What are some reinforcing consequences you can deliver either immediately following the desired behavior or following a practice session– things that this particular student enjoys, wants, seeks out, etc.?
Consult the student about what is motivating for them. Complete a preference survey to assure that you have variety and quality of reinforcers available. After all, a student whose concept of finished is to ‘get it done as fast as possible’ is not going to be motivated to slow down and check a marker of quality while working. That shift of attention may be difficult for the student. The additional time may be really irritating and the student may associate the instructor with the annoying expectation. Doing the task ‘right’ is likely to require more time so have clear reinforcement available for ‘taking the time to do it right.’ What is motivating for you may be very different for the student! For example, some students may be motivated by reading a reference book or researching transit systems online- activities that may not have immediately come to mind.
Are you using labeling and social praise to make the contingency between desired behavior and reinforcing consequence clear to the student?
As you provide praise to the student, refer back to the visual support that defined the markers of quality. Move through that defined list or example with the student, comparing it to the student’s work. Consider how this happens when an instructor uses a rubric to identify markers of quality in a project or paper (e.g. “identified four themes in the novel = 4/4 excellent!”). As another example, if a student is washing dishes at a restaurant, use the visual instructions (e.g., “The instructions say, ‘rinse front and back’ – excellent, you did this for each dish!”) or present the visual sample of a clean dish and compare it to the student’s work to clarify that the student met expectations for quality.
What reinforcing consequences can you arrange that are more naturally or intrinsically connected to this targeted behavior?
Lots of naturally occurring reinforcers are associated with completing a job to satisfactory levels and submitting work consistently, including promotions, raises, and simply being able to keep one’s job. Another natural consequence is that the student does not have to go back and fix something again because he did it right the first time. However, you may have to point out these naturally occurring consequences to the student, as they may not acknowledge or consider them otherwise. One way of doing this is through a situational story or coping comic, or through a graphic organizer that visually “maps out” the consequences (short-term and long-term) of self-monitoring quality.
