replace the problem behavior. For example, sitting with hands in lap is incompatible with thumb sucking; that is, the two behaviors cannot occur at the same time. DRI for keeping hands in lap during circle time could result in a decrease in thumb sucking and an increase in hands in lap. DRA for the same problem behavior could involve reinforcement of an alternative behavior such as increased participation (singing or verbal responding).

Example # 3: Differential Reinforcement of Low Rate Behaviors (DRL) - Reinforcement is provided for reduced occurrences of a problem behavior. It is particularly useful for behaviors that are appropriate at some level but problematic when they occur with too great a frequency. Data are collected on the frequency of the behavior and a more acceptable frequency for occurrence of the behavior is then identified. Incremental decreases in the behavior are systematically reinforced. For example, this strategy might be helpful for the thumb-sucking behavior mentioned above, if the goal is not to extinguish thumb sucking but to see it decrease at times when it interferes with participation. Using the DRL strategy, the student would receive verbal encouragement as thumb sucking decreases across the day. She would be reinforced for limiting her thumb sucking to the reading corner.

Reinforcement Strategy #2: Correspondence Training

Definition: Children are reinforced for making accurate statements about their intended behavior. The assumption underlying this strategy is that positive verbal behavior can influence nonverbal behavior in a positive way.

Example: At preschool, a child who tends to wander from one area to another during center time is asked to choose which center he will visit first and to explain what he is going to do there. A few minutes later, the teacher reinforces the child if he did what he said he was going to do.

Reinforcement Strategy #3: Behavioral Momentum

Definition: Children are reinforced for demonstrating a series of behaviors on command, beginning with behaviors they are more likely to display with ease and ending with a request to perform a behavior they are less likely to display.

Example: For a child who resists toileting, the adult would use the following series:

• “Romeo, give me 5!”
• “Good! Clap hands!”
• “Yea! Shake!”
• “Good shaking! Time to go potty now. Come on!”

Reinforcement Strategy #4: Response Shaping

Definition: Response shaping involves reinforcing small approximations of a desired behavior and gradually reducing reinforcement until the child’s behavior more closely approximates the target behavior.

Example: Throwing a ball with accuracy is difficult for a child with increased or decreased muscle tone. Using response shaping, the adult first reinforces the child simply for throwing the ball in a forward motion. After the child becomes consistent at throwing in a forward direction, the adult reduces reinforcement and makes it contingent on the more desired behavior, saying, “Good try, now throw it to me.”