Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What should I do if the reinforcers don’t seem to be working (i.e., the student wants to earn extra music time after completing work, but needs one-to-one reinforcement while doing work, reinforcers only work for short periods of time, etc.)?

A: Obviously you can’t give the student a 30-minute extra music time after every answer he gets correct. But you can do a number of things to address problems with reinforcement. For example, if music is very reinforcing to the student, you could play a tape with music for 10-15 seconds after each correct response (e.g. getting a word correct on vocabulary). Then, when the student has finished the entire page or multiple assignments, you could take the student for extra music time for an extended period of time. If reinforcers only seem to work for short periods of time, (days, or only hours), it is critical to complete a reinforcer survey. A reinforcer survey can be conducted by observing what motivates a child, by interviewing the child’s parents or caregivers, and by asking the student. A wide range of primary reinforcers (food, drinks, rest time, etc.) and secondary reinforcers (social praise, extra gym time, listening to music, etc.) are important for success. Keep an ongoing list of what is motivating to the student and update what was successful each day or week. For some children it is important to change reinforcers frequently.