Incentives for Change

As many parents and teachers know, people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) can be difficult to motivate, especially when asked to learn something new. Finding the right incentives to support learning is one of the crucial first steps in teaching them new skills. Incentives for Change explores systems for determining what incentives children and adults with ASD will find rewarding and ways to use motivation as a tool to affect their learning and behavior. This easy-to-follow guide explains a variety of motivational methods and systems, including how to identify potential incentives, transition from concrete to intangible incentives, use reinforcements or rewards to increase motivation, teach a child to express what he wants, understand 'establishing operation' and other concepts that affect motivation, motivate children with ASD to make choices, implement token systems to enable children to delay reinforcement, and encourage independence and self-management skills. Parents and teachers will find methods for teaching a wide variety of social skills such as interacting playfully with others and making eye contact and life skills.