Anybody else using a token economy?

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Registered: 12-24-2004
Anybody else using a token economy?
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Thu, 05-05-2005 - 1:26pm

I just started using a token economy with Cassian. He gets to earn stickers, which we put on the calendar. Twenty stickers will get him one Baby Einstein puppet (there are about 6 that he desperately wants). We have used immediate tangible rewards before this, and he seems to understand the idea of stickers accummulating toward a big prize. He can count well past 100 and understands the concept of money, so I think he is cognitively ready in this sense at least.

So far, the behaviors I am giving stickers for are:

1) staying in his bed at night (he used to get up and come to us multiple times)
2) having a day with no tantrums at school (there are other behavioral supports in place for this too, so the sticker is kind of an extra incentive)
3) getting through certain fine motor tasks at school and at home
4) some clean up tasks done at home
5) a cooperative session with his private OT or music therapist

Cassian is 5 1/2 yrs old. I would love to hear about anyone else's experiences with token economies and their kids, adjustments you made, problems you encountered, successes, etc.

Suzi

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 05-05-2005 - 3:02pm

We have been using various levels of token economy for years. Currently we have a house wide system we use that works great for us. (naturally it is modified for each kid, they just don't know it, lol)

Our current system is a marble system. They earn marbles for a variety of good behaviors. There are certain activities that are definite marbles like finishing thier checklist appropriately, taking thier medicine, making thier bed and doing thier homework. However, they can earn marbles at any time for being caught being good, kind, for being helpful, for doing extra chores, etc. Totally at mom and dads discression. I like this because it adds a variable twist to our system. Old ABA research says that variable rate of reinforcers is the most effective and easiest to fade.

Then every few days or so (again variable) we trade in the marbles for money that goes in thier own wallet. 10 marbles is $1. Then every so often (at least 1 time a month but again variable) we go to the store and they buy something with thier own money.

We have worked up to this point. Prior to the marble system we have used many other more immediate forms of token economy or direct reinforcement. We have been doing the marbles for almost 3 years (yes even for Dave but very simplified at first for him as he was about 2 then). At first we traded in every week and went to the store every week. We went to the dollar store so they always had something they could buy. We realized that trading in every week wasn't enough so we did it every day or 2 or at least counted them everyday and went to the store once a week and moved from there.

How I modify is what I expect from the kids. For instance, Cait needs to do her checklist independently but Mike has me guiding and prompting him through. Mike doesn't really get marbles for remembering his meds because it is a non issue for him, but Cait is given marbles for that because we are teaching her to be more independent and she does forget. Dave's checklists is much shorter than the other kids and a picture schedule, etc. Biggest reinforcement is for remembering to do something without being asked. Sharing, making thier bed, etc.

BTW, finally the kids are learning to save money on thier own for bigger things they want to buy. So it is helping with various money skills too. Cait is having the hardest time with this particular aspect, but Emily is really pulling her along with this. Emily will have money to buy really great stuff because she won't spend every week because she will save for something special, and when she does she often won't spend all her money. and Cait usually only has $3-4 and buys a small animal toy. Cait and Mike through Emily's example are learning to save up for things they really want. NT's are great sometimes, lol.

Renee

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Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 05-06-2005 - 4:49pm

Hi,

I'm new here but I'll jump into this thread (I'll post an intro in a bit). We just started using "tickets" which is the same concept. I tried to give an allowance to my 5-1/2 y/o DS Andy but the whole coins/dollar thing was too much for him to conceptualize.

At first we gave one ticket per day for doing three jobs: Setting the table (basically fork and napkin for each person, plus clear off any toys), taking his dishes to the counter after eating, and picking up toys. These are vaguely worded so we can be flexible with what counts. We have two smaller kids (of normal development) so sometimes it's all I can do to enforce these things, but we are trying. Our 3 y/o DD also has three jobs and gets one ticket but they are easier jobs (put all shoes away, etc.)

We started with a chart that said "4 tickets= vanilla milk, 5 tickets= ice cream dessert, 6 tickets= new book, and 8 tickets= new toy" but he didn't really get after he cashed in his 4 tickets that the next day he didn't have 5, but just 1 again. So we worked on saving for a new toy (which we identified by taking a non-buying trip to Toys R Us). Both kids saved up 8 tickets and we went and bought their item. BUT, it was $30 for us and that's definitely not something we can do every 8 days, so now they are picking out the next toy they want and we will tell them how many tickets it will cost (approx. 1 ticket/$0.50 works in our budget OK for both kids doing this system, the baby is too young, obviously).

This worked great for two weeks but then has waned in interest this week, I think. The reward may be too far out there. This is definitely something we are in progress of fine-tuning at our house but I thought I would put in my two cents!

Carla
mom to Andy, 5-1/2
Camille, 3
Sam, 1

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Registered: 03-31-2003
Fri, 05-06-2005 - 7:01pm

We've only had limited success with that with that kind of stuff. There are some behaviors that David is unable to change no matter what the incentive. We used to have a star chart, where whenever David got to bed before 9 o'clock, quietly and nicely, he'd earn a star. After 15 or 20 stars he'd get a new Bionicle, which he loves more than life itself. Most nights, however, he'd have multiple issues around bedtime (a lot of which I now recognize was bipolar symptoms and AS), and not get a star. What I learned is that, no matter how great the incentive, there were a lot of simple behaviors that he just wasn't capable of. That was a tough one for me to swallow at first. It seemed to me that a child who just had to avoid spitting toothpaste onto the bathroom mirror for ONE MORE NIGHT in order to get Toa Vakama with the Disk Launcher would certainly do so if he were able to.

Back when I was convinced that he could behave well with the right motivation, I was really adamant about trying reward charts, etc. The problem was that we couldn't think of any immediate reward that he cared about. That's why we started the token economy thing, upping the rewards to things like Bionicles. It got so that whenever he didn't get a star (or whatever) he'd destroy the chart. Then it got so that he'd destroy it whenever he saw it, even if it had stars all over it. I now realize that those charts were a painful reminder that he was unable to control himself.

Of course, this is just my kid. He's always been different.

Evelyn
David 7
Nathan 3.5

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Registered: 03-28-2003
Fri, 05-06-2005 - 7:53pm

We're listmakers here. I printed up a simple list of things to be done everyday with a line by each item as a space they can use to check off.

My youngest loves lists so it's not a big deal to her being my routine girl. In fact, she loves it and checks it often.

My oldest (ADHD) was resistent to it, but I simply tell her "What's next on the list?" instead of "put away your shoes", "pick up your clothes", "brush your teeth!"

These lists are very specific and they look long, but they are very simple. For after school for my oldest it says stuff like come home, put away shoes, put away coat, put away backpack, put away violin, 4:15 free time, 5:00 study time, 6:00 dinner, 6:30 bath, 7:00 practice violin, 7:30 free time, 8:15 quick tidy of room, 8:30 brush teeth(and so on)

It's easy to do stuff, just really detailed so it looks long. My youngest has a different list, but similiar. It takes some of the parenting out of things for me. If goofing off occurs, then free time is lost and replaced by spending time doing the activity that was neglected in the first place. When I notice some of these activities become a habit, it drops off the list. For example, I don't have to tell my kids to take off their shoes when they come into the house,it's like breathing to them now. It's just done. So, this is how the list is really supposed to work, to teach daily stuff in a habitual way.

I also need lists very badly, so it's simply me trying to teach them a mechanism that works for me. They don't really answer to me so much but "the list" is the boss they have to check with now and then.

I like reading about how other people use these sorts of things and have learned some good ideas.

LR