PROVIDING APPROPRIATE REINFORCEMENT

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PROVIDING APPROPRIATE REINFORCEMENT
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I. BASIC DEFINITIONS

• Reinforcers events that follow behaviors and
  increase the probability of their occurrence
• Positive reinforcers Events that, when made
  contingent upon a response, increase the
  frequency of that response

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II. TYPES OF REINFORCERS

• A. Primary reinforcers not learned biological
  in naturee.g., food, water
• Food may be susceptible to the satiation effect
  kids get full!

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• B. Secondary reinforcers These are events or
  actions that increase the occurrence of a
  behavior because of social or cultural benefits.
• For example, we may use verbal praise, attention,
  touch, eye contact, etc. ?

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• C. Conditioned generalized reinforcers secondary
  reinforcers that are useful in various
  situations. E.g., you might use tokens, stickers,
  points, play money, beads, blocks.
• D. Informative feedback Providing the client
  with specific information about his or her
  performance.
• 1. Verbalwords
• 2. Nonverbalcharts, graphs

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III. SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT

• A. Continuous 11 ratio. We reward every single
  response. This is used in the initial stages of
  therapy.
• This does not match the natural environment.

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B. Intermittent Schedule

• Some of the clients responses go unreinforced

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• 1. Fixed ratio schedule we pre-determine the
  of responses required (e.g., 13 ratioone
  reinforcer for every 3 responses)
• 2. Variable ratio schedule very powerful, used
  in the latter stages of tx. The client never
  knows when the reinforcement is coming. This is
  used especially at the conversational level.

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IV. PRACTICAL POINTERS FOR USING REINFORCEMENT
SUCCESSFULLY

• In the initial stages of tx, present the
  reinforcer immediately after the behavior occurs.
  Dont record the response and then give the
  reinforcer.
• Dont deliver the reinforcer mechanically,
  especially to young children. They pay more
  attention to our facial expressions and affect
  than to our words.

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• Initially, be specific about why the client is
  being reinforced
• Great job! You put your tongue behind your teeth
  for the /s/.
• Awesome ending sound when you said boat. I
  really heard that /t/.

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• Keep our promises be consistent with the
  delivery schedule. E.g., if we promise the child
  a toy after 20 responses, give the toy! Dont
  hold out for just a few more responses.