1. Reinforcer Assessment
You may be required to perform a reinforcer assessment as part of your
schedule with your child. Typically, each child’s reinforcer bin is emptied when
they leave school each day and a reinforcer assessment is conducted when they
arrive the following day. Reinforcer assessments consist of two components: 1)
toy exchange, 2) preference assessment.
The toy-exchange sessions take place in the playroom. This is done to obtain
new and more effective reinforcers. If possible, try to get sample stimuli from
all stimulus categories! (Visual, auditory, tactile, social…).
Mini preference assessments take place in your booth. The purpose of a
preference assessment is to determine which reinforcer is the most effective for
that child at that point in time. These should be conducted frequently, in between
procedures and sometimes even during procedures to make sure you are using
the most reinforcing item with your child.
These preference assessments are relatively easy to conduct. You will simply
show the child two toys (or sometimes edibles) and ask him or her which one
they would like to play with. This should be repeated with different toys until the
child chooses one. If the child is not choosing a toy, you can play with it to try to
entice them. Also, your playing with the toy when presenting it to the child may
increase its reinforcing effectiveness and will increase your reinforcing
effectiveness.
Additionally, for those children skilled in the Picture Exchange Communication
System (see week 3) they can use icons to communicate which reinforcer they
would like to work for.

2. Toy Exchange:
1. Go to the playroom (bring your child’s reinforcer bin). Place your child’s toys
(from your child’s reinforcer bin) back on the shelves in the playroom. Keep the
child’s three favorite toys.
2. Allow your child to manipulate toys in the playroom.
Does your child play with the toys in the bin independently?
Yes No
3a. When your child picks a toy… The number of the toys may be too many.
 Present only 2-3 items at a time.
 Allow the child to play with
 Use a gestural prompt (pointing or
the toy for 10 seconds.
 Place it into your child’s
modeling)
 Use a partial physical prompt (push
bin, out of your child’s
sight. lightly on your child’s elbow )
 Allow him to pick another Does your child pick toys?
toy. Yes No
 Repeat the previous steps
until the child picks 7 toys
3b. Choose 7 items that you feel will work
from the playroom.
as reinforcers based on your experiences
with your child
4. Put the toys in the child’s reinforcer bin and go back to the booth.