Other Strategies for Challenging Behavior Token Economies

TOKEN ECONOMIES A token economy involves awarding tokens, chips, sticker, check marks, points, or other items/markings to students who demonstrate desired behaviors identified by the teachers. Students may periodically exchange the tokens for rewards, which are items or activities desirable to them.

TOKEN ECONOMIES Often effective for students who are resistant to other types of management techniques. Easy to administer Immediate reinforcement while teaching delayed gratification Lack of competition b/n students as they compete only against themselves

TOKEN ECONOMIES 1. Select behaviors to be rewarded 2. State desired behaviors in specific and observable terms 3. Decide how you will measure the behaviors 4. Decide where to monitor the behaviors 5. Select the initial reinforcer 6. Select your back-up reinforcers

TOKEN ECONOMIES 7. Place a value on the tokens 8. Finalize the details by developing your own monitoring sheet to keep track of awards and fines, and deciding how often and when tokens can be exchanged for reinforcers 9. Start your program 10. Periodically modify your system to wean your students from the token economy.

YOUR TURN List five items that could be used as tokens in a token economy.