Using Positive Reinforcement

I am a huge fan of positive reinforcement.  While,  I am also a huge fan of discipline, I believe that it has to be done in a positive way that reinforces their self worth and teaches them to take responsibility for their own actions.  That is what I strive for with my children.

With Adam, I received a lot of flack from some people because they think that dealing with a child, any child, regardless of having autism or not you need to let them develop their own motivational factors to want to do well and strive to do well.  I agree that should be a goal but with my son, I have found that positive reinforcement works well with him, especially if I want him to focus on doing better with certain behaviors.

 You may hear some people say that using positive reinforcement can be detrimental because it can cause children to depend on it as opposed to learning internal motivation. However, it is all in how you implement positive reinforcement as far as whether or not you are increasing internal motivation. There are several different ways to use positive reinforcement. At the basic level, you can consider the use of natural reinforcement, social reinforcement, token reinforcement, and tangible reinforcement. All of these entail delivering a specific consequence following a desired behavior that increases the likelihood that the behavior will continue or increase in the future.

Natural reinforcement occurs when a natural consequence for a certain behavior increases the likelihood that the behavior will occur again in the future. Examples of natural reinforcement may be when the child points to a ball, the child gets the ball; when a child names the animal on a puzzle piece, the child gets to put the puzzle piece in; when the child says hello to a peer, the peer smiles and says hello. These would all be considered examples of natural reinforcement as long as these consequences resulted in an increase of the desired behavior. Social reinforcement entails consequences for behavior such as smiles, high fives, tickles, praise, etc. It is important to note that many social reinforcers are quite natural. When someone does something that you like you would naturally smile and make a positive comment. Token reinforcement can include the child receiving points, tickets, stickers, stars, pennies, etc. that can later be exchanged for a tangible item or a preferred activity. Tangible reinforcement includes giving the child a desired food, drink, toy, or activity after engaging in the desired behavior.

To increase internal motivation, these four types of reinforcement should be used on a continuum where natural and social reinforcement are to be used before token or tangible reinforcement. Token and tangible reinforcement should be reserved when children do not respond to natural and social reinforcement. When you do need to resort to the use of token and tangible reinforcement, try to switch to using natural and social reinforcement as quickly as possible. This is because we do not want to encourage escape motivated behavior. Meaning, we don’t want to encourage children to do something just to get something else or to get away from the task or interaction itself. Of course, if we must use token or tangible reinforcement because it is the only way to get the child to respond, we must start there temporarily.

A program that I use with my children that works well is a point system.  For every action that they do they receive either a point or get points taken away.  When those points are accumulated at the end of the week those points entitle them to certain activities or benefits.  For me it is a good way of teaching them the power of earning their rewards for good behavior and the consequences of losing them when they do not follow through with unacceptable behavior or chores.  It teaches them to own their work and to work well.  And so far it works well with us.  I have a set of chores that they do daily and then weekly chores and they alternate.  They also get points for completing Activities for Daily Living for example if they make up their own bed without me asking them to do so, of it they take their plates to the sink without being told to do so, brush their teeth in the morning, comb their hair etc.....this reinforces taking responsibility for self and it has worked wonders!

Each child is going to be different.  What works for one may or may not work for another and no matter what program or direction of discipline you decide to take you know what is best for your own child and I hope that the information that I provide may be of some use to you.

Animals help children with social anxiety

Adam and Abigail have always both enjoyed animals.  Adam even sleeps with his favorite stuffed animal, it brings him comfort and allows him to feel close to something.

Found an interesting read from the National Institute of Health stating that Animals presence may ease social anxiety in children with Autism.

I find this to be true in many instances where Adam has been concerned.  When we walk the trails and if there is anyone with an animal both children take an instant reaction to the animals and want to love on them.  Now not every animal is friendly and wants kids to walk upon them so you have to be careful and use prudent judgement where this is concerned but I do believe having a pet, a dog or even a cat that they can call their own helps them immeasurably.

Here in part is the article that we found to be helpful.  I hope that it help you to make up your mind if you should have a pet or not.

When animals are present, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have lower readings on a device that detects anxiety and other forms of social arousal when interacting with their peers.

