Georgia PBS Interventions - Florida's Positive Behavior Support ...

If the Function is “To Gain Access to Materials” or Preferred Items:There are two ways to handle access to materials. One is to set up a token economy where the studentearns some time with the preferred materials. The second is to use the “How to give problems back tochildren so they aren’t yours” method listed in the yellow section. It will depend on the level of thestudent. The lower the functioning level the more likely you will have to use the preferred itemintermittently with non-preferred items and a token economy is a great way to do this.The reinforcer for the intervention should be the preferred reinforcer. Each child has differentitems that “float their boat” and they may change from day to day or week to week. We always saythat once the adults figure out the answers the children change the test. Here are some examples ofthings that other children have earned. These can be paired with a token economy, a now-thenschedule, or any other system you choose.Sometimes you have to do an interest inventory to determine the preferred items; this is especiallytrue if the child is non-verbal or has intellectual disabilities in the moderate range. These are some ofthe things we have found to be reinforcing to other students.Art Supplies Electronic Games Sport Cards (Baseball, etc.)Beading Food Items StickersBoard Games Favorite Books Word SearchesComic BooksFavorite ToysWe actually have a group ofComputer TimeMusicchildren who are highlyCoupon ClippingPuzzlesmotivated by Ramen NoodlesDeck of Playing Cards Sensory Toysat an alternative school.(You never know until youwatch and ask.)The Gumball MachineWhat parent has not dreaded walking by the gumball machine when their children weresmall? Here’s how you set that up so it’s not a problem. First, I’ll tell you that I tried totell my daughter that what was in those machines was “yucky” and that she wouldn’t likewhat was in there. For two years this worked great. We’d walk by and she’d point and say“yucky” and I would reward her with praise and a goldfish cracker that I thought wasmore appropriate. Unfortunately, one day her grandpa took her to the store and shediscovered that I had been lying all those years. I don’t suggest going down that road.Set up a token economy. Tell your child they have to earn 10 tokens. I like jelly braceletsbecause they are easy to hang on to and keep in your pocket. The child slips them on their wrist andwhen they are young, little boys don’t care that they are for “girls”. Tell them how they are going toearn their jelly bracelets. “You can earn a bracelet for helping mommy or daddy find these items (cutout pictures of items you will be getting.” You can earn two bracelets for staying in the cart. You canearn a bracelet for using a 6 inch voice.” (Only people within six inches could hear you.) “You can earnfour bracelets for not asking for anything all the way around the store. I will allow you to have tworeminders on this.” Then tell them you will give them bracelets throughout the store when you seethem doing these things. However, they can’t ask for a bracelet. They have to be so good you willPositive Interventions and Effective Strategies Riffel -© 2005 - 49 -