REINFORCEMENT...

It Is Not A Bad Word

EachandeverydayIhavetheprivilege ofworkingwithsomanyincredible educatorsandparentsasthey navigatethecomplexitiesofdiverse learnersandchallengingbehavioursin children.Inrecentyears,Ihaveseena shiftintheparentingworld,onewhere parentsaremadetofeelshamefor usingreinforcementtomotivate childrenandaretoldthatusing reinforcementisproblematicand lessensanypotentialforintrinsic motivationtodeveloporsustain.

Eventhoughtherearedecadesof researchthatwouldsayotherwise, thesemessagescontinueanditisfor thisreasonIfeltcompelledtowritethe article

Manyprofessionalshaveoversimplified theuseoftoolstomotivatechildren, eventhoughweknowthatbehaviours aresoverynuancedandlayeredby behaviourcomplexitiesand neurodivergentchildren.Formany childrentheintrinsicmotivationis simplynottherewhenothersmake requeststothem.Thesemightinclude requestsaboutpersonalcare, regulation,socialengagementand curricularparticipationtonameafew.

Whenadultstakethetimeto understandwhatachildvaluesand wherevalueisnon-existent,they becomemuchmoreequippedwitha deeperunderstandingforwhyachild mayormaynotdosomethingand howtotheninsertextrinsicmotivation tohelpsupportskilldevelopment

This is often very apparent for neurodivergent children, children with a diagnosis of ADHD, Autism, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Anxiety, Learning disabilities and more, as these children often are not motivated intrinsically to the same degree, presenting with more narrow value fields. Why are values important? Well it is in a child's values that their intrinsic motivation lies. If they hold high value for a task or behaviour then they are far more likely to perform it without the need for anything external, but if the value is low or non-existent, then motivation is also low and the benefits of inserting external forms of reinforcement become very high.

How reinforcement is used is very important, in part because it can also be overused and not faded out when warranted, thus where it's bad reputation originates from. It's not reinforcement itself that is the problem, but rather the missteps in implementation that many adults encounter. To improve the effectiveness of reinforcement here are a few considerations and tips.

1) Be behaviour specific in your praiseavoid the "good jobs," because frankly what do they mean? Instead hone in on what the child is doing that is desired.

2) Utilize natural forms for praise / reinforcement where you can. If a child is successful then consider letting them transition to the next, or continue the activity vs. stopping to make a grand gesture.

3) Provide praise to the effort NOT the outcome all the time.

Research has shown that it's when the big people emphasize the end vs. the effort that you end up with children heavily dependent on outward praise to do things and unwilling to try things that might be hard for fear of failure.

4) When starting an extrinsic form of reinforcement, focus first on a high rate of delivery and a more immediate approach of reinforcement delivery that follows right after that desired behaviour.

5) Be realistic with what you are expecting from a child. Even the best reinforcement is not likely to provide lasting positive change if the target behaviour is not developmentally inlined or realistic

6) Keep the delivery of reinforcement consistent so that the value in completing the task builds momentum.

7) Be sure to include your child in identifying what they are most motivated by, make delivery fun where you can.

So the take away for the anyone reading this article, don't be afraid to embrace the positive power of reinforcement and the value it holds in supporting the skill development of many diverse learners And if you don't find you are needing them for your child, that is ok too, but let's not shame others for using tools that are backed by decades of research in the fields of child development and behaviour science and more. Extrinsic reinforcement helps, where the internal desire / drive is to present.