Graph showing study results.
Skin conductance levels of children with ASD rose for the first three conditions, but fell during the play session with guinea pigs. For reasons the researchers can’t explain, skin conductance levels of typically developing children rose during this session.
According to a study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, companion animals — like dogs, cats or the guinea pigs in the study — may prove to be a helpful addition to treatment programs designed to help children with ASDs improve their social skills and interactions with other people.

The study, published online in Developmental Psychobiology, was conducted by Marguerite O’Haire, Ph.D., from the Center for the Human-Animal Bond in the College of Veterinary Medicine of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and colleagues in the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.

“Previous studies suggest that in the presence of companion animals, children with autism spectrum disorders function better socially,” said James Griffin, Ph.D., of the Child Development and Behavior Branch at NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). “This study provides physiological evidence that the proximity of animals eases the stress that children with autism may experience in social situations.”

This study is among several funded under a public-private partnership established in 2008 between NICHD and the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, a division of Mars Inc., to establish a human-animal interaction research program to support studies relevant to child development, health, and the therapeutic use of animals.

“By providing support for these research studies, we hope to generate more definitive answers about how human-animal interaction affects health,” he said.
ASDs affect the structure and function of the brain and nervous system. People with these conditions have difficulty communicating and interacting with other people. They also have restricted and repetitive interests and behaviors.
For the current study, Dr. O’Haire and her colleagues measured skin conductance, the ease at which an unnoticeable electric charge passes through a patch of skin, in children with ASDs and in typically developing children. Researchers divided the 114 children, ages 5 to 12 years old, into 38 groups of three. Each group included one child with ASD and two of their typically developing peers.

Each child wore a wrist band fitted with a device that measures skin conductance. When people are feeling excited, fearful, or anxious, the electric charge travels faster through the skin, providing an objective way for researchers to gauge social anxiety and other forms of psychological arousal.

For the first few minutes, the children read a book silently, giving researchers a baseline measure of skin conductance while carrying out a non-stressful, familiar task. Next, each child was asked to read aloud from the book in the presence of the two peers in their group, a task designed to measure their level of apprehension during social situations.

The researchers then brought toys in the room and allowed the children 10 minutes of free play time. These situations may be stressful for children with ASDs, who may have difficulty relating socially to their typically developing peers.

Image of a Guinea pig on a child’s lap.
A guinea pig from the study. The skin conductance sensor can be seen on the child’s wrist.
Finally, the researchers brought two guinea pigs into the room and allowed the children to have 10 minutes of supervised play with the animals. The researchers chose guinea pigs because of their small size and docile nature — much easier to manage in a classroom than larger animals.

The researchers found that, compared to the typically developing children, the children with autism had higher skin conductance levels when reading silently, reading aloud, and in the group toy session. These higher levels are consistent with reports from parents and teachers, and from other studies, that children with ASDs are more likely to be anxious in social situations than typically developing children.

When the session with the guinea pigs began, however, skin conductance levels among the children with ASDs dropped significantly. The researchers speculate that because companion animals offer unqualified acceptance, their presence makes the children feel more secure.

Whereas human counterparts inherently pass social judgment, animals are often perceived as sources of unconditional, positive support, the researchers wrote.

For reasons the researchers cannot explain, skin conductance levels in the typically developing children rose during the session with the guinea pigs. The researchers believe that these higher readings may indicate excitement at seeing the animals, rather than any nervousness or apprehension.

Dr. O’Haire added that earlier studies have shown that children with ASDs were less likely to withdraw from social situations when companion animals are present. These studies, along with the current findings, indicate that animals might “play a part in interventions seeking to help children with autism develop their social skills,” she said. She cautioned, however, that the findings do not mean that parents of children with ASDs should rush to buy an animal for their children. Further research is needed to determine how animals might be used in programs aimed at developing social skills.

“Our study was conducted in a supervised setting, by researchers experienced in working with kids with autism spectrum disorders who understand the needs and requirements of the animals,” Dr. O’Haire said. She added that careful supervision was provided during the study, to ensure the welfare of the children as well as the animals.

About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the Institute’s website at http://www.nichd.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.