07 May 2013

Positive reinforcement, social acknowledgment


"Guess what's inside the hat," he reads.
"A- bird, B- rabbit, C- butterfly, D- cat, E- hen, F- dog, and G- rooster."

"Wow! Good job, Miggy! Good reading! Good answering!" I praised him.

Positive reinforcement is a behavior modification technique by parents, caregivers, teachers and therapists to change a child’s behavior by reinforcing the desired behaviors. Achievement of a desired behavior is rewarded with a “reinforcer. “ Reinforcers could be in the form of material things, enjoyable activities or simply, a social acknowledgment.

Material things – example: toys, food, art materials, books. Gifts!  Actually, anything wrapped. Kids love excitement and are very easy to please. They love tearing wrappers and opening presents.
Enjoyable activities – example: a stroll at the park, going to the mall, a visit to the zoo, watching a movie, more playtime, extended ipad time, google-searching, and online gaming. There are a lot more. It essentially depends on what the child finds pleasurable.
Social acknowledgment – could be in the form of praises, such as “Good job!” , “Very good!”, “Great!”, “You did it!”, “Wow!”, You’re a good boy!”, “Congratulations!” Hugs are equally effective too, as well as,  handshakes and claps. Of course, these all come with an exaggerated gesture and a cheerful facial response by the reinforcement giver. 

I've been doing this for more than 8 years. A lot of times, he would anticipate it and praise himself exactly the way I would have said it - same intonation, same facial wonder, mimicking my over-reaction. 

OA. Over acting! Well, that's me! Boy, am I so glad to be inherently OA and animated! It pays to be OA, especially if your child is autistic. 
Big actions never fail to get his attention. 
Truly effective. Guaranteed ... or your "trust" back!  


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