I was just told about reinforcement, and that I should use it to teach new behaviors.

Reinforcement! One of my favorite topics in ABA to talk about. This concept can be used in so many situations. 

The term reinforcement is simply when we add or remove something that increases the chance that the behavior occurs more in the future. 

Think about it this way… If you tell your child to clean their bedroom and then they are allowed to go outside and play with their friends. Sometime next week they clean their room again (without being told to). This leads to them getting to keep hanging out with their friends.

To learn more about reinforcement, subscribe here. Along with reinforcement, there are other topics in ABA that can be utilized in the home.

So what are the types of reinforcement?

There are two types of reinforcement: positive and negative. 

When it comes to positive reinforcement, it means that something was added after a behavior occurred that leads to that behavior potentially happening more in the future.

An example of this is when you complete a worksheet and receive a piece of candy. You may be more willing to complete another worksheet later on. 

Negative reinforcement simply means that something was removed that may lead to the behavior occurring more in the future.

An example of negative reinforcement is when your seatbelt sound comes on when you don’t buckle up. It goes away once you buckle your seatbelt. This would lead to you immediately buckling your seatbelt later on when getting in your car. 

Why we use reinforcement?

We use reinforcement to teach alternative behaviors as a replacement for targeted behaviors.

If we are decreasing a targeted behavior, reinforcement will be directed to the desired replacement alternative. 

If we are increasing a targeted behavior, we will direct reinforcement to the targeted behavior during instances that it occurs. 

We pair reinforcement to the alternative, or replacement, behavior in conjunction with when we stop adhering to the function of the undesired behavior.

Some tips when using reinforcement

• Make sure that whatever you select as a reinforcer, it is something your child will actually want.
• Reinforcement should be preferred from the child.
• IMMEDIATE, IMMEDIATE, IMMEDIATE!
  • When that targeted behavior for increasing occurs, be sure you immediately present the reinforcement. 
• Go as far as to allow for your child to choose between reinforcers.

Take Aways

The use of reinforcement as a way to teach alternative behaviors that serves the same function as a targeted behavior. 

There are two types of reinforcement that can be used when teaching new behaviors. These are known as positive and negative methods of reinforcement. 

Reinforcement can be used in pairing with a desired behavior to replace the targeted one. 

Remember, if you want to change a behavior you will need to find a replacement and reinforce it!

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