This paper examines reinforcement as a key behavior management strategy in special education settings. It defines reinforcement as a consequence that follows student behavior and increases the likelihood that the behavior will recur. The paper distinguishes between positive reinforcement — in which a reinforcer is presented following a target behavior — and negative reinforcement, in which a reinforcer or stimulus is removed. It also discusses how teachers can implement reinforcement effectively by limiting the number of targeted behaviors at any one time, prioritizing those that affect safety or learning, and drawing on detailed knowledge of each student's background and individual motivators to select the most effective reinforcers.
Special education teachers have various methods at their disposal to address behaviors that require modification. It is important for special education teachers to be acutely aware of all their options for behavior modification and improved learning for their students. It is also very useful for special education teachers to know as much as possible about their students and their students' families. Having detailed information about home life and a child's general personal history will assist in the most effective diagnosis and plan implementation for special educators. In this way, students receive the best service in the shortest amount of time and over a sustained period. They will see steady progress and improvement in the areas and behaviors that the teacher — in collaboration with other specialists such as psychiatrists, counselors, occupational therapists, speech therapists, physical therapists, parents, and others — works to change. This paper focuses on the strategy of reinforcement as one behavior management method available to special education professionals.
At the center of reinforcement are learning, behavior, consequences, and change. Reinforcement is the consequence that follows a student's behavior. A student exhibits a behavior, and the special education teacher enacts a consequence in response. It is considered reinforcement if that consequence increases the likelihood that the same behavior will occur again in the future, or at the very least, that the student will continue to demonstrate that behavior (Reinforcement, 2010).
Special education teachers, in order to be most effective and to change certain behaviors, must identify powerful reinforcers to motivate their students — on a conscious or unconscious level — to change their behaviors. This is where intensive knowledge about the student and the student's family becomes essential. The better a special education teacher knows each student, the better equipped the teacher will be to identify reinforcers that will motivate that student most effectively. Each student is different, so each student's reinforcers will differ as well. There will certainly be some overlap in reinforcers in certain instances, particularly when working with students who share a few fundamental similarities. However, there will also be moments for every special education teacher when a child exhibits a challenging behavior and a tense or difficult situation arises in the classroom. The teacher will then need to rely on multiple resources to effect a change in the maladaptive behavior. Knowing which reinforcers will truly assist at a critical moment is an asset to any special education teacher — and indeed to any teacher, parent, or guardian.
There are two types of reinforcement: positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement occurs when the special education teacher or specialist presents a reinforcer — likely listed in the student's IEP (Individualized Education Program) — after the student demonstrates a target behavior or skill. Reinforcers can take many forms, and what is most effective will depend on each individual child. Examples of reinforcers include, but are not limited to, verbal praise, food or drink, particular activities of interest, and permission to access the classroom computer for personal use (Reinforcement, 2010). Positive reinforcement is often effective in teaching new skills and appropriate behaviors.
Negative reinforcement occurs when the special education teacher or specialist removes a reinforcer or other object from the student's immediate environment. Negative reinforcement can also involve removing the student from a current or future activity as a result of the demonstration of maladaptive or otherwise inappropriate behaviors.
"Practical strategies for applying reinforcement in practice"
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