1. Motivating the Unmotivated Ashley Meyer Western Regional Coordinator ameyer@esu13.org September 10, 2015 NE ASD Network

2. Introduction

3. Motivation Until teachers and parents find out what the motivator is, it is difficult to prompt the student to complete work and related tasks.

4. Increase Motivation and Learning Through Reinforcement

5. ACTIVITY 1. What motivates you? (Pick one and write it down) 2. First person: say your motivator 3. Second person: Say the first person’s motivator and then your own motivator 4. Continue until everyone has said their motivators

6. 90% of the Effectiveness of a Program is REINFORCEMENT!! Tap into Interests to Find Reinforcers Motivation is driven by reinforcement.

7. Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic

8. The Self-Determination Theory Extrensic Motivators can be more easily internalized when there is a sense of relatedness. Students need to feel secure Freedom to make choices increases the student’s motivation Enhanced performance, persistence, and creativity

9. How do I Motivate my Students?

10. Step 1: Build a Relationship Staff working with students should:  Show interest in their life and activities  Look for reinforcement that the student may like (keep trying new things!)  Spend time doing activities the child likes, even if they are limited at first

11. Step 2: Find What’s Reinforcing  May be something most people think of as ‘undesirable’  Reinforcers are different for different people or the same people under different conditions

12. Reinforcers Reinforcers can be identified by:  Conducting reinforcer/preference assessments;  Creating preference lists (e.g., reinforcer checklists, reinforcer menus);  Interviewing the learner;  Interviewing family members; or  Interviewing other teachers/practitioners.

13. Examples

14. How do I Increase Motivation Even More?  Use visual tracking (token economies, first/then boards, visual schedules, visual choice boards)  Make tasks more hands-on  Catch the student when he/she participates and cooperates  Keep trying NEW ideas- don’t give up!

15. How do I Increase Motivation Even More? (Continued)  Focus your time on identifying reinforcers! (No reinforcement = no motivation= no learning)  Motivation begins with interests!  Use verbal and social praise to pair EXTRINSIC reinforcers with INTRINSIC motivation! ***This way, you can eventually fade the extrinsic reinforcers to have more natural (internal) motivation***

16. Examples Let the student choose what he/she wants to earn, and then give them a visual.

17. Reinforcement  Students need to know what the “paycheck” is for the work.  Use Visual Schedules of Reinforcement to show them what the reinforcement is for completing an activity or a task appropriately.

18. Examples Remember to keep the reinforcers age appropriate. Reinforcer menus can be made with pictures or just with writing, depending on the student.

19. What does Reinforcement do?  Reinforcement occurs when a consequence to a behavior results in an increase in the likelihood of the behavior occurring again in the future under similar circumstances.  Reinforcers affect the behavior that immediately precedes them. Therefore, provide reinforcers as quickly as possible following a desired behavior - waiting too long will reduce the effectiveness of the reinforcer.

20. Categories of Potential Reinforcers Escape  Avoiding Tasks, Social Demands, Group Activities Attention  Positive, Negative, Neutral Statements  Proximity Tangible  Toys, Chips, String, Videos, Cheese etc. S ensory  Water-play, Deep Pressure, Peace and quiet, Preferred Music, Bean-bag Chair etc

21. Step 3: Focus on the Positives  Look for times that you can reinforce the student  Be specific with your praise to help foster understanding about events  Reinforce attempts and successes of the specific behavior(s) you are looking to increase  Say what you mean and mean what you say, because consistency teaches!

22. 1) What work? (Identify what it is) 2) How much work? (Identify the amount) 3)How will I know when I’m done? 4) What happens next? (reinforcer, next task, etc.) Things to ALWAYS Tell the Student ***Knowing these will foster independence!*** Also remember to provide: -choices to increase autonomy -a secure environment where the student feels safe to increase competence -topics and ideas that bring meaning to the student’s life to increase relatedness

23. Video Remember: Motivation is directly related to REINFORCEMENT! Let’s watch an example of how Sheldon motivates Penny to behave in specific ways by using reinforcement…  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yuQq5VPZ mg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yuQq5VPZ mg

24. Quiz Time 1) 90% of the effectiveness of a program is due to what? 2) What are the 3 parts of increasing self-determination? 3) What are the 2 types of motivation? 4) How can you identify possible reinforcers? 5)The categories of reinforcers include; attention, escape, tangible, AND….

25. Questions? Ashley Meyer ameyer@esu13.org 308-672-7557