Preferred Reinforcers

Aba, or applied behavioral analysis, is a tightly run machine designed to increase desired behaviors and decrease undesired behavior.. So in our effort to increase those desired ones, like sharing, and sitting like a pretzel and my personal fave, 'being a good listener' while squashing those behaviors like randomly laying on the floor, general belligerance and sticking your entire fist in your mouth, we have come up with a plan. Bubs goes to a 'regular' preschool three afternoons a week in addition to his aba school. He is doing ok, but he needs to work on his overall behavior. I think he will do fine in school if he just learns that very hard lesson that sometimes you have to do crap you don't want to do. I think we all need a little help with that one. So I was really trying to come up with something motiviating for bubs, without it involving candy and large sums of money. Bubs is no fool, don't try to entice him with a measly sticker or some small little piece of crap. Go big or go home is his philosophy. He also would prefer to go somewhere as opposed to me handing him something. Shopping is one of his favorite pastimes, God bless him.

We just started our new plan this week. I drove around like a lunatic taking pictures of places I thought he might like to go to as his 'treat' for 'being a good listener'. There are caveats to this though (am I using that word correctly?). It couldn't be a place that we go to on any other day but Monday, Wednesday or Friday. It had to be somewhere motivating, and it couldn't drive me to the poorhouse (Target is a no-no!) It also had to be somewhere that would always be available on those days (not dependent on weather,etc)So far the list includes; the pet store,a.c. moore (he's a crafty little guy), Michael's,(they sell those plastic reptiles and sea creatures which my boy covets) Border's Books ,Dollar Tree (Love it there!) , and Chuck E. Cheese. Today I added bowling. I just have to do a drive by for the picture. I printed out little wallet size photos of the aforementioned places and laminated them. Yeah, I have a little laminator -isn't everything is so much nicer sandwiched between two shiny smooth sheets of plastic. Wednesday was the maiden voyage of my little plan. Bubs' shadow explained the deal to him and told him what he had to do to get the tokens. She showed him the sheet with all of my pics velcroed on. He picked the photo of chuck e cheese and stuck it on his token board. Apparently Chuck E. Cheese is a preferred reinforcer because bubs was the classroom helper that day. Yeah Bubs, but poor me, because I had to spend my afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese. What does that E stand for anyway? Excrutiating? Entirely overstimulating? Today I think we might be going bowling.