What is a Reinforcer?

A reinforcer is anything that can be immediately provided that makes the preceding behavior increase

When teaching children with autism, it's crucial to identify and use rewards that the child enjoys to motivate them to learn new skills.

A toy or game may seem fun, but if the child does not enjoy it - It is not a reinforcer and the goal behavior will not increase.

Strategies include pairing new rewards with ones the child already likes, slowly introducing new rewards, and making sure the rewards are varied and suitable for the child's developmental stage. The aim is to create a positive and motivating learning environment that encourages the child to participate and make progress.

Reinforcers can be varied and can have different properties

Child playing in sand. Sensory table. Sand box. Toy

Self-Resolving Reinforcers

Some reinforcers go away on their own. Examples include snacks, music or video that ends, and being pushed on a swing. These reinforcers can be particularly valuable, because they do not have to be taken away. They can also be provided immediately and should be considered early on in learning.

Some Reinforcers Can Be Made Better

We can expedite some fun tasks. These can include picking a child up to put them at the top of the slide or helping them stabilize a tower to put that last block on top. These reinforcers can be valuable because they implicitly involve another person, which is wonderful for helping build rapport.

Some are Hard to Take Away

Try to avoid using reinforcers that are difficult to exchange. Instead, you can use another reinforcer and work on practicing exchanges to make it easier in the future. This might mean holding off on some reinforcers that are fragile, could spill, or might be too emotionally charged for the child to give up in the moment.

Some Reinforcers Take Too Long

Data shows that the average time it takes for a reinforcer to be effective is 25-35 seconds. This means that a child does not have to watch that whole video each time they practice a skill. Working towards more brief breaks can allow for more trials and more exchanges which leads to more success.

Reinforcers Must Be Given Immediately

The reduction in reinforcing value is an exponential process. That means that delivery of a reinforcer within 1 second is critical for learning. Set yourself up for success instead of missing out on learning opportunities. Make your reinforcer available for immediate delivery.

Pair Words With Reinforcers

A non-verbal child may not understand praise at first. In most cases, praise does not function as a reinforcer when a child starts receiving ABA. Ideally, we should want to help all children get value from praise. So include some high quality, brief, varied praise each time you provide a reinforcer.