Below is a general skill sequence for helping learners increase their range in reinforcers.

This skill area outlines a skill sequence for helping learners increase their range in reinforcers. This is the first stage of programming, and expanding reinforcers can create an improved life for the learner. The more diverse the reinforcers, the better the learner can pivot and engage in appropriate replacement behaviors during aversive situations. The primary aim of this skill sequence is to reinforce explorational behavior with the learner.

Treatment Plan Goal Ideas

Below you’ll find a sequence of goal ideas listed—in theory—from least difficult/intrusive to most difficult/intrusive. These are programs that you’ll work on each day. Each of these programs in the skill sequence will likely make up a larger, more encompassing treatment plan goal. Treatment plan goal ideas for this particular skill area are as follows:

While engaged with a high value item or activity, learner will touch another high value item or activity when it is presented to them.
After the removal of a high value item or activity, Learner will engage in one action with another high value item or activity.
After the removal of a high value item or activity, Learner will engage in one action with neutral or novel value item or activity.
After the removal of a high value item or activity, Learner will transition, scan, select, and engage with a neutral value item or activity from an array of at least five and engage in 10 actions across the items or activities or 60 seconds of engagement.

Component Skills

Your learner may need to be fluent in these component skills first before introducing this goal/skill area. Component skills for this skill sequence may include skill areas that are fundamental to other areas. Fluency in the skill areas listed below may increase the likelihood that your learner will succeed in this skill sequence and those afterward.

Arguably, component skills for this area are limited as this skill sequence will be one of the first (if not the first) skill area that BCBAs and teachers will target with their learners. This skill sequence highlights some of the first to pairing with a learner while diversifying their reinforcers. As a result, it’s recommended that you start here as there aren’t

Read Diversifying Reinforcers and Why it Matters to get a general idea on why this skill area is paramount.

Diversifying Reinforcers and Why it Matters

I was pondering "reinforcer dependency" and came across something interesting. The neuroscientist of recent fame, Andrew Huberman, offered the following: "Addiction is a progressive of the things that bring you pleasure. A good life is the progressive of the things that bring you pleasure." This struck me.

flatrockweekly.substack.com

Diversifying Reinforcers and Why it Matters

Ensure that the learner possesses the necessary motor capabilities for engaging with the reinforcers that you plan to present.

Skill Sequence

Below is a possible skill sequence for working on increasing your learner’s ability to diversify reinforcers . Note that every learner is different and that you likely will need to tweak and vary some programming to their needs. Click the triangle icon to view the full description for each skill in the sequence/area.

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1.0 Tech/Therapist/Teacher follows learner for entirety of session

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1.1 Tech/Therapist/Teacher follows learner, engages in verbal interaction

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1.2 Tech/Therapist/Teacher follows learner, engages physical interaction

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1.3 Tech/Therapist/Teacher reduces response effort for SR+

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1.4 Tech/Therapist/Teacher provides additional highly preferred items/activities

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1.5 Tech/Therapist/Teacher provides additional high value and neutral value items

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1.6 Allows tech/therapist/teacher to touch preferred items or activities during engagement

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1.7 Allows tech/therapist/teacher to engage in frequent actions with another preferred item

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1.8 Allows tech/therapist/teacher to engage in separate actions in same activity

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1.9 Tech/Therapist/Teacher offers separate highly preferred item/activity

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1.10 Tech/Therapist/Teacher offers separate neutral value item/activity

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1.11 Touches another high value item while engaged in high value

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1.12 Touches a neutral item while engaged in high value

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1.13 Holds a high value item while engaged in high value

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1.14 Holds a novel/neutral value item while engaged in high value

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1.15 Touches another high value item after another high value item is removed

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1.16 Touches another novel/neutral item after high value item is removed

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1.17 Holds another high value item after a high value item is removed

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1.18 Holds a novel/neutral value item after a high value item is removed

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1.19 Performs 1 action with high value item after another high value item is removed (TP Goal Idea!)

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1.20 Performs 1 action with novel/neutral item after another high value item is removed.

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1.21 Gets and performs action with alternative high value item from 3 ft away

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1.22 Gets and performs action with alternative novel/neutral value item from 3 ft away

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1.23 Gets high value item from 3 ft and performs action (Array)

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1.24 Gets item from 10 ft and performs action (Array of high, novel, and neutral items)

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1.25 Gets neutral item and performs action at 3 feet (array)

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1.26 Gets high value from array, engages for 2 actions/10 seconds

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1.27 Gets novel/neutral item from array, engages for 2 actions/10 seconds

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1.28 Gets high value item from array, engages for 5 actions/30 seconds

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1.29 Gets novel/neutral item from array, engages for 5 actions/30 seconds

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1.30 Gets high value item from array, engages for 10 actions/60 seconds

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1.31 Gets novel/neutral item from array, engages for 10 actions/60 seconds

Concurrent Skills

Working on these skills at the same time could help with goal mastery. Maybe your learner has mastered these skills already. Perhaps they are already listed as component skills above. That’s okay! Targeting other learning channels might help your learner.

Intro to Manding

Single Actions with Common Toys

Intro to Scanning

Following Gestures

Composite Skills

These are the possible next steps for learners who have mastered, or are mastering, the skills listed above. Note that new skill areas may require fluency in other component skills not listed above. Also, you can introduce composite skill sequences prematurely to keep your learner progressing, as generativity may occur earlier than expected